Imperial Dock grain silo: Demolition of historic Leith Docks grain silo continues

A picture shows the Imperial Dock grain silo, which was built in the 1930s, coming down.

The silo is being demolished as part of a major project to transform the waterfront of Leith.

The Imperial Dock grain elevator, which once stored and distributed grain, was designed by JD Easton and AH Roberts, and has been a part of the Leith skyline since around 1933/1934.

The structure, which is being demolished piece by piece, was initially expected to be completely dismantled by summer 2021, however this target has been missed.

Demolition was agreed to in 2015, despite disagreement from several heritage bodies.

Forth Ports have said that the demolition of the Category B listed building will help transform the Leith skyline.

David Webster, Senior Port Manager at Forth Ports, told The Scotsman earlier this year: “This investment is another example of our commitment to bring large-scale renewables to Scotland. This will allow Leith to build on its current success as well as complement the significant upgrades that are under way in our Dundee facility”.

The historic Imperial Docks grain elevator which overlooks the Leith Waterfront is slowly being demolished.

Last year, a group of urban explorers illegally explored the mostly abandoned grain elevator and published footage of their tour to Youtube, where they showed the old machinery that remained within the dilapidated silo.

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