| Client | J & M Cameron Properties Ltd |
|---|---|
| Turley office | Edinburgh |
| Status | Planning permission granted / ongoing |
| LPA | City of Edinburgh |
Sensitive new development for a gap site within Edinburgh’s Old Town World Heritage Site
Our role
- Provided Heritage and Townscape appraisal and expert advice to establish a thorough understanding of the significance of the Category C listed building at 17-39 Cowgate and of the wider context.
- Our archival research showed that historically a 4-storey tenement occupied the gap site and this provided rationale and justification for the height, scale and massing of the new development.
- Offered ongoing heritage advice during design development for the development which includes alteration and extension of a Category C listed building, including sensitive design for a new building situated within the Old and New Towns of Edinburgh World Heritage Site, Old Town Conservation Area and in the setting of highly significant listed buildings.
- Prepared the Heritage Statement to support planning and listed building applications which were granted consent in December 2025.
Results
- Archival research provided evidence of the historic tenement development within the site and justified the height scale and massing of the new development, as well as providing information on a historic shopfront which informed the design for a new traditional shop window frontage.
- Regeneration of a brownfield gap site within the heart of the world heritage site, with new contemporary development which responds to its historic context.
- The proposals support the continued operation and expansion of Cowgate hostel, increasing accommodation capacity in a central location and contributing to Edinburgh’s tourism economy.