I hadn’t realised how functional Dovecot Studios are from looking at their website and was therefore very pleasantly surprised by my visit to these modernised Victorian baths.
When most people think of the studios they think of the stunning weaving floor with its immense gallery, but there are plenty of other rooms which adapt well for a number of different functions.
The two main rooms on the ground floor have a modern industrial feel and are interlinked. They can obviously be used separately, but when combined the capacity of 150 makes them perfect for a lecture, conference or dinner followed by a reception and dancing in the adjoining area.
The first floor houses the former Ladies Baths and the Meeting Room. The Ladies Baths is a highly flexible space suited to an array of meeting formats, holding up to 120 theatre style. The Meeting Room has arched windows along one side and an enormous window in the ceiling which floods the space with light and makes it ideal for a board meeting or intimate evening dining area.
The weaving floor with its toweringly high ceiling is the showpiece of the venue and by day houses enormous looms where weavers practice their art in a hushed environment.
Once the looms are moved aside the cathedral like space is transformed and the clever use of lighting and mood music has the extraordinary ability to give either a contemporary feeling or more ethereal atmosphere to the space.
The viewing balcony above the weaving floor is the widest we’ve seen in Edinburgh and can easily accommodate banquets for 250 people, with a bar, and band in other areas.
Some of the rooms at Dovecot are lined with art – be it woven or other media – creating an interesting backdrop.
The staff at Dovecot are open to any suggestions for either corporate events or weddings and the combination of this passion and the variety of spaces available makes for one of the city’s most flexible venues.
Capacity
Meeting Room: Boardroom 18, Theatre 40, Reception 50
Ladies Baths: Cabare 72, Theatre 120, Reception 120
North Gallery: Theatre 120, Dinner 60, Reception 120
South Gallery: Theatre 150, Dinner 150, Reception 250
Balcony: Dinner 200, Reception 250
Weaving Floor: Theatre 180, Dinner 250, Reception 250
Contact Details
10 Infirmary Street
Edinburgh
EH1 1LT
Telephone +44 (0)131 550 3660
