Looking for GrowthCityScope

Support Leith's evolving waterfront

At Rennie's Isle, plans have been submitted for a ten-storey hotel on an underused site right beside the tram line. The development would bring much-needed economic activity to this corner of Leith. Comments close on Friday 27 November. Make sure your voice is heard.

By CityScope and Looking for Growth26/04142/FUL

hotel rooms
121
storeys at the corner
10
jobs claimed (3 full-time)
27
business rates, year one (applicant)
£280k+

Prime Leith

Aerial view of the Rennie's Isle corner with a tram on Ocean Drive, the Water of Leith and the swing bridge, with the proposed hotel
Aerial view of the Rennie's Isle corner with a tram on Ocean Drive, the Water of Leith and the swing bridge, as it is today
TodayProposed
From above the harbour, looking south. Drag to compare. Render from the Rennie's Isle 3D world; the hotel is modelled from the planning drawings.

Rennie's Isle is prime Leith. The tram, the docks and The Shore are all on its doorstep. That makes Rennie's Isle a natural choice for continued development in Leith. Even the Cockburn Association recognises that "the existing building makes a limited contribution to this prominent waterfront location."

Doubling down on success

Driver's-eye view along the tram tracks on Ocean Drive towards the Rennie's Isle corner, with the proposed hotel
Driver's-eye view along the tram tracks on Ocean Drive towards the Rennie's Isle corner, as it is today
TodayProposed
From the cab of a tram heading into town. Drag to compare. Render from the Rennie's Isle 3D world; the hotel is modelled from the planning drawings.

Edinburgh has already invested in bringing high-capacity public transport to this part of Leith. Continued development will help Leith realise the benefits of that initial investment.

Respecting neighbours

View across the water to the Rennie's Isle corner, showing the tower stepping down to the lower blocks, with the proposed hotel
View across the water to the Rennie's Isle corner, showing the tower stepping down to the lower blocks, as it is today
TodayProposed
Across the dock from the north-east. Drag to compare. Render from the Rennie's Isle 3D world; the hotel is modelled from the planning drawings.

Thoughtful design gives the building a clear transition between the larger dockside buildings and the smaller scale around The Shore.

Its tallest point marks the Ocean Drive corner, and it steps down along Ocean Drive and towards the existing Rennie's Isle homes, preserving views and matching surrounding buildings.

Nearby developments already reach 10, 12 and 14 storeys, with further taller buildings approved along Ocean Drive in 2024. In that context, the height proposed at Rennie's Isle is entirely in keeping with its surroundings.

Shaped by heritage

Street view of the Rennie's Isle corner from the west, with planters and the arched base of the tower, with the proposed hotel
Street view of the Rennie's Isle corner from the west, with planters and the arched base of the tower, as it is today
TodayProposed
The corner of Ocean Drive and Rennie's Isle. Drag to compare. Render from the Rennie's Isle 3D world; the hotel is modelled from the planning drawings.

FaulknerBrowns have drawn on familiar buildings around The Shore and the docks, using buff brick, double-height arches and dark standing-seam metalwork at the top of the building.

Panels along Ocean Drive will tell the story of Leith's wine trade, and local artists will be invited to design a mural for the large gable facing The Shore. Leith has a strong tradition of that kind of storytelling: think of the much-loved Leith History Mural, or "She's Got Some Bottle".

It's a contemporary building, but one that feels like it belongs.

More visitors, more spend

Street view along Ocean Drive towards the site, with the tram line and the lower Ocean Drive block, with the proposed hotel
Street view along Ocean Drive towards the site, with the tram line and the lower Ocean Drive block, as it is today
TodayProposed
Along Ocean Drive from the east. Drag to compare. Render from the Rennie's Isle 3D world; the hotel is modelled from the planning drawings.

Leith is already a big draw, with popular restaurants, cafés, bars, shops and culture. A hotel at Rennie's Isle means more people staying in Leith and spending money that supports local businesses.

The developer expects around 35,000 room nights a year, 27 jobs and more than £280,000 in business rates in the first year. And that's before accounting for what those visitors will spend at other local businesses.

Part of something bigger

Rennie's Isle is one part of a much bigger story. From Leith to Granton, Edinburgh's northern waterfront is evolving, with new homes, businesses and investment bringing former dockland back into use.

It's an exciting time for the area, and this proposal adds to that momentum.

Don't let the opportunity go to waste

The plans are in. The case is clear. Comments close on Friday 27 November.

Have your say on the planning portal under reference 26/04142/FUL.

