The iconic sign at Tynecastle Park will return later this month after Heart of Midlothian - providing the perfect finish to the Maroon Mile. 

As part of the Maroon Mile Project and 150th-anniversary celebrations, the club and Foundation of Hearts have been working on the reinstatement of the historic sign at the Gorgie Road end which has been absent since 1994.

The whereabouts of the sign following the redevelopment of Tynecastle has been discussed by many fans and provoked many theories.

"A firm fan favourite for many years, the hand-painted sign was a symbol for many that they had arrived at the stadium," a statement said. "Although undergoing design and for some, controversial font changes over the year, the sign is still lovingly talked about by many fans today, with its absence above the large museum gates on Tynecastle terrace being noted.

"The sign was installed in 1928, where it stood for 66 years before being taken down in 1994 as part of the ground redevelopment. The whereabouts of the original sign is unknown as it disappeared shortly after the redevelopment to the grounds were completed."

Earlier this year, an application for two additions to the Gorgie Road end was submitted to the City of Edinburgh Council. As well as a 1940’s terrace sign hand-painted onto the stand the application also included a second sign of 'Hearts Museum' to be painted onto the gates.

"The proposal is to re-instate the historical welcome signage to Tynecastle Stadium to help visitors of the Hearts Museum locate the entrance to the museum and bring back a local landmark," the application read.

"The proposed signage will be painted on the facade of the Gorgie Stand."

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Over the next two weeks, the sign will be recreated using archival material held in the Hearts Museum.

"I am thrilled to see this cherished traditional sign replicated on the Gorgie Stand as part of the Maroon Mile Project," Lianne Parry, head of the heritage department at Hearts said. "This is a wonderful nod to our club's rich history and a testament to our commitment to preserving and celebrating it.

"I am eagerly anticipating Phase 2 of the project, which will see the re-opening of the museum entrance at Tynecastle terrace.

"This final step will beautifully complete the mile-long heritage trail, culminating at our beloved museum. It’s an exciting time for all Hearts supporters as we continue to honour our legacy through the 150th anniversary year."

The work has been funded through the £207,339 granted by the National Lottery Heritage Fund as part of the Maroon Mile Project. It will be carried out by a team led by Thomas Payne, a traditional sign writer and glass gilder from East Lothian.

“I'm excited to be back at Hearts painting again, this time above the Hearts Museum on the Gorgie Stand as part of the Heritage Trail," he said. 

"I know this sign will be popular with the fans, my work has always been really well received.

"I look forward to, safely, climbing the scaffold with 20 litres of maroon paint and recreating the original iconic sign by hand - it's a good job I'm not afraid of heights.”