Deaconess Hospital

I noticed this old sign in the Pleasance a wee while ago but haven't got round to blipping it yet.

This was a hospital opened by the Church of Scotland in 1894, primarily to train Deaconesses as nurses but also to provide medical care in what was once a very overcrowded and unhygenic part of town.

It became part of the NHS in 1948 and only closed in 1990. It was then headquarters for NHS Lothian until 2010. I am not sure what it is now but I expect it has been made into Luxury Apartments.

It looks scarily gothic here. I hope it is haunted.

I have a new lens. It is a 300mm lens which is almost as old as I am. I can't wait to try it but due to an administration error, my camera is at work and the lens is here at home. D'oh.