13 photos of Edinburgh high rises from the 60s and 70s – including 'Banana Flats' made famous by Trainspotting

Touted as the cure to the city’s social housing ills, a glut of high rises were built across Edinburgh during the 1960s and 70s.

By Gary Flockhart

Published 13th Jun 2023, 18:59 BST

Updated 6th Jul 2023, 16:58 BST

The concrete “villages in the sky” that rose up and multiplied around the Capital in the second half of the 20th century still hold a special place in the hearts of many of those who lived in them – even if the vision has soured somewhat and high-rise housing has fallen out of favour in recent decades.

Take a look through our photo gallery to see 13 memories of Edinburgh’s high rise housing down the decades.

Aerial shot of the new flats being built at Cables Wynd - aka 'The Banana Flats' - as part of the redevelopment of Leith in May 1965.

1. Cables Wynd

Aerial shot of the new flats being built at Cables Wynd - aka 'The Banana Flats' - as part of the redevelopment of Leith in May 1965. Photo: TSPL

Multi-storey flats at Oxgangs nearing completion in early 1960s.

2. Multi-story flats at Oxgangs

Multi-storey flats at Oxgangs nearing completion in early 1960s. Photo: TSPL

Aerial view of new flats at Sighthill, Edinburgh

3. Sighthill, Edinburgh

Aerial view of new flats at Sighthill, Edinburgh Photo: Bill Stout

Martello Court, Muirhouse, pictured on the day of its topping out ceremony, 1964.

4. Muirhouse Flats

Martello Court, Muirhouse, pictured on the day of its topping out ceremony, 1964. Photo: TSPL

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.