A huge thank you to everyone who donated to our Pet Food Drive at Morrisons Granton last weekend!
Because of your generosity, we collected enough food to provide 2,385 meals for pets across East and Central Scotland. 
Pet food banks are a lifeline for so many pet owners.
Thanks to you, we can help keep pets where they belong – at home, with the families who love them 
A significant project to regenerate the Granton area of Edinburgh has received a grant of almost £16 million to enable the provision of new affordable, energy efficient homes.
Part of the Scottish Government’s Housing Infrastructure Fund, the grant will allow the City of Edinburgh Council to undertake crucial infrastructure works in preparation for building 847 new homes, including 387 affordable homes.
It is part of a wider package of financial support being developed by the Scottish Government at Granton Waterfront, reflecting the commitment to support seven strategic sites as part of the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal.
First Minister John Swinney visited the development to announce the funding and learn about how the project is progressing. He also had the opportunity to meet apprentices working on the construction site.
The First Minister said: ““Public sector investment in the first phase of Granton Waterfront is estimated to leverage a further £200 million of private sector investment in private housing and the low carbon heat network.
“The 2025-26 Budget has allocated more than £7 billion for infrastructure and £768 million to ramp up action on delivering affordable homes.
“This development at Granton Waterfront is an excellent example of how Scottish Government investment is already delivering across my government’s four priorities – to eradicate child poverty, grow the economy, improve public services and protect the planet.”
Leader of the City of Edinburgh Council Jane Meagher said: “We’re making significant progress at Granton Waterfront, with hundreds of affordable homes underway at both Western Villages and Silverlea. I welcome today’s announcement which comes at a critical time, as our city faces an ongoing housing emergency and a severe shortage of homes.
“This funding forms part of a wider funding package that the Council and Scottish Government continue to develop, allowing the next phase of development in Granton to get underway later this year. This will see further development of much needed new homes, alongside improved infrastructure, and an innovative low-carbon district heating system.
“The regeneration of Granton will not only help to address the housing shortage but also contribute to our broader goal to become net zero by 2030 and by incorporating cutting-edge technologies, residents will benefit from modern, comfortable, energy efficient homes.
“We’re working hard to make Granton somewhere people will want to call home, and this is a great example of the success we can have when governments work together in partnership. I look forward to seeing this progress continue.”
SATURDAY 5th APRIL 11am – 1.30pm at GASHOLDER 1 PARK
Join us for the official launch of Granton’s newest public park at Granton Gasholder 1!
Enjoy a day for all the family and celebrate with the community. Activities will include:
A one-off community singalong with Pianodrome at 11am
A ribbon-cutting ceremony at 11.15am
Family arts and craft activities
Penalty shoot-outs with Craigroyston Community Youth Football Club
Free ice cream from Lucas
Free facepainting
Exhibition stalls
Bring your family, friends and a picnic blanket for a fun day out. All are welcome! We can’t wait to see you there!
WEST SHORE ROAD PROJECT THANKS CREATIVE SCOTLAND
We’re over the moon to announce that we have been awarded multi-year funding from @creativescots !!!
This will help us to plan for the future in ways we have never managed to before, to build on recent successes like our Adopt a Piano scheme and to help us one day find a permanent home for the Pianodrome Amphitheatre in Edinburgh.
Huge credit must go to Creative Scotland for recognising the potential of small cultural organisations to make huge positive impacts.
Creative Scotland have done great work advocating on behalf of artists and culture and we’re chuffed to bits to have this core funding secured for the next three years.
Over the last 7 years we have developed from project to project; articulating new ideas, saving over 600 pianos from landfill, working with hundreds of artists and welcoming tens of thousands of participants into to our community-focused interactive spaces.
Thank you to the local and international communities who have supported and believed in the Pianodrome thus far.
We’ll continue to strive towards our conviction that no piano is junk, and no person is unmusical! 
SUNDAY 26 JANUARY from 1 – 3pm
RESCHEDULED EVENT
Due to illness we are having to reschedule our Wassailing celebrations to next Sunday, 26 January, 1-3 pm.
We are very sorry for the late notice change. We will still be open this Sunday and will have a reduced amount of drinks and cakes available but our main celebrations will now be taking place on 26 January.
Join us for our annual wassailing celebrations in the Granton Castle Walled Garden orchard on 19 January from 1-3 pm.
The wassailing, or blessing of the fruit trees, involves drinking and singing to the health of the trees in the hope that they will provide a bountiful harvest in the autumn.
We love this tradition and are delighted to have Penny Stone join us for the afternoon. Penny will be leading us in traditional and contemporary Wassailing songs.
Apple-based food and drinks will be available by donation. No need to book, just turn up. All welcome.
The iconic gasholder – now named ‘Gas Holder 1’ – is a beacon of light in north Edinburgh as it is being illuminated permanently after dark.
Refurbishment is now complete on the structure using funding from the UK Government. Permanent lighting on the frame means it can be seen brightly in the twilight hours and the frame will be lit in festive colours for the rest of December.
The park within the frame, created using funding from the Scottish Government, opened at the weekend (21 December) for its first visitors.
