Guardian

The French government is to open a new cultural and diplomatic base in the heart of Edinburgh, reinvigorating one of Scotland's oldest and strongest foreign alliances.

France has taken over one of the most prestigious buildings on the Royal Mile, the former chambers for Lothian regional council opposite St Giles Cathedral, as the new home for its consulate and its cultural institute.

The move comes after serious discussions over whether the consulate had a future at all, with some concerns over costs, and it is hoped that the new site will be more economically viable. Diplomats insist the relocation is not a political statement in support of Scotland's demands for greater autonomy or independence: they say France shares the European commission's reluctance to promote the break-up of EU member states.

The last bit will cease to apply with Brexit. But I suspect that then, more Scots would probably prefer them to restore the dual citizenship for Scots and French, abolished in 1903.