Western Harbour is a mainly residential development in the Newhaven area of Edinburgh, the capital city Scotland.
Western Harbour is a mainly residential development in the Newhaven area of Edinburgh, the capital city Scotland.
Between 1936 and 1942 the Port of Leith's western harbour was created by the construction of two breakwaters, the western of them running out from Newhaven into the Firth of Forth.
A large area of land to the east of the western breakwater has since been reclaimed through landfill, on the opposite side of the water to Ocean Terminal.
In 2003, it was the location for the 2003 MTV Europe Music Awards. [1] The awards ceremony was held in a 6,000 capacity big top arena constructed specifically for the main event. [2]
In 2004 the owner of the Docks, Forth Ports, announced plans to carry out a major redevelopment of the area. [3] The planned development, which was given supplementary planning guidance by the City of Edinburgh Council in 2004, will be the size of a small town with up to 17,000 new homes. [4] The new urbanist masterplan was designed by the new classical office of ADAM Architecture. [5]
Initially, three large residential blocks were built along the western breakwater in 2009. However, interest in further development suddenly halted, largely as a result of the Global Financial Crisis and later the decision to cancel the Edinburgh Trams project to Leith and Newhaven.
Interest in Western Harbour has picked up again with the decision to complete the light rail link to Newhaven, which has since opened to passengers in June 2023. [6] The Harbour Point & Gateway residential developments were completed in 2019 and the new replacement Victoria Primary and Nursery school opened its doors in January 2022. [7] Another five development-ready sites went on the market in 2022 that would see up to 600 homes built on 10 acres of brownfield site. [8]
Western Harbour has bus stops on Newhaven Place, Western Harbour Drive, Sandpiper Drive and Lindsay Road, all served by Lothian Buses service 11.
Services 16/N16 and the Skylink 200 also serve the Lindsay Road bus stop.
The area is served by Newhaven Tram Stop, located on the north side of Lindsay Road. This is the east terminus of the tram line.
| Preceding station | Edinburgh Trams | Following station | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Terminus | Newhaven – Edinburgh Airport | Ocean Terminal towards Airport |
At the very northern tip of the breakwater sits an abandoned lighthouse built in the 1950s. It became known locally as the Point o' Leith. As navigational technology advanced it was eventually decommissioned. Unfortunately it has lay derelict for many years and has long been the target of heavy vandalism. [9]
A grass landscaped parkland at the north end of the western breakwater and south of the lighthouse, overlooking the dock gate. Some parts of the existing park may be temporary due to ongoing development in the area. [10]
Since the development halted several years back, three ponds have formed within part of the excavated area. These have become home to several species of birds and other wildlife. A temporary tree preservation order has been issued for a collection of trees on the site. [11]
Leith is a port area in the north of Edinburgh, Scotland, founded at the mouth of the Water of Leith and is home to the Port of Leith.
Newhaven is an inner–city district in the capital city of Scotland, Edinburgh, which lays between Leith and Granton and is about 2 miles (3.2 km) north of the city centre of Edinburgh, just north of the Victoria Park district.
Easter Road is a football stadium located in the Leith area of Edinburgh, Scotland, which is the home ground of Scottish Premiership club Hibernian (Hibs). The stadium currently has an all-seated capacity of 20,421, which makes it the fifth-largest football stadium in Scotland. Easter Road is also known by Hibs fans as "The Holy Ground" or "The Leith San Siro". The venue has also been used to stage international matches, Scottish League Cup semi-finals and was briefly the home ground of the Edinburgh professional rugby union team.
Ocean Terminal is the largest shopping centre in the Leith area of Edinburgh, Scotland. It is within the City of Edinburgh.
Edinburgh Trams is a tramway in Edinburgh, Scotland, operated by Edinburgh Trams Ltd. It is an 18.5-kilometre (11.5 mi) line between Newhaven and Edinburgh Airport, with 23 stops.