The newly built 1.2 hectare park has six different zones including three play areas with a wide range of play equipment. For those out to explore the new outdoor space there is an inner ring walk going round the outer edges of the frame with a range of places to sit and relax. An informative outdoor exhibition has also been created which showcases the history of Granton gasworks as well as the restoration process which has just taken place.
Large Hollywood style lettering denoting ‘Gas Holder 1’ can be seen at the entrance, making for a great photo opportunity. In Spring 2025, there will be a celebration to officially open the park when the ‘art zone’ will become home to the winner of the community led art piece, and we will provide more details on the winning artist for that in the New Year.
Depute Leader, the City of Edinburgh Council, Mandy Watt, said: “Gas Holder 1 and the new park sit right at the heart of our £1.3bn regeneration of Granton Waterfront.
“I’m really excited we’ve reached this milestone before the year ends and look forward to the official opening of the park next year. It’s now open so I’d encourage local people to go and check out this fantastic new green space for the area as well as ‘Gas Holder 1’, which will light up the sky for everyone to enjoy in time for the festive season.
Investment Minister Tom Arthur said: “This project demonstrates the benefits of regenerating derelict sites into places people can visit and enjoy. The new park will offer a vibrant and accessible space for the local community which will attract more visitors into Granton to support local spend.
“To help communities prosper we have allocated an extra £62.15 million towards regeneration in next year’s draft Budget. This will benefit people throughout Scotland by supporting projects including the revitalisation of green spaces, town centres and derelict sites.”
Graham Brown, Senior Contracts Manager at McLaughlin & Harvey, added: “We’re delighted to have completed this unique restoration project and handed it over to our client, The City of Edinburgh Council.
“In deconstructing the old bell, refurbishing the listed steel structure, and repainting the frame, we have solved complex engineering challenges by using our vast civil engineering experience and successfully collaborating with our client and supply chain partners.
“We are looking forward to joining the official opening celebrations next year.”
The Pitt officially reopened its doors on the Granton Promenade, welcoming over 2,000 visitors in its first weekend.
Edinburgh’s newest community, enterprise and social hub, The Pitt is more than twice the size of its previous location on Pitt Street.
Featuring a permanent global street food market, retail units, a large and heated indoor seating plaza, family and community spaces, two permanent saunas from Soul Water Sauna and a 700 capacity events space all from a spectacular location on the Firth of Forth.
Hal Prescott, Chief Executive of the Granton Project which owns and operates The Pitt said: “We’re absolutely delighted to be open, and despite the storm attempting to throw a spanner in the works we’ve had thousands of people through the doors with initial feedback being fantastic.
“But this is very much the beginning of the journey for us, The Pitt isn’t a static space it will continue evolve with the community we’re part of and the community we build.
“We have so much more to come in the new year, so watch this space.”
Resident foodies will be:
Choola: Nepalese street food with a Scottish twist
Fire Bowl: East Asian style street food
Buffalo Truck: Delicious fried chicken with all the added delights
Social Bite Does dessert: amazing sweet treats and lots of custard
Lazeez: Authentic Lebanese delights (fully halal) and shish
Pulp Friction: Seasonal fresh fruit infused drinks, from mulled sangrias to frozen margaritas
Barney’s and Newbarns: supplying the best locally brewed beers
Serving up Williams and Johnson coffee, savoury and sweets will be Long Shot Coffee.
The Pitt also has two saunas from Soul Water Sauna, a weekly local produce market from Granton Community Garden, community and family areas, a co-working space and one of the best views in Edinburgh across the Firth of Forth.
A NEW website has been launched for those interested in living, working in or visiting the ‘new sustainable’coastal town’ being created at Granton Waterfront.
The £1.3bn regeneration project is the biggest of its kind in Scotland. As well as many early stage projects being complete or well underway, the first phase planning application for a new neighbourhood was given the green light to go ahead last month.
It includes plans for 847 ‘net zero ready’ homes (with 45% being affordable) and capacity for a new primary school and a low carbon heat network. There will also be commercial units, active travel routes and other sustainable transport infrastructure as well as attractive public and open space all being delivered from 2025 to 2032.
The website (grantonwaterfront.com) guides you around the new neighbourhood with information on the partners we are working with to deliver new homes to rent or buy, parks and green spaces, things to do, where to visit, cultural activities, learning and commercial opportunities as well as providing all the latest news about the area.
Council Leader Cammy Day said: “We’re starting to see many early projects on the ground making great progress in Granton Waterfront now. The first tenants have moved into the 75 affordable homes we’ve built at Granton Station View, with hundreds more in the pipeline at nearby Western Villages and Silverlea.
“The gasholder restoration is almost complete and we’re lighting it up after dark as a permanent feature later this month. The new park at ‘Gas Holder 1’- new name for the gasholder – will open at the same time. Across the road, the former Granton Station building, with its new public square, has been beautifully restored.
“It’s important we bring all of this activity to life for those interested in the area and I hope the new website acts as a helpful guide.
“You will see from the website we have ambitious plans to create a new neighbourhood, well connected to existing communities there, and I’m really excited about seeing all of these communities grow, thrive and welcome visitors to the area in the years to come.”
