HISTORY CONTINUED
Football & Film 1990's
Murrayfield have also played host to a number of important productions for the Edinburgh International Festival throughout the years as well as some more unusual events such as hosting the first live transmission of a domestic football game in collaboration with Hibernian and the BBC. Hibs fans who were unable to obtain tickets for the 1994/95 Scottish Cup semi final match against Stenhousemuir at Ochilview got the chance to watch the game live on big screens in Murrayfield.
Later that year the Rink was used as a set for a major scene in the award winning Scottish film "Small Faces". Incidentally, many of the extras in the scene were regular Murrayfield skaters.
Sinead and John Kerr
Siblings Sinead and John Kerr, born and raised in Edinburgh, first skated at the Livingston rink learned to skate at Murrayfield and went on to the eighth place at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Canada and fifth in the World Championships Torino 2010. The pair claimed their second European bronze in 2011 Bern Switzerland following the success of Helsinki Finland 2009.
“ In Edinburgh we’re lucky there is a great facility here that you can come and train at, learn, you can become Olympic champions here it is possible.” Sinead Kerr
Le Patin Libre
In 2014 after a gap of many years the rink once again became an Edinburgh Fringe Festival Venue hosting the Franco-Québécois company Le Patin Libre who brought their new form of contemporary, urban, acrobatic dance, inspired by the magic of gliding.
Water of Leith Flood Prevention Scheme 2016
The present owners have seen the Water of Leith flood 3 times since 1957, the most recent being in the year 2000. That year the Rugby Stadium, a large number of low lying houses at Roseburn as well as many houses and properties further downstream and upstream were also flooded. The water in the Ice Rink was about 0.5m deep and if you know where to look in the nooks and crannies you can still see the tide mark!
The City of Edinburgh finally decided that enough was enough and action was required. The Murrayfield section 1.2km long stretching from Roseburn Crescent to Baird Drive was commenced in July 2016 and completed in January 2018 at a cost of over £20m. The Ice Rink and the Rugby Stadium are now protected by a series of bunds, walls and flood gates.
Educational Visit 2015
In 2015 MIR management worked hard to introduce the Educational Visit to bring to attention of the local schools the Health benefits & rewards which young children can gain from the sport of skating as well as a tour explaining the science involved in operating an ice rink.The Programme is led by our Manager Nicolas and has been well received by the younger school children who are usually amazed that the ice is only 50mm thick with concrete floor underneath!
Recent Additions at MIR
The rink owners are determined to keep an Ice Rink available to the people of Edinburgh and while it may not be apparent to some of our visitors a substantial amount of investment has been made over the last 10 years to ‘future proof’ the facility. This has seen a new ice plant which meets modern standards of efficiency and gas regulations, a de-humidifier to reduce the amount of moisture in the building which achieves a better quality of ice, complete roof overlay, an internal 'low e' foil ceiling installed to improve efficiency and reduce electricity usage, led lights, Ice re-surfacer, ice hockey scoreboard, new telephone system & high speed wireless internet and a new more efficient boiler system.
2018
2018 was a busy year for the Ice rink with a number of improvements made to the building in the foyer, ladies toilets, cafe, new meeting room during the Summer shutdown. Murrayfield was yet again host to Le Patin Libre during the Fringe Festival. The rink added four new partners in Murrayfield Wanderers Rugby taking up residence in the Riversdale Suite, the Racers Ice Hockey team returning to the ice, the Student Skating Society was formed and Steel Queens the first Womens Ice Hockey team in Scotland can now also call Murrayfield Ice Rink their home. The Skating Academy was further developed with the addition of a skating harness installed as a teaching aid.
2019
A number of initiatives were undertaken throughout 2019 with the business having a presence at student fresher week, a local gala day, hosting a number of ticketed events and the introduction of a new website. Community links were strengthened further through our Schools Programme & Free educational visits, student skating and Public open day. We were also privileged to host the Inclusive Skating Championships with his Royal Highness Prince Edward, The Earl of Forfar and President of the Sport and Recreation Alliance as a guest of honour. A number of Ice hockey and Figure Skating clubs enjoyed another successful year at Murrayfield.
This powerful new kind of collective experience will come from within, conjured entirely by light and music. The colourful world of the Dreamachine will unfold behind your closed eyes - created by your own brain and completely unique to you. The most complex technology required is the brain itself.
A seated, multisensory experience with 360 degree spatial sound, you’ll be able to experience Dreamachine in Edinburgh at Murrayfield Ice Rink, 13 August - 25 September.
October 2022
After extensive work to the ice pad the facility re-opened to the public in October 2022 under the management of a new operating company Murrayfield Ice Arena.
Murrayfield Ice Arena are excited to take stewardship of this historic venue in the Capital and will work directly and in partnership with all activities hosted in the rink to help ensure ice sports can thrive over the coming years.
