Edinburgh planning: Ex-Army headquarters at Craigiehall in Capital's greenbelt sold to developers

The former headquarters of the British Army in Scotland at Craigiehall, outside Edinburgh, has been sold to developers.

The sale involves two separate companies - the William Pears Group, which is buying 78 former Ministry of Defence houses for refurbishment; and Miller Developments, which is acquiring the rest of the 96-acre site for future redevelopment.

The site, located on the north-west fringe of the city, off the A90 and close to Cammo, Cramond and Dalmeny, is in the greenbelt, and includes a number of listed buildings, including the Category A listed Craigiehall House, along with its walled garden and stable block, and the Category B listed former anti-aircraft operations room.

Estate agents Savills, who were involved with both purchasers, said: “We are delighted our joint bid from Miller Developments and William Pears Group has led to a successful acquisition. The combination of this attractive and historical property, and its exceptional setting on the banks of the River Almond, makes it a very special opportunity indeed.

“Nearby existing residential enclaves are in high demand from those who wish to be in easy reach of the city centre, yet close to the airport and to Scotland’s rail and motorway network, including the new Queensferry Crossing across the Firth of Forth.”

In 2016, plans were floated to build a 1,200-home village on the Craigiehall site and surrounding land, complete with schools and a transport hub. But the plans were later withdrawn.

Miller Developments stressed they had nothing to do with the previous proposal and it involved a far bigger site than the approximately 78 acres they now have. 

Miller director Colin Graham said the earlier plans could therefore not be taken as an indication of the scale of any future proposals.  He added: “Notwithstanding that large chunks of the Craigiehall site are brownfield, the site is a sensitive one in planning terms - it's in the Green Belt, contains a number of listed buildings, and is a Designed Landscape - so any future proposals will need to be carefully designed within that context. “

Edinburgh Lib Dem group leader Kevin Lang, whose Almond ward includes Craigiehall, said: "It's good to see that the existing derelict properties might be refurbished. However, the whole site is designated greenbelt land. This brings significant restrictions in terms of new development. 

“When proposals came forward back in 2016 for major new housebuilding at Craigiehall, there were deep and serious concerns about the impact on roads and other local infrastructure. Those issues haven't changed eight years on.

"With the Scottish Government now backing the council's brownfield led approach to new housing, its difficult to see how planning permission involving the loss of open green space at Craigiehall would be granted."