Have your say

Comments on 26/04142/FUL close on Friday 27 November 2026. Anyone can comment on the council's planning portal; say whether you support or object and why.

Comment on the planning portal ↗

Live on CityScope

26/04142/FUL

1 Rennie's Isle Edinburgh EH6 6QT

Status
Awaiting Assessment
Validated
15 October 2026
Comments close
27 November 2026
Decision due
14 December 2026
Documents, drawings and updates on CityScope →

CityScope record, refreshed 9 November 2026.

The numbers

Planning reference26/04142/FUL 1
Comments closeFriday 27 November 2026 1
ApplicantVRS (Rennie's Isle) Ltd, part of Union Property Services 57
ArchitectFaulknerBrowns 57
ReplacesA three-storey 1980s office block 712
Rooms121: 73 double, 42 family, 6 accessible 5
HeightsTower about 33 m above the street; 6 storeys on Ocean Drive, 5 on Rennie’s Isle 19The drawings give the parapets at 38.85 m, 25.65 m and 22.65 m above sea level (AOD), with the ground floor at about 5.4 m. The “38.9 m” often quoted is the AOD level.
NeighboursDockside: four buildings of 10, 12 and 14 storeys, approved at 39 to 52 m, completed March 2026 1424
Car parking22 spaces (1 per 5 rooms), 5 accessible 5
Ground floorDouble-height arches, café and bar, glazed lobby 65
MaterialsLight buff brick, standing-seam metal on the top floors 6
Daylight161 of 162 neighbouring windows tested pass (99.4%) 5
Jobs27 (3 full-time, 24 part-time) 5
Occupancy (projected)80%, about 35,000 room nights a year 5
Business rates£280k+ in year one, about £325,000 in year two 5
Visitor levy5% on paid stays in Edinburgh since 24 July 2026 15

How we got here

  1. Feb 2021Proposal notice 21/00877/PAN for a build-to-rent tower of up to 180 flats 1112
  2. 2021Build-to-rent scheme meets local opposition and does not go ahead 8
  3. May 2026Third pre-application meeting with the council 5
  4. 6 Aug 2026Public consultation event at Malmaison, Tower Street 5
  5. 1 Sep 2026Online consultation closes 58
  6. 15 Oct 2026Application 26/04142/FUL received and validated 1
  7. 27 Nov 2026Last date for public comments 1
  8. 14 Dec 2026Council’s target date for a decision (delegated to officers) 1

Sources

  1. 26/04142/FUL: application details and documentsCity of Edinburgh Council planning portal, checked 5 Nov 2026
  2. Goodstone Living completes 373 build to rent homes at Leith waterfrontScottish Housing News, 16 Mar 2026
  3. Haircut earns Ocean Point a pass from plannersUrban Realm, 15 May 2024
  4. Leith locals' anger as larger than expected Dockside tower blocks approvedEdinburgh Evening News
  5. Rennie's Isle, Leith: proposal and consultationVRS (Rennie's Isle) Ltd / FaulknerBrowns, 2026
  6. Plans submitted for 121-bedroom hotel development in LeithScottish Construction Now, 30 Oct 2026
  7. Mural and arches set planned Leith hotel apartUrban Realm, 10 Aug 2026
  8. The Edinburgh Minute, Wednesday 12 August 2026The Edinburgh Minute, 12 Aug 2026
  9. Rennie's Isle community campaignrenniesisle.co.uk (objectors), 19 Aug 2026
  10. 1 Rennie's Isle, Leith: proposed hotel developmentThe Cockburn Association, 4 Sep 2026
  11. Views sought on residential-led redevelopment of Leith towerScottish Construction Now, 26 Mar 2021
  12. Consultation outlines plans for 180 'bold' apartments in LeithUrban Realm, 19 Mar 2021
  13. Victoria Swing BridgeWikipedia, accessed Nov 2026
  14. Revised plans to increase height at Leith build to rent towersScottish Housing News, 17 Jan 2023
  15. Edinburgh's tourist tax has now launchedEuronews, 24 Jul 2026
  16. Edinburgh Market Pulse 2025HVS, 4 Aug 2025

The 3D surroundings come from the Edinburgh World model: building shapes from Scottish Government LiDAR (Crown copyright, Fugro 2020–21) and OpenStreetMap footprints, streets, water and tram line (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL). The hotel is modelled by CityScope from the application drawings: footprints from the Level 00 and roof plans, heights from the parapet levels on the elevations. Facade detail is indicative. Figures checked 5 November 2026.