Edinburgh Waverley is the principal railway station serving Edinburgh, Scotland. It is the second busiest station in Scotland, after Glasgow Central. The station serves as the northern terminus of the East Coast Main Line, 393 miles 13 chains from London King's Cross, although some trains operated by London North Eastern Railway continue to other Scottish destinations beyond Edinburgh.
Edinburgh Park is an out-of-town business park in South Gyle, Edinburgh, Scotland. It is west of the city, near Edinburgh Airport and adjacent to the Edinburgh City Bypass. It was opened in 1995. The layout of the park was masterplanned by American architect Richard Meier. The park has a bar/grill, nursery, and several sculptures, including busts of famous Scottish poets.
Edinburgh is a major transport hub in east central Scotland and is at the centre of a multi-modal transport network with road, rail and air communications connecting the city with the rest of Scotland and internationally.
Granton is a district in the north of Edinburgh, Scotland. Granton forms part of Edinburgh's waterfront along the Firth of Forth and is, historically, an industrial area having a large harbour. Granton is part of Edinburgh's large scale waterfront regeneration programme.
Peterhead is a town in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is the council area's largest settlement, with a population of 18,537 at the 2011 Census. It is the largest fishing port in the United Kingdom for total landings by UK vessels, according to a 2019 survey.
Edinburgh, the capital city of Scotland, was ranked the 13th largest financial centre internationally and the 4th largest financial centre in Europe in 2020. The economy of Edinburgh is recognised as a powerhouse of the Scottish economy, as well as the wider UK economy, being the second largest financial centre in the United Kingdom behind London.
Leith Walk is one of the longest streets in Edinburgh, Scotland, and is the main road connecting the east end of the city centre to Leith.
Edinburgh Corporation Tramways was a Scottish tram network that formerly served the City of Edinburgh, Scotland. The city used four-wheeled double-decked trams painted dark red (madder) and white – a livery still used by Lothian Buses and the modern light rail Edinburgh Trams.
The Edinburgh, Leith and Newhaven Railway was a railway company formed in 1836 to connect the city of Edinburgh with the harbours on the Firth of Forth. When the line connected to Granton, the company name was changed to the Edinburgh, Leith and Granton Railway. It opened part of its route in 1846, but reaching the centre of Edinburgh involved the difficult construction of a long tunnel; this was opened in 1847. It was on a steep incline and was worked by rope haulage.
St Andrew Square is a garden square in Edinburgh, Scotland located at the east end of George Street.
The Edinburgh Tram network operates a fleet of CAF Urbos 3 low-floor trams that were specially designed for use in the city. Twenty-seven were built in Beasain, Spain, between 2009 and 2011.
Various studies, from 1989 onwards, considered the reintroduction of trams to Edinburgh. In 2001, a proposal for a new Edinburgh Trams network envisaged three routes across the city, Lines 1, 2 and 3. Line 1 was a circular route running around the northern suburbs, with the other two forming radial lines running out to Newbridge in the west and to Newcraighall in the south respectively. All lines would run through the city centre.
Trinity Chain Pier, originally called Trinity Pier of Suspension, was built in Trinity, Edinburgh, Scotland in 1821. The pier was designed by Samuel Brown, a pioneer of chains and suspension bridges. It was intended to serve ferry traffic on the routes between Edinburgh and the smaller ports around the Firth of Forth, and was built during a time of rapid technological advance. It was well used for its original purpose for less than twenty years before traffic was attracted to newly developed nearby ports, and it was mainly used for most of its life for sea bathing. It was destroyed by a storm in 1898; a building at the shore end survives, much reconstructed, as a pub and restaurant called the Old Chain Pier.
Greenside is a district and parish in Edinburgh between Calton Hill and the New Town.
TheShore is a historic and picturesque street in the centre of Old Leith, the harbour area of Edinburgh.
Media related to Western Harbour, Edinburgh at Wikimedia CommonsResidential buildings in Edinburgh | |
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