Edinburgh Caledonian Brewery: First look at plans to transform historic Edinburgh brewery into 168 homes

Plans have been submitted for the site of the Caledonian Brewery in Edinburgh

A developer has revealed its plans for Edinburgh's historic Caledonian Brewery, which closed in 2022 after more than 153 years.

In December last year, Artisan Real Estate purchased the 1.9-acre site, and a public consultation programme was launched in February.

Now, the company has submitted proposals to turn the disused factory into a sustainable, low-carbon residential development delivering 168 new homes.

Established by George Lorimer and Robert Clark, Caledonian Brewery opened its doors for the very first time in 1869, perfectly located next to the new Caledonian Railway Line on Slateford Road. The brewery was bought by Scottish & Newcastle in 2008, becoming part of Heineken later that year when Heineken acquired S&N.

When the decision to close the site was announced in 2022, a campaign group hit out at the move – branding it ‘devastating’ news for Scotland’s brewing heritage. But Artisan Real Estate has promised to ‘respect, preserve and tell the story of the Caledonian Brewery’.

Artisan Real Estate has promised to ‘respect, preserve and tell the story of the Caledonian Brewery’.

Welcoming the submission of the planning application, Artisan’s managing director for Scotland, David Westwater, said: “Artisan’s development proposals intend to respect, preserve and tell the story of the Caledonian Brewery. The feedback from our consultation events was overwhelmingly supportive and positive.

“There was a significant and long-established affinity, amongst local residents especially, for the historic brewery buildings which will be preserved to form the heart of our new development – including the spectacular 130-ft red brick chimney which towers over the local community. We intend to maintain and celebrate as much of the brewery’s unique heritage as possible, and this includes marking the site of the two original springs on site which originally provided fresh water for the brewery process.

“There was also significant support for our plans create a much needed sustainable, low carbon residential community on the site, with 168 homes providing a healthy mix of different types of accommodation. This will include a mix of one, two and three-bed family apartments through to duplex units and mews houses, together with affordable housing in line with the City of Edinburgh Council policy.”