The Scotsman

Artist's Impression

A multi-million pound project to regenerate part of Edinburgh's historic Old Town, which was ravaged by a devastating fire four years ago, has been unveiled. The £40 million vision revealed by the capital's top developers and architects is set to turn the empty Cowgate site into a bustling commercial hub, attracting international companies and creating nearly 300 jobs. Homes, offices, shops and restaurants are all planned to fill the vacant 12,500 sq m site in a plan developers say will strengthen the city's communities in the heart of the Old Town. The project, named SoCo, because it lies between South Bridge and Cowgate, is expected to take three to four years to complete. It also includes proposals for a hotel, a nightclub, an arts centre and cinemas to replace the venues which were razed when the flames sparked by a faulty fuse box engulfed the area.