Edinburgh resident's fury at illegal Granton Traveller site nine months after Ministers' promises

A Granton resident living next to the continued illegal Travellers site in the north Edinburgh area is calling on the Scottish Government to enforce the eviction notice first served in January.

It has been eight months since the two failed original attempts by the Scottish Government in February to remove all the unauthorised travellers and others from the site.

It is now more than eight weeks since the Court of Session rejected the appeal of one Irish Traveller family to stay at the Scottish Government-owned land earmarked for an approved state-of-the-art home for Scotland's national collection of 130,000 artworks, The Art Works, as part of the wider Granton Waterfront development.

The decision upheld the right of the Scottish Government to clear the site of unauthorised travellers and others.

However, Travellers remain on the site between Waterfront Avenue and West Granton Road, with locals up in arms about this continued problem, with fly-tipping and fires still common place according to locals.

The illegal Travellers site at Granton as it currently is, seen from Waterfront Avenue. | Submitted

One local resident, who asked not to be named, took aim at the Scottish Government, questioning why the one family that appealed have not been “safely relocated to appropriate accommodation”, and why the other Travellers there have not been served eviction notes.

He added: “There were assurances from First Minister John Swinney and others from January onward that the removal of these people would take place and the site would be secured.

“It is now November, the leaves have gone from all the trees and the full vista of the blight and industrial scale waste on the site is revealed to all the residents of Waterfront Avenue. We are rapidly approaching a third year of this.

“We now overlook an unlicensed industrial waste dump on Scottish Government-owned land. The fires have started again as the darkness enables them to do things out of sight.

“There has been no communication, responses or updates from either the Scottish Government or the council. Why is the Scottish Government taking no steps to clear and secure the site as promised months ago?

“The good, fair and reasonable patience and conduct of the static community is clearly neither valued nor respected by the authorities. Yet wantonly and continuously breaking the law and living without basic hygiene or utilities on an industrial wasteland is rewarded with time and inaction and ’sensitivity’ to a heritage, which is merely an excuse to do nothing.

“What plans are in place to remove, clear and secure the site, and what will be the costs of the clean up?”

A fire burning at the illegal travellers site between West Granton Road and Waterfront Avenue in October, 2025, seen from Saltire Square. | Submitted

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A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “The Court of Session's judgement requires those camped without permission on Scottish Government-owned land to leave.

“The Scottish Government will continue to work closely with the City of Edinburgh Council, which is responsible for ensuring that those affected are supported to access housing, education, and health services.

"We understand the concerns of local residents and are committed to the redevelopment of the site. Construction of The Art Works will begin once the site has been cleared.”

A City of Edinburgh Council spokesperson declined the opportunity to comment, and said it would be for the Scottish Government to comment on as the illegal Travellers site is on its land.