Three more historic Edinburgh buildings will get restoration funding from new tourist tax
Leith Custom House, Tron Kirk and Portobello kilns to benefit
Restoration schemes for three historic buildings are set to be added to the list of projects funded from Edinburgh's new tourist tax.
Leith Custom House, the Tron Kirk and the Portobello Kilns were all left off the original schedule of projects to benefit from the Visitor Levy, which came into force last month.
But now councillors are expected to approve £300,000 match-funding for the development phase of proposals for a digital-based museum and community spaces at Leith Custom House.
Plans to restore the Tron Kirk on the Royal Mile will be combined with a neighbouring project for Hunter Square and given an additional £200,000.
And funding of £724,000 is recommended for the rebuild of a 1906 pottery kiln at Portobello.
The Scottish Historic Buildings Trust (SHBT), which is managing both the Custom House and Tron Kirk projects, told councillors earlier this year there was an "urgent need" to save both buildings, which are owned by the council.
Leith Custom House is an A-listed building and the oldest custom house in Scotland, but its condition is said to be "poor and deteriorating". The SHBT has already secured funding of £300,000 from private philanthropists including the Sir Tom Farmer Foundation and requested a similar sum from the Visitor Levy.
The Tron Kirk, which dates back to 1637, has been owned by the council since 1952. It was added to the Buildings at Risk Register in 2003 and costly emergency repairs were carried out in 2024 after falling masonry endangered public safety.
A report to Thursday's culture and communities committee says: “This reactive approach to the building is no longer sustainable, and surveys in 2023 and 2025 outlined the need for significant investment to secure the long term future of the building.”
SHBT requested £1.25m towards major restoration and repair estimated at a total cost of £3.322m. But £3m of Visitor Levy funding has already been approved for the Hunter Square project and the committee is recommended to combine the projects and allocate an extra £200,000.
The Portobello kilns, owned by the council, are the last two surviving industrial pottery kilns in Scotland and a major landmark in the Portobello Conservation Area.
Portobello Heritage Trust played a key role in rebuilding the 1909 kiln in 2014 and the 1906 kiln was partly dismantled in 2019 to be rebuilt. But Covid-19 delays, rejected funding bids and difficulty finding contractors to complete the specialised work has delayed the project.
The committee is being recommended to meet the full £724,000 cost of rebuilding the kiln, with the allocation timed for 2028/9 to allow a specialist contractor to be recruited.
Another project, also proposed for Visitor Levy funding, is to encouraging visitors to explore beyond the city centre by developing a series of arterial “nature” walking routes and promoting key destinations such as the Pentland Hills, Cramond Foreshore and the Edinburgh International Climbing Arena.
If feasibility works proves successful, it is recommended that £1m funding is allocated to the project to improve infrastructure across the city.