You’re now standing before one of Edinburgh’s most imposing buildings, the seat of the Scottish Government, perched high on Calton Hill. Housed in a striking Art Deco structure, it was built in the 20th century on the site of a former prison. In fact, it’s said that the graves of ten convicted murderers still lie buried beneath the car park. The building was finally completed in 1939, just after the outbreak of the Second World War, forcing the city to delay its inauguration for several months. Its modern lines and bold Art Deco flourishes are typical of the style adopted after the First World War, at a time when Scotland needed a new building to house certain offices of its Parliament. Back then, however, the Scottish Parliament had no real autonomy and was still entirely dependent on Westminster. It wasn’t until 1999 that Scotland gained full legislative powers. Since then, this building has been home to the offices of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister of Scotland, making it, as you can imagine, one of the most significant landmarks in the capital.