Victoria Quay, Edinburgh facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Victoria Quay |
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Scottish Gaelic Cidhe Bhictòria
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Front elevation of Victoria Quay
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| General information | |
| Status | Complete |
| Type | Government building |
| Location | Victoria Quay |
| Address | Victoria Quay, Leith |
| Town or city | Edinburgh |
| Country | Scotland |
| Current tenants | Scottish Government |
| Construction started | 1993 |
| Opened | 1996 |
| Other information | |
| Parking | 672 car parking spaces (incl. 79 for visitors) |
Victoria Quay (VQ) is a big building in Leith, Edinburgh, Scotland. It is home to the Scottish Government. This means it's where many people who work for the government do their jobs. It's also known as Cidhe Bhictòria in Scottish Gaelic. The building is quite close to the famous Royal Yacht Britannia museum ship.
Contents
History of Victoria Quay
Victoria Quay was built on land that used to be old dockyards. These areas were redeveloped, meaning they were cleaned up and made new again. The building was first used by parts of what was called the Scottish Office.
From Scottish Office to Scottish Government
In 1999, Scotland gained more power to make its own decisions. This change is called devolution. Because of this, the Scottish Office became the Scottish Executive, and later the Scottish Government. Victoria Quay then became a key place for the new government. About 1,500 people who work for the government, called civil servants, were planned to work there.
Building Design and Opening
The building was designed by a company called Robert Matthew Johnson Marshall. Its design has some cool features that look like parts of a ship, fitting with its dockside location. Construction started in 1993. The building was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth on July 1, 1996.
Impact on Leith Waterfront
Victoria Quay helped kick off a big project to make the Leith waterfront area much better. This project is called a regeneration programme. After Victoria Quay opened, many new things came to Leith. These included modern apartments, old warehouses turned into new homes, and lots of cafes and restaurants.
Before Victoria Quay, many government workers were in other buildings in central Edinburgh. One of these was New St. Andrew's House (NSAH). That building was closed in the mid-1990s and was later taken down in 2017.
