It was one of the most destructive blazes in living memory that would change the city centre skyline forever.
The fire that ripped through the Palace Hotel in Princes Street on June 9, 1991 would ultimately result in the handsome landmark being torn down.
The six-storey structure, which had once been one of the capital's grandest hotels, had seen better days - leading some to speculate that the fire had been an insurance job.
READ MORE: The unforgettable Edinburgh fire that rocked a community and left 150 unemployed
It would transpire, however, that youths had broken into the building, which had been unoccupied at the time, and recklessly started the blaze.
While exploring the vacant hotel, careless teens had reportedly set light to pieces of paper in the pitch dark corridors before making a hasty escape.
Around 10pm, a taxi driver noticed flames coming from the property and raised the alarm.
Unfortunately, the fire was well-developed by the time emergency services arrived on the scene and all firefighters could do was prevent further spread to nearby buildings.
Fire crew battled tirelessly into the early hours of the morning to nullify the blaze, by which time the Palace Hotel was a smouldering ruin.
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While no lives were lost, by dawn, it was clear that this was a demolition job, and the 19th century building would have to be pulled down.
For the next few days, the fire brought traffic chaos to the city centre, with both Castle Street and Princes Street partially closed off, as workers commenced with demolition of the stricken block.
Having stood proudly for more than a century, the Palace Hotel, and an adjacent Georgian townhouse, steadily vanished from the skyline, to be replaced by a modern office and retail development.
Named 7 Castle Street, the new office building was completed in 1995 and still stands today.
As for the teenagers, unluckily for them, they had been spotted loitering near the entrance to the hotel shortly before the alarm was raised.
Two local boys, both aged 16, were found to have been culpable of starting the fire which had caused an estimated £11 million in damage, but were later acquitted due to a lack of firm evidence.
