THE historic Edinburgh Royal Hospital for Sick Children has been put up for sale – and is expected to be sold for tens of millions of pounds.

Opened in 1895, the building is to be sold on the open market.

A new purpose-built Sick Kids Hospital costing £150 million is replacing the old hospital in 2018.

Property experts say developers will be “queuing up” to buy the building, which is located just off the Meadows.

David Fraser, residential land and development partner at Ryden, said the sale would attract considerable interest.

He said: “The Royal Hospital for Sick Children is one of Edinburgh’s most iconic properties.

“We expect it to attract considerable interest from local, national and international developers as market demand for development opportunities within Edinburgh city centre is currently strong.”

Designed by George Washington Browne, the building was opened in 1895 by Princess Beatrice.

The Sick Kids Hospital was previously based at Lauriston Lane, before moving to the purpose-built Meadowside House in the early 1860s.

In 2005, NHS Lothian started to develop plans to move the hospital from its present site to the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.