A COMMUNITY campaign has been launched against a 10-storey Leith hotel that locals say will “stick out like a carbuncle”.
The plans, which would see a new 121-room hotel built at Rennie’s Isle, in the Shore, are at the pre-application stage, and developers are seeking input from locals and stakeholders.
FaulknerBrowns Architects – who developed the plans – have already held consultation events, and plan to submit a formal planning application within the month.
The 10-storey development at Rennie’s Isle supersedes an earlier apartments proposal and would replace a previous three-storey office block.
In a consultation statement, the developer, VRS, wrote: “The proposal seeks to redevelop a currently under-used site at the corner of Ocean Drive and Rennie’s Isle, Leith – replacing a building of limited architectural merit and poor environmental performance with a landmark hotel that responds to identified market demand, supports economic activity within Leith, and delivers a high-quality, low-carbon development.”
A 10-storey segment of the development will sit at the northern corner of Rennie’s Isle, which is connected to the opposite bank of the Shore by the Victoria Swing Bridge and the new Victoria Bridge, which carries cars and trams across the Water of Leith.
FaulknerBrowns added: “The facade strategy draws directly from local precedent… identifying recurring elements that give Leith its distinct maritime-industrial character. The result is a contemporary building that feels unmistakably of its place.”
The 10-storey section will be joined by a medium and base section, forming a modular whole with a “clear tripartite articulation”.
The developers have begun consulting locals on the project, and the window for responses will be open until September.
Locals opposed to the development say the large hotel will tower over the relatively low Shore skyline.
On their website, they wrote: “This proposal for a 121 bedroom hotel development at 1 Rennie’s Isle raises serious concerns about the scale, design and proposed hotel use for this sensitive waterfront location, immediately adjacent to an established residential area.
“Appropriate investment and regeneration in Leith is accepted. This is not an objection to change or improvement of the site. It is an objection to a development that appears to be driven by maximising commercial value rather than creating a building that respects the character of Rennie’s Isle, the waterfront and the existing community.”
They say the hotel would introduce a barrier between parts of the Shore and the listed Victoria Swing Bridge, which is a major draw for tourists.
“The proposed development would replace an open relationship with the docks with a blank two storey brick wall immediately adjacent to Rennie’s Isle carpark, and a 10-storey tower looming above.
“This creates a physical and visual barrier between people and the waterfront. It is very poor place making and provides substandard urban realm.”
Given the site’s proximity to Ocean Terminal and the tramline, campaigners also claimed that traffic will “inevitably” begin to back up on Ocean Drive because of a lack of a pick-up/drop-off provision for taxis, and “inadequate” parking amenity (one space per five guests).
VRS says it has already held three pre-application meetings with the council and claims 27 jobs (three full-time and 24 part-time) would be created if the hotel plan is approved.
Ross Chalmers is a journalist focusing on local Edinburgh news, transport, the environment, the arts, and housing.
He graduated from Edinburgh Napier University with a degree in journalism in Summer 2025 and began working at Deadline News as a reporter in August.
