Experts in Edinburgh are preparing to remove the last of ten skeletons discovered while digging for the Leith tram tracks.

The remains were uncovered on the corner of Elm Row and London Road, not far from the location of an old leprosy hospital.

John Lawson, City Council Archaeologist, told STV News: "What we suspect of these ten burials that have been found so far are the remains of a leper hospital which was founded round about 1591 by a businessman called John Robertson."

The find has highlighted the evolution of infrastructure in the capital city.

Over two centuries numerous roads have been laid through the sites of former cemeteries - although little is known about them.

Mike Kimber, Headland Archaeology, added: "It's certainly not unusual to come across unforeseen archaeological remains in the course of a big project like the Edinburgh trams system.

“However we had really no suspicion that we'd come across burials in this particular area."

The skeletons will be conveyed to a laboratory for forensic examination. The aim is to learn the history of the remains and the time period they are from.

But for those Edinburgh residents weary of seemingly endless delays in the project, there is good news.

Archaeologists advise that their work will be completed soon to allow the development to progress.