Edinburgh Castle London 2012 advert rejected after public outrage

In a move welcomed by local politicians and civic groups, a controversial attempt by London 2012 organisers to place a giant Olympic logo on Edinburgh Castle has been rejected by heritage officials.

The five iconic Olympic rings, standing 18m high and 8.5m wide, were to be displayed on the north-western rampart of the Castle for four months before being replaced by the Paralympics logo.

The planning application was turned down by Historic Scotland, the agency responsible for running the 12th century fortress. A spokesperson for the organisation said: “It is clear that the proposal would not be suitable for the successful operation of Scotland’s most popular heritage attraction.”

The London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (LOCOG) intended to use the £200,000 logo to advertise the nationwide relevance of the games amid criticism that Scottish taxpayers’ money was being sent to London to fund the £9.3bn games. Critics have complained that relatively little investment will be returning north of the border.

Lothians MSP Margo MacDonald said: “Do you think London would put up a big sign saying the Commonwealth Games is being held in Glasgow? I don’t think so.”

The rejection of the plans represents a victory for local campaigners, who protested against this addition to Edinburgh’s famous skyline. Marion Williams, director of the Cockburn Association, a local conservation and heritage charity, told The Journal: “Given the Castle’s status as a heritage site, it is totally inappropriate to use it for any sort of ‘branding,’ especially given the size of the logo and the impact it will make on the skyline.”

An initial suggestion by the Cockburn Association that a logo could instead be placed on the Forth Bridge has been retracted after the scale and potential visual impact of the planned logo became clear. Historic Scotland has expressed a willingness to work with LOCOG to find possible alternatives for the site of the giant advert.

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie offered a novel alternative to the castle, suggesting that he could install the 60-foot structure on the roof of his bungalow as a gesture of support for the Olympics.

Edinburgh Central SNP MSP Marco Biagi praised the decision to reject the application, telling The Journal: “When this story broke I thought it was April 1st. Edinburgh Castle is Scotland’s most visited historic building - not a giant poster board.

“The Olympic logo was not at all appropriate for the location. Historic Scotland’s job is to champion Scotland’s heritage sites and today it has done so.”

The Cockburn Association also welcomed the verdict, expressing satisfaction that Historic Scotland had “stopped the nonsense."