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New Apple Store for Edinburgh, Scotland

S

Silver Pegasus

macrumors member
Original poster
Oct 13, 2011
65
28
Edinburgh, UK
After many years of speculation where it was to be located on Princes Street, finally it seems the local council has 'outed' the new Apple store. It looks like they are set to be part of a £12 million Hotel / Retail development with the hotel (Motel One http://www.caterersearch.com/Articles/24/10/2011/340785/Motel-One-to-open-second-Edinburgh-hotel.htm) occupying the upper part of this stunning building and Apple occupying one, two or all of the retail units below.

10-15 Princes Street is at the east end of the street and is pretty much the busiest end shopping wise with two shopping 'malls' nearby, one away to be majorly redeveloped in a £850 million project (http://www.stjamesquarter.info)
The building is directly across from the prestigious Balmoral Hotel (http://www.thebalmoralhotel.com) and the new Waverley Train Station entrance 'Waverley Steps'. (http://www.networkrail.co.uk/aspx/6403.aspx)
Seems a great location with the castle in view.

This is what the Edinburgh council have listed in their traffic disruptions update. Second one down.
http://edinburgh.cdmf.info/public/disruptions/list.htm

This is the planning documents for the building/hotel.
https://citydev-portal.edinburgh.gov.uk/idoxpa-web/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=documents&keyVal=M2OADAEW09Z00

What it should look like finished.
https://citydev-portal.edinburgh.go..._-_SOUTH_ELEVATIONS_NIGHT_VIEW_05-1371780.pdf

What the building looks like today just after they have taken out the windows.
http://s14.postimage.org/w6a74h6rl/apple.jpg

Opening 2013 it seems.
 
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K

kolax

macrumors G3
Mar 20, 2007
9,181
115
Is this new news? It was rumoured Apple was moving into the old Burger King block a year or two ago.

From what I see, it is still a rumour. There's no documents saying Apple will be using that retail space (though it seems pretty obvious they are the most likely candidate).

Pretty crap location I think, but I guess there *may* be a tram stop there one day..
 
A

anti-microsoft

macrumors 68000
Dec 15, 2006
1,665
6
Edinburgh, Scotland
It seems ridiculous to me that they are taking this long to build an Apple Store in Edinburgh. Cancom has now shut down I think and there is no other place, to my knowledge, that is an Authorised Apple Retail Store.

The rumours about Apple moving in to that building in Princess Street have been going on since 2008/2009... I'm, personally, not sure what validity this news has any more. Apple probably considered it at some point and is now uninterested. That location is not exactly prime, I think Apple can do a lot better. There are great buildings and locations in Edinburgh that would suit Apple much better than the east end of Princess Street, a cold and shady spot.
 
K

kolax

macrumors G3
Mar 20, 2007
9,181
115
anti-microsoft said:
That location is not exactly prime, I think Apple can do a lot better. There are great buildings and locations in Edinburgh that would suit Apple much better than the east end of Princess Street, a cold and shady spot.
Click to expand...

Given that the council is looking at limiting Princes St traffic to purely just the trams (and continue having the buses etc going along George St), it would have made a location in the middle of Princes St quite appealing. Traffic will come down from St.Andrews Sq onto east end of Princes St and go right past the Apple Store. Pretty noisy location.

If Apple had gotten into the Urban Outfitters store first, that would have been a perfect location.
 
S

Silver Pegasus

macrumors member
Original poster
Oct 13, 2011
65
28
Edinburgh, UK
It is news, as the other locations have long been speculated have dried up. This location was way down the list when new look, primark etc were being talked about as locations. You guys honestly think this is a bad location? It's the busiest end, the middle and west are dead.

I'd put a hefty bet it will be here and done before next summer.

What other beautiful buildings and locations are there? This feels right.
 
K

kolax

macrumors G3
Mar 20, 2007
9,181
115
Silver Pegasus said:
You guys honestly think this is a bad location? It's the busiest end, the middle and west are dead.
Click to expand...

Busiest end by what definition? It is busy because there is a lot of traffic, noise etc. But the nearby shops are hardly what you'd call up market retail shops and there isn't a lot of customers floating in them. Princes St in general is quiet because of the tram works, but once they are all finished, the east end will never be as busy as the main strip.

Not to mention that you usually have folk banging drums or doing a peace speech in the open space next to it.

Perhaps once it is all finished, with the finished Waverley station and Princes Mall, that part of Princes St will be nicer. Right now, and for the past few years, its just been a dump.
 
