Google Groups no longer supports new Usenet posts or subscriptions. Historical content remains viewable.
Dismiss

Panmure House (of Adam Smith) for sale

0 views
Skip to first unread message

Chris Malcolm

unread,
Mar 26, 2008, 7:10:50 AM3/26/08
to
Adam Smith spent the last twelve years of his life in Panmure House,
where he entertained many of the Edinburgh luminaries of the Scottish
Enlightenment. It's situated in Lochend Close, between Calton Road and
the Canongagte, near the Canongate Churhchyard in which he is buried,
and is now up for sale by the City Council, agents Rettie & co.

http://www.rettie.co.uk/buy_property/view_property/?p=2&reference=EDI080275&

This sale has raised concerns in the letters pages of the Scotsman
newspaper about this narrow opportunity to remedy the lack of local
memorabilia to this important and influential Edinburgensian,
e.g. this letter from a dozen or so Edinburgh economists in which they
say:

"The availability of Panmure House is an excellent opportunity for a
new and exciting development of an historically important building
near the Scottish Parliament. It would be ideal as the base for a
research or policy institute for economics in Scotland. It could also
serve as a study centre for Adam Smith and the Scottish Enlightenment."

http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/letters/Fears-for-the-future-of.3886918.jp

They have set up a web site to co-ordinate information and activity to
this end.

http://panmurehouseproject.googlepages.com/

Unfortunately the closing date is noon on the 4th of April...

--
Chris Malcolm c...@infirmatics.ed.ac.uk DoD #205
IPAB, Informatics, JCMB, King's Buildings, Edinburgh, EH9 3JZ, UK
[http://www.dai.ed.ac.uk/homes/cam/]

Zimmy

unread,
Mar 27, 2008, 5:01:06 AM3/27/08
to

"Chris Malcolm" <c...@holyrood.ed.ac.uk> wrote in message
news:fsdavq$3rf$2...@scotsman.ed.ac.uk...

> Adam Smith spent the last twelve years of his life in Panmure House,
> where he entertained many of the Edinburgh luminaries of the Scottish
> Enlightenment. It's situated in Lochend Close, between Calton Road and
> the Canongagte, near the Canongate Churhchyard in which he is buried,
> and is now up for sale by the City Council, agents Rettie & co.
>
> http://www.rettie.co.uk/buy_property/view_property/?p=2&reference=EDI080275&
>
> This sale has raised concerns in the letters pages of the Scotsman
> newspaper about this narrow opportunity to remedy the lack of local
> memorabilia to this important and influential Edinburgensian,
> e.g. this letter from a dozen or so Edinburgh economists in which they
> say:
>
> "The availability of Panmure House is an excellent opportunity for a
> new and exciting development of an historically important building
> near the Scottish Parliament. It would be ideal as the base for a
> research or policy institute for economics in Scotland. It could also
> serve as a study centre for Adam Smith and the Scottish Enlightenment."

I'm still waiting for the Scottish Enlightenment. :-)

Z


Robert Sneddon

unread,
Mar 27, 2008, 8:23:15 AM3/27/08
to
In message <fsfnoi$ltj$1$8300...@news.demon.co.uk>, Zimmy <x@y.z>
writes

>
>"Chris Malcolm" <c...@holyrood.ed.ac.uk> wrote in message
>news:fsdavq$3rf$2...@scotsman.ed.ac.uk...

>> It could also


>> serve as a study centre for Adam Smith and the Scottish Enlightenment."
>
>I'm still waiting for the Scottish Enlightenment. :-)

That happens on Sunday when the clocks go forward.
--
To reply, my gmail address is nojay1 Robert Sneddon

Sam Wilson

unread,
Apr 1, 2008, 9:30:46 AM4/1/08
to
In article <fsfnoi$ltj$1$8300...@news.demon.co.uk>, "Zimmy" <x@y.z>
wrote:

> I'm still waiting for the Scottish Enlightenment. :-)

They're playing Dunfermline in May.
<http://www.myspace.com/thescottishenlightenment>

Sam

Chris Malcolm

unread,
May 14, 2008, 9:00:43 PM5/14/08
to
In ed.general Chris Malcolm <c...@holyrood.ed.ac.uk> wrote:
> Adam Smith spent the last twelve years of his life in Panmure House,
> where he entertained many of the Edinburgh luminaries of the Scottish
> Enlightenment. It's situated in Lochend Close, between Calton Road and
> the Canongagte, near the Canongate Churhchyard in which he is buried,
> and is now up for sale by the City Council, agents Rettie & co.

> http://www.rettie.co.uk/buy_property/view_property/?p=2&reference=EDI080275&

> This sale has raised concerns in the letters pages of the Scotsman
> newspaper about this narrow opportunity to remedy the lack of local
> memorabilia to this important and influential Edinburgensian,
> e.g. this letter from a dozen or so Edinburgh economists in which they
> say:

> "The availability of Panmure House is an excellent opportunity for a
> new and exciting development of an historically important building
> near the Scottish Parliament. It would be ideal as the base for a
> research or policy institute for economics in Scotland. It could also
> serve as a study centre for Adam Smith and the Scottish Enlightenment."

> http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/letters/Fears-for-the-future-of.3886918.jp

> They have set up a web site to co-ordinate information and activity to
> this end.

> http://panmurehouseproject.googlepages.com/

> Unfortunately the closing date is noon on the 4th of April...

In view of the public interest the council has decided that the sale
should go to Heriot Watt University who propose to keep it as a public
building commemorating Adam Smith. This decision must next be ratified
by the Scottish Parliament. More details in the BBC report:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/edinburgh_and_east/7398128.stm

Ronald Raygun

unread,
May 15, 2008, 4:43:14 AM5/15/08
to
Chris Malcolm wrote:

> In view of the public interest the council has decided that the sale
> should go to Heriot Watt University who propose to keep it as a public
> building commemorating Adam Smith. This decision must next be ratified
> by the Scottish Parliament. More details in the BBC report:
>
> http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/edinburgh_and_east/7398128.stm

This is hardly the sort of matter parliament should concern itself with,
and indeed the BBC report mentions "government", not "parliament".

The council is presumably involved because they are the sellers.

What is the role of government here, is it just acting as watchdog
lest the council be accused of acting with improbity in losing out
on the potential additional £150k?

0 new messages