What can we do about Edinburgh's ‘soulless’ canalside?
Edinburgh Quay should be one of the city’s crown jewels, but instead it is pretty vacant
Colourful narrow boats, a big, terraced dock and metallic swan sculptures certainly make Lochrin Basin a unique space in the city centre.
With its appealing industrial heritage, the centrepiece of Edinburgh Quay should be a year-round destination for visitors and residents.
The Edinburgh International Conference Centre is a stone’s throw away and it’s surrounded by the offices of the city’s business district right down to the West End.
So why is it so desolate? Take a walk there most days outside the height of the summer and there is barely a soul in sight.
That’s a source of dismay - and a call to action - for Stuart Hay, an urban design specialist based at the West End.
“I sometimes come here on my lunchtime walks. It’s completely dead. Soulless. With a bit more care and design nous this should be a thriving space on a weekday afternoon. It would be in the Netherlands,” he tells me when he joins me on a walk through the neighbourhood.
From the quayside on the edge of the city centre, you can access a vast expanse of accessible waterside paths. If you are so inclined you can walk or cycle the 31-mile waterway through the heart of Scotland to the Falkirk Wheel.
Twenty years ago, the canal side was voted the best regeneration project in Scotland. Now, says Hay, it’s a huge disappointment.
“From the business district all along to the Canal it’s mostly offices, though it’s designed to be mixed use. There’s been a fall in people coming to work since covid and its winter. But it’s always like this now, apart from when the Canal Festival is on in summer.
“So many vacant units stultify the space. It’s even more disconcerting at night. It all feels like a massive, wasted opportunity.”
Historically, the canal’s role in Edinburgh has constantly shifted. Lochrin Basin is at the heart of Fountainbridge and is a prime site for development in the Capital, with construction taking place at pace around about.
Yet the canal is still a space overlooked by most of the people living in Edinburgh. Even residents on its doorstep.
Pretty vacant
The surrounding area has seen significant development in recent years, mainly student flats and offices, with more in the pipeline.
But for more than a decade sections of Fountainbridge and the area around the basin have seen persistent problems with empty shops and units, despite nearby residential growth.
Vacant or underused units has been raised “repeatedly” in planning, access, and public consultations for years, according to the Cockburn Association.
As part of the Edinburgh canal strategy produced in 2011, Lochrin Basin was identified as a ‘key hub’ of the canal. But it was acknowledged that it didn’t have the status it deserved.
Sadly, that hasn’t changed, says Hay.
“The main problem is dead frontage. The area has struggled with larger hospitality units and both Swedish bar Akva and Zizzi’s restaurants closed.
“In a way that killed it. Having a cafe or restaurant creates a friendly, welcoming atmosphere, a buzz.
“Now you arrive at the canal and all you see is the bike shop. That creates some activity. But there’s nothing to anchor the space. Just like the route along through from the West End, at the back of the EICC, there’s so much dead space. Is this really the best we can do?
“The empty (office) units seem to be developers’ choice. It’s likely harder to make money from retail or hospitality there.”
Cluttered pavements make matters worse, he says. Another issue is that the canal is hidden.
It’s easy to walk past on the main road from Fountainbridge and miss the Lochrin Basin just a cobbled street away.
Local councillor Kevin Mckay says better visibility and stronger links to the surrounding streets would help businesses in the neighbourhood.
“The area does look abandoned. I sympathise with the local community. Two of the empty units are earmarked for community use and I am doing all I can to help expedite this.
“The Café Kuba is brilliant but tucked away. I would like to see more prominent signage. And the Printmaker could do with more advertising and being busier. I hope that local business will benefit from all the new developments happening.”
There have been bits of investment in the quay, including the recent Edinburgh Union Canal Strategy 2024–2029 refresh, as well as community-run events that bring people to the towpath.
Going back more than 20 years, the canal basin and corridor had been derelict since trade along the canal stopped in the 1930s. Redevelopment around Lochrin Basin, as part of the Millennium Link project to reopen the canal in 2001, returned the canal to a living and working waterway.
Reunion Canal Boats, a social enterprise, work with volunteers to develop their skills and realise their potential while promoting the canal as an asset for the community.
But the bits of development have not fully realised the area’s potential. Part of the issue is stewardship - responsibility for the area is fragmented between multiple landowners, Scottish Canals, the Council, and private interests.
Change for the better?
