Property developer S Harrison has appointed Paisely construction company Clark Contracts to build a new purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) scheme in the historic surroundings of Canongate, just behind Edinburgh’s Royal Mile.
Several existing buildings have already been demolished on the site to clear the way, while older and architecturally more interesting elements have been retained for incorporation into the new scheme.
The five-storey development will have 76 studio rooms alongside amenity space, including study rooms, a multimedia room, a gym and cycle storage.
Completion is scheduled for September 2026, in time for the new academic year.
S Harrison is also working on another PBSA scheme in Edinburgh, a 65-room development just off Newington Road that Thomas Johnstone Ltd is scheduled to complete this summer 2025.
Both of S Harrison’s Edinburgh developments are being delivered as part of a forward funding deal with Singapore property investor Q Investment Partners (QIP).
S Harrison Developments director David Clancy said: “This latest development in Canongate will create more much-needed student accommodation in the heart of one of Europe’s top university cities, opposite the Holyrood Campus of the University of Edinburgh and within easy reach of lots of other key university facilities.
“We’re therefore delighted to appoint Clark Contracts and give this tired and unloved brownfield site a new and sustainable future, with a sympathetic design that contributes towards preserving the character and appearance of Edinburgh’s Old Town Conservation Area.”
Clark Contracts director Michael Scanlan added: “This project will combine significant elements of the site’s existing historic buildings alongside a new five-storey building, and the whole development is designed to be highly energy efficient and will utilise the latest green technology.”
James Coppack, Head of QIP Development Group, commented: “This second collaboration with S Harrison in Edinburgh, represents another important milestone in our commitment to growing our vertically integrated UK PBSA platform.
“Over the past year, we have worked closely with S Harrison to deliver projects that meet the rising demand for high-quality accommodation in key student markets. The Canongate development is a particularly interesting one for us as the site is situated within the Royal Mile, a street that provides a main throughfare of the Old Town of the City. The development encompasses historical preservation through the incorporation of the former walls and workshop building, whilst providing a best-in-class scheme that complements its local context.”
S Harrison has also secured planning consent for a £100m mixed-use development on a waterfront site in Leith. That development, known as Ocean Point 2, will comprise residential and PBSA, along with commercial, co-working and amenity space.
