PART of the Royal Mile could be turned into Edinburgh's "literary quarter" under plans unveiled today.
The idea would be to bring together organisations such as the Scottish Book Trust and the Scottish Storytelling Centre to offer a combined programme of events, literary trails and exhibitions.
Many of the organisations involved would adapt their b
uildings to improve facilities and accessibility, and the Scottish Book Trust's Sandeman House could become the central hub for the quarter.
Trinity Apse, currently the Brass Rubbing Centre, could also be transformed into a new venue for events or exhibitions.
The scheme is being led by the Scottish Book Trust, which has commissioned a feasibility study from architects Malcolm Fraser to outline the work needed and the likely cost.
Other organisations involved would include the Scottish Poetry Library, the National Library of Scotland, the Writers' Museum and Canongate Books.
Scottish Book Trust chief executive, Marc Lambert, said: "The potential of literary tourism is enormous and we've got a great benefit because we are a Unesco City of Literature.
"We need to address various physical aspects to do with being in the Old Town which act as a barrier to participation, such as how does a disabled person gain access to all of these places, which is very difficult at the moment.
"We also need to consider what kind of spaces we need to put in place to have a programme that runs across all of these venues."
He said Sandeman House could be redesigned to increase the possibilities for events, adding new areas such as a small cinema or library.
The cost of the plan will not be known until the end of the year. It is hoped that it could be partly funded by the Scottish Arts Council with the remainder of the cash coming from other grants and sponsorship.
The project would tie in with proposals to create a Museums Hub on the Royal Mile, and an Arts Hub to be based at the City Art Centre on Market Street.
Mr Lambert said: "It's very exciting. There are very few European cities with this kind of facility in the centre. There are hundreds of thousands of tourists that come past our door every year and the audience for this is huge."
Anna Burkey, communications and events coordinator for the City of Literature Trust, which promotes Edinburgh's status as a Unesco City of Literature, said: "
To have everyone in one place concentrates ideas and it's much easier for tourists to see what's going on and that there's a buzz in the city – which there is, but sometimes you need to bring that into the open a bit more."
