Ten years, countless coffees, plenty of good food, more than a few shopping bags and memories we’ll never forget. Restoration Yard is turning 10!
It’s hard to believe that it’s been a whole decade since Restoration Yard first opened its doors. What started as an ambitious vision to breathe new life into Dalkeith Country Park's historic stableyard has grown into the destination you know and love today.
And we couldn’t let our 10th birthday pass without taking a little look back at how we got here.
From historic stables to Restoration Yard
Before Restoration Yard became a place to shop, eat, unwind and spend time together, these beautiful buildings were the bustling stableyard at the heart of Dalkeith Country Park, just 20 minutes outside Edinburgh's city centre.
Designed by renowned Scottish architect William Adam in the 1740s, the stables were once home to the horses and grooms of the many distinguished guests welcomed to Dalkeith over the centuries.
As the years passed, the buildings gradually lost their original purpose, but their character and architectural significance remained.
In 2014, a new vision was set in motion: to carefully restore the historic stables and create somewhere people could eat, shop, gather and enjoy time together.
That vision became Restoration Yard.
Following an extensive rennovation, Restoration Yard opened its doors on 25th July 2016, beginning a brand-new chapter in the story of these historic buildings.
Ten years of change, growth and plenty of fun
A lot can happen in ten years.
Since opening, Restoration Yard has continued to evolve, with new brands, new spaces, new experiences and plenty of reasons to keep coming back.
The Store has grown into a carefully curated collection of fashion, homeware, kids, beauty, gifts and more. The Kitchen has become a favourite spot for everything from breakfast and lunch to afternoon tea and catch-ups with friends.
We’ve welcomed the Coffee Bar, watched it grow and recently given it a brand-new look and feel. We’ve introduced the Foodhall and Wellness Space, bringing even more ways to shop, eat, relax and restore.
We’ve hosted exclusive Jellycat launches, brilliant customer events and collaborations with some truly fabulous partners and suppliers. We’ve celebrated seasonal moments and special occasions and had the privilege of sharing some incredibly special moments with our customers.
Most importantly, we’ve welcomed so many wonderful couples through our doors to celebrate their wedding days with us, creating memories that we hope they’ll treasure for years to come. And, of course, we’ve welcomed Santa back year after year.
And then there are the less glamorous, but equally exciting milestones… like somehow finding room for not one, but two brand-new car parks!
Through all the changes, one thing has remained at the heart of Restoration Yard: creating a place where people can come together, discover something new, slow down and make memories.
But the best part has always been you, our customers
Restoration Yard wouldn’t be what it is today without the people who walk through our doors.
The person who pops in for their morning coffee. The friends who meet for lunch and somehow stay for another hour. The customer who finds the perfect gift in The Store. The family who makes a visit part of their weekend. The dog who knows exactly where they’re going the second they arrive.
The first-time visitors. The regulars. The people who have been coming since 2016. The people who discovered us last week.
Every visit, purchase, coffee, meal, event ticket, recommendation, social media like, comment and share has helped shape the Restoration Yard story.
So, from all of us at Restoration Yard, THANK YOU!
Thank you for your continued support, for coming back time and time again and for the love you’ve shown our little corner of Dalkeith Country Park over the last ten years.
We wouldn’t be here without you.
Here’s to the next ten years
Ten years ago, we set out to create somewhere different. Somewhere beautiful and welcoming, where heritage and contemporary living could come together and where people could pause, reconnect and enjoy life’s simple pleasures.
Today, that vision continues to evolve, and there’s plenty more to come.
We’re dreaming up new ways to enjoy your time at Restoration Yard, from exciting events and new collaborations to even more ways to make your visit last a little longer. We’ll be finding new ways for our community to come together, continuing to grow our own Restoration Yard collection so you can take a little piece of RY home with you, and breathing new life into some much-loved corners of the iconic stableyard.
Here’s to ten years of Restoration Yard - and to all the memories still to come!
Shop Wonderful. Eat Local. Restore Balance.