Annual Dinner - Assembly Rooms, George Street, Edinburgh

Following a £9.3 million restoration, Assembly Rooms Edinburgh opened its doors for the first time in 18 months, to reveal the results of a magnificent refurbishment. With over 500,000 sparkling crystals, 6000 books of golf leaf and half a tonne of exclusive Zoffany damask curtain fabric used in the project, the Assembly Rooms underwent a breathtaking transformation. No other building of its kind exists in such a complete state in the  British Isles  in public ownership, and this refurbishment has seen the A-listed building restored to its 18th century splendour. 

More than two hundred years ago, the Assembly Rooms was created as a place for people to meet, talk, do business and be entertained.  From royal banquets to Edinburgh Festival Fringe shows, and from ceilidhs to readings by Dickens, Scott and Thackeray, not only has this beautiful 18th century building survived the centuries, but its purpose continues to this day.