IT is the first time the newly refurbished Royal Commonwealth Pool in Edinburgh has been seen with water for more than two years.
The public will soon be able to take the plunge, as the pool is due to open to all on Wednesday March 21.
David Wilkie, former Olympic swimming champion, will officially open the pool at a special ceremony in front of an invited audience including council members, Edinburgh Leisure representatives and people connected with Graham Construction, which led the £37 million refurbishment.
The new features will include a 50m eight-lane pool for community and specialist swimming and a re-orientated 25m diving pool up to 5m deep with moveable floor and a dry dive facility, which will have a trampoline and springboards for training purposes.
The pool will host the diving events as part of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games and the British Swimming squad has selected the facility as the venue for its final training camp in July 2012 ahead of the London Olympics.
Edinburgh City Council and Sportscotland funded the renovation and refurbishment programme that has seen the building stripped back to the bare shell and rebuilt, while retaining all the features of the A-listed structure that originally opened in 1970.
City leisure convener Deidre Brock said: "We know huge excitement is building across the city and beyond as people look forward to rediscovering – or indeed discovering – their beautifully modernised pool."
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