So why did Historic Scotland hire the rising Scottish architect Gareth Hoskins to design, a, er... ticket office? The answer lies wrapped in tarpaulins at Edinburgh Castle, where Hoskins's triangular creation, all sharp angles and clad in dark metal, is expected to open for business in November. Historic Scotland yesterday launched their new logo for the castle. It's a clever choice, a mix of simplicity and impact: a snarling lion's head in red, with a crown, merged with battlements on the castle rock. But all eyes were on the ticket office yesterday. What will be said when the covers come off? Should the Prince of Wales be told? Hoskins's recent work includes the popular Bridge Arts Centre in Easterhouse and the soon-to-open Culloden Memorial Battlefield Project. His ticket office, and the newly built terrace it sits on, comes with a £2.7 million overhaul of the castle's visitor and reception areas. It will replace the cramped, unsightly and "temporary" ticket office building that has sat on the esplanade for a dozen years.
