The scaffolding has been removed from the iconic Granton Gasholder as works to refurbish the structure now known as ‘Gasholder 1’ are complete. The public park being created within the gasholder frame is also on track to be finished by the end of the year.

The work, part of the City of Edinburgh Council’s £1.3bn regeneration of the wider area, has been carried out by McLaughlin & Harvey using £16.4m from the UK Government’s Levelling Up Fund. In addition, the Scottish Government provided £1.2m for a new high quality park as part of their Vacant and Derelict Land Investment Programme.

The new green space will have multi-sensory play zones, a dedicated area for permanent and temporary public art, a relaxation space, outdoor trails and tracks for exercise as well as a large outdoor area for sports, markets, seasonal events, community use, festivals, performance arts, exhibitions and play. Work is also being carried out to plant trees, shrubs and wildflowers improving biodiversity and local habitat in the area. 

Council Leader Cammy Day said:

“It’s exciting to see the iconic structure free from scaffolding. It has been part of Edinburgh’s skyline for over 120 years so its restoration at the centre of our £1.3bn regeneration of the area is a spectacular focal point. We previously shared the dramatic footage of the original bell within the structure being ripped apart by machinery. It marked a historic moment as the park is being transformed to serve a completely different purpose for the local community who will be able to enjoy arts, sports and culture there for years to come.

“Work on the park within the structure continues and I’m looking forward to seeing ‘Gasholder 1’ open to great fanfare in the coming months.”

Graham Brown, Senior Contracts Manager from McLaughlin & Harvey said:

“Taking down the last section of scaffolding marks an important milestone in this complex project. We had to design and engineer a scaffolding structure that was robust, safe and able to bear the wind loading. It gave us the platform to blast off existing paintwork before carrying out thousands of individual steel repairs on the frame to ensure it is structurally sound. We finished off the frame with four new coats of paint, the majority of which was applied by hand. It’s been a pleasure working with the City of Edinburgh Council and our supply chain to give a new lease of life to this historical landmark and contribute to the regeneration of the area. We’re looking forward to handing it over and seeing the local community benefitting from it for years to come.”

Fascinating gasholder facts

• Over 100K rivets holding the structure together.
• Total cost of original construction £18,968.
• Was opened in 1901, making it 122 years old.
• It’s since been painted 72 times, with four new coats applied during the project.
• 26 columns in total with a height of 44m. Each column is 9.3m apart.
• Granton was one of 12 gas storage tanks for the greater Edinburgh area. These 12 tanks had a combined capacity of 175,000 cubic meters of storage. At the time they were in operation the demand was around 28,000 cubic meters an hour (at its peak).
• The lowest tier was erected with the use of a steam locomotive crane.

Further information on Granton Waterfront regeneration 

The £1.3bn regeneration project at Granton Waterfront is using brownfield land to build a new sustainable 20-minute neighbourhood which is well linked to surrounding communities and is somewhere residents will be proud to live. Tenants recently started moving into the first completed development of environmentally friendly affordable homes, with thousands more planned for the area. Active travel routes are now open and restoration of the former Granton Station building and public square is now complete with Wasps operating the building as a creative industries shared work space. Alongside this, The Pitt will begin operating out of the recently renovated 20 West Shore Road early in 2025.