Reopening date revealed for Princes Street after two months of disruption due to building blaze

Edinburgh’s Princes Street will reopen after weeks of disruption following a fire at the former Debenhams building.

Bus and tram services will be reinstated from Saturday, August 29, as well as pedestrian access between Castle Street and Frederick Street.

It comes after more than seven weeks of disruption following a fire which tore through the former Debenhams building on July 9.

This resulted in revised bus timetables as well as trams being forced to terminate in the West End.

It led to significant disruption during the city’s busiest month, with the arrival of the Edinburgh Fringe and other festivals.

From this weekend, trams will be able to travel the full route between the airport and Newhaven again.

There will still be some changes to bus services with three eastbound bus stops between Castle Street and Frederick Street remaining closed.

Remedial work on the site will continue, which requires the pavement on the north side of Princes Street to remain closed, with a temporary pedestrian walkway in place.

Over the past seven weeks, work has been carried out to make the fire-damaged building safe and stable.

The front facade has been propped up with steel beams and several tonnes of bricks and unsafe stonework have been removed.

Council leader Jane Meagher said: “The reopening of Princes Street is a significant step in the city’s recovery from, what was, a devastating fire – and I’m sure it will come as a great relief to many.

“This has been an incredibly difficult few weeks for the city, not least given the timing, and I’m pleased that we can now turn our attention to getting Edinburgh back to normal as helping those businesses most affected to get back on their feet.

“I think it’s fair to say that this period has further underlined the critical importance and popularity of our tram network, not just to the north of the city but to the whole of Edinburgh.”

Sarah Boyd, chief executive for Lothian and Edinburgh Trams, welcomed the news and said the company was focused on reinstating services for passenger after weeks of disruption.

The closure has had a significant effect on businesses in Leith, due to trams being unable to reach them.

This led to the development of the More By The Shore campaign to drive footfall to businesses in the area.