The public park being created within the gasholder frame is also on track to be finished by the end of the year.  

The work, part of the City of Edinburgh Council’s £1.3 billion regeneration of the wider area, has been carried out by McLaughlin & Harvey using £16.4 million from the UK Government’s Levelling Up Fund. In addition, the Scottish Government provided £1.2m for a new high quality park as part of their Vacant and Derelict Land Investment Programme. 

The new green space will have multi-sensory play zones, a dedicated area for permanent and temporary public art, a relaxation space, outdoor trails and tracks for exercise as well as a large outdoor area for sports, markets, seasonal events, community use, festivals, performance arts, exhibitions and play. Work is also being carried out to plant trees, shrubs and wildflowers improving biodiversity and local habitat in the area. 

Council leader Cammy Day said: “It’s exciting to see the iconic structure free from scaffolding. It has been part of Edinburgh’s skyline for over 120 years so its restoration at the centre of our £1.3bn regeneration of the area is a spectacular focal point. We previously shared the dramatic footage of the original bell within the structure being ripped apart by machinery. It marked a historic moment as the park is being transformed to serve a completely different purpose for the local community who will be able to enjoy arts, sports and culture there for years to come.

“Work on the park within the structure continues and I’m looking forward to seeing ‘Gasholder 1’ open to great fanfare in the coming months.”

Graham Brown, senior contracts manager from McLaughlin & Harvey, said: “Taking down the last section of scaffolding marks an important milestone in this complex project. We had to design and engineer a scaffolding structure that was robust, safe and able to bear the wind loading. It gave us the platform to blast off existing paintwork before carrying out thousands of individual steel repairs on the frame to ensure it is structurally sound.

“We finished off the frame with four new coats of paint, the majority of which was applied by hand. It’s been a pleasure working with the City of Edinburgh Council and our supply chain to give a new lease of life to this historical landmark and contribute to the regeneration of the area. We’re looking forward to handing it over and seeing the local community benefitting from it for years to come.”