Plans unveiled for giant whisky storage facility near Kirkliston

A huge whisky storage facility could be built just north of Kirkliston under new plans submitted to the council.

Royal Elizabeth Yard Industrial Estate, north of Kirkliston.

Covering an area equivalent of more than two football fields at the Royal Elizabeth Yard Industrial Estate, the development would hold spirits from distilleries all across Scotland during the lengthy ageing process.

The proposals, lodged by North Planning and Development on behalf of Cinnamon Sledge, show eight giant bonded warehouses would be built alongside a tank farm, tanker filling bay, welfare facilities and “associated work”.

The site, which exceeds two hectares in size, would be accessed from Milton Farm Road.

The proposals show eight giant bonded warehouses would be built alongside a tank farm, tanker filling bay, welfare facilities and “associated work”.

Developers say they are at the “very beginning” of the planning process and discussions are ongoing with planners to develop a masterplan for the mammoth whisky store. They say public consultation events will be held with the local community in the spring and expect plans to be formally submitted later in the year.

Meanwhile, a project website containing more information on the proposed development is expected to go live later in the month.

In a pre-application report, officers state: “The design, scale and layout are acceptable within the character of the area. The site is identified as being within the greenbelt within the Edinburgh LocalDevelopment Plan.

“Access arrangements are acceptable in terms of road safety and public transport accessibility. The applicant will be required to provide transport information to demonstrate how the proposal prioritises active travel and is aligned with parking standards, including service arrangements and cycle parking provision.

“The applicant will be required to submit sufficient information to demonstrate that the site can be developed without having an unacceptable detrimental impact on the environment.”

Whisky is traditionally stored in dunnage warehouses which are specially designed for the maturation process, with thick walls, low ceilings and casks stacked no more than three barrels high.

However, it is not yet known which warehouse design the Kirkliston development will use.