S

Silver Pegasus

macrumors member
Original poster
Oct 13, 2011
65
28
Edinburgh, UK
It is on the thoroughfare near to the only large 'mall' in the city centre (which be even larger in 2-3 years), across from a small one and the second-largest main line railway station in the United Kingdom! There is considerable footfall because of that. Once the trams are done and the normal traffic patterns restored this is great location to be in.
 
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G

GWIM2

macrumors member
Sep 21, 2011
56
4
Scotland
Silver Pegasus said:
Once the trams are done ...
Click to expand...

I'm hoping to retire in 2020, and may be able to take a photo of a tram outside this store by then.

Seriously - Apple - just build a store on Princes Street somewhere and get it done. I'll have to keep giving my money to the Aberdeen store till then.
 
G

GWIM2

macrumors member
Sep 21, 2011
56
4
Scotland
JohnnyKennedy said:
Dropped by it a few days ago and thought I'd give you guys a progress update.
Click to expand...

Image: http://www.gwim2.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/edh.jpg

Took another shot yesterday myself. That amount of structural steel to hold the facade means the interior must be almost completely gone. I had a look at the location too. Top of the Waverley Steps so a large percentage of the people coming to the centre of Edinburgh by train are going to walk straight into it.
 
J

jtcedinburgh

macrumors regular
Sep 26, 2010
141
2
About high time...

...that Apple had an official store in the capital. I personally think that that's a good spot - after all, you've got the best public transport there (Waverley just a minute away, and all the buses and what-not pass by). You also have the added benefit of being a corner location that doesn't have an immediate road (apart from the little access road) so Apple can do something smart on two elevations.

Finally, there's a decent little pub right behind - the Guildford Arms - where I have spent many happy drunken evenings on and off for the past 20 years(ish). :)
 
J

JohnnyKennedy

macrumors newbie
Oct 11, 2011
5
0
Progress?

Over in Ireland at the minute, and won't be able to get a look at the store until August 28th. Any chance someone could get a quick snap?
 
K

kolax

macrumors G3
Mar 20, 2007
9,181
115
JohnnyKennedy said:
Over in Ireland at the minute, and won't be able to get a look at the store until August 28th. Any chance someone could get a quick snap?
Click to expand...

Walked past earlier today, just looks the same. Completely gutted out, the roof is probably needing quite a bit work.
 
J

jjw1980

macrumors newbie
Aug 13, 2012
15
0
Looks like a new AASP has opened on Queen Street, no retail but we are set for repairs again.
 
niuniu

niuniu

macrumors 68020
Mar 29, 2009
2,311
1
A man of the people. The right sort of people.
City planning and development in Edinburgh is absolutely useless. Wouldn't hold your breath on this Apple store. Not unless it's already been in planning for 10 years, in which case they may get started soon.

Misery aside, really hope they do get an AS here pronto.
 
A

anti-microsoft

macrumors 68000
Dec 15, 2006
1,665
6
Edinburgh, Scotland
Kilamite said:
Authorised Apple Service Provider.

We've not had one since Cancom went.
Click to expand...

jjw1980 said:
Apple Authorised Service Provider
Click to expand...

Ah right! Thanks! I know... Cancom... What happend to them? It seems that, if they were the only Apple Reseller in Edinburgh and they went out of business, there maybe isn't such demand for an Apple Store as you would seem to think.

Oh, and what's this new AASP called? Haven't been to Edinburgh in a while
 
K

kolax

macrumors G3
Mar 20, 2007
9,181
115
anti-microsoft said:
It seems that, if they were the only Apple Reseller in Edinburgh and they went out of business, there maybe isn't such demand for an Apple Store as you would seem to think.
Click to expand...

They got bought over (http://www.cancomuk.com) and are called Tramscom.

Their store in Edinburgh was tiny, had a few things on display and that was it. Stock was always crap too.
 
J

jjw1980

macrumors newbie
Aug 13, 2012
15
0
anti-microsoft said:
Ah right! Thanks! I know... Cancom... What happend to them? It seems that, if they were the only Apple Reseller in Edinburgh and they went out of business, there maybe isn't such demand for an Apple Store as you would seem to think.

Oh, and what's this new AASP called? Haven't been to Edinburgh in a while
Click to expand...

looks like these guys have just opened an Edinburgh office

http://opalcs.co.uk/
 
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