Reviving a historic landmark
Transforming Granton Lighthouse – an 1860s former Northern Lighthouse Board depot – into a new creative hub and events space.
The building’s story
Granton Lighthouse, built in the 1860s, is of considerable historic, cultural and archaeological significance. It played a key role as the main base of the Northern Lighthouse Board in Scotland and is a rare example of a lighthouse store, combined with a testing lantern.
The building reflects advances in lighthouse technology, is a strong example of industrial architecture, and an iconic local landmark.
In recent years the building has been used as business and storage space. Plans are now in place to restore this historic building and open it to the public to serve as an inclusive community and cultural resource.
The building’s transformation
Now more than 150 years old, the condition of the building is poor with multiple elements in need of comprehensive restoration.
Extensive consultation carried out in 2024/2025 identified strong support for uses centred on learning, events, and social interaction, alongside a clear desire to celebrate and promote the building’s heritage.
The restoration will improve the building’s useability, accessibility, energy efficiency and safety, whilst conserving its historic significance.
The designs have been prepared by a design team led by 7N Architects. Applications for planning permission and listed building consent were made in December 2025. Further detailed designs and surveys are now being undertaken. The full refurbishment is due to complete early 2028.
Key benefits
The project aims to:
- Deliver social and gathering space including a cafe and events space, improving health and wellbeing and bringing existing, new and emerging communities together.
- Offer affordable workspace and studio space, prioritising music-focused use.
- Create job opportunities, addressing worklessness and income deprivation locally.
- Restore an iconic heritage building; improving the environment and sense of local pride.
Looking ahead
The building will be operated by Out of the Blue Arts & Education Trust (OOTB), an Edinburgh-based charity specialising in providing affordable, flexible workspaces to creatives.
OOTB’s spaces are unique, reflecting a model that has developed since they were founded in 1994, and reflect a hybrid of arts, participatory education, enterprise, creativity, and community development.
There is cross-fertilisation between these areas which support individuals and collective initiatives, which in turn has economic, health, and educational benefits for individuals and their communities of area/interest. OOTB will use this model at Granton Lighthouse.
The project will further help strengthen and diversify the economic base of Granton Waterfront by helping foster the emergence of a cluster of creative, cultural, and arts facilities in the area such as Granton Station, The Pitt Market, and North Edinburgh Arts.
Gallery
Support and Acknowledgements
To deliver these works, the Council has assembled a budget of £4.171 million, with funding secured from the Scottish Government (£2.278 million), the National Lottery Heritage Fund (£0.852 million), and Historic Environment Scotland (£0.758 million).
