Murrayfield Stadium

Murrayfield Stadium stands in the Murrayfield district of Edinburgh. It is the national rugby ground of Scotland and the largest stadium in the country, seating over sixty-seven thousand spectators. The stadium is home to the Scottish Rugby Union and hosts most of Scotland’s home internationals. It opened in 1925 after the SRU bought nineteen acres from the Edinburgh Polo Club. Before Murrayfield, Scotland played at Inverleith, a ground too small for growing crowds. Arthur Sellers, the first groundsman, prepared both pitches. Murrayfield has witnessed historic rugby moments. In 1975 a crowd of 104,000 watched Scotland beat Wales, setting a European attendance record that still stands. The stadium hosted Three Lions rugby league finals in 2000 and 2002, and the Heineken Cup Final in 2005. During the Second World War the Army used the ground as a supply depot. In the 1990s the West Stand was rebuilt with a 48-metre cantilever roof. The pitch was later relaid with an artificial surface after damage by nematodes. Visitors find a large bowl of terraces and stands surrounding the pitch. The East Stand dates from 1983, while the West Stand’s modern roof shelters the main entrance. Outside, the stadium sits beside an ice rink and curling rink, with Edinburgh Zoo nearby. Roseburn Park’s cricket pitches and the SRU’s training grounds lie close by. Lothian Buses and the Edinburgh tram serve the Roseburn Street stop, a short walk from the turnstiles.