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Edinburgh’s Princes Street is set to fully reopen this Saturday, nearly seven weeks following a significant fire that severely damaged the former Debenhams department store. The popular street had been largely closed throughout the city’s festival period after the early morning blaze occurred on July 9. During this time, bus routes were redirected away from the area, and tram services only operated in the western parts of the city as safety work continued on the damaged building.
City of Edinburgh Council has reported that “several tonnes” of debris have been cleared from the site. Tram services are expected to resume once final testing is completed on Friday. Although the street will reopen, part of the pavement immediately outside the former Debenhams will stay closed while remedial work remains underway. Pedestrians will be partially rerouted onto the eastbound road, which will be narrowed to a single lane in that section, and three bus stops between Castle Street and Frederick Street will also remain closed to ease congestion. Bus services are planned to return to Princes Street from their current diversion along George Street.
Council leader Jane Meagher described the reopening as a “significant step” in the city’s recovery after the fire. She acknowledged the challenges faced during this period, especially given the timing, saying, “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.” She also highlighted the “painstaking” efforts made by council teams and engineers to ensure the site is secure. Structural support has been added to stabilize the building’s 19th-century façade, and the eastern gable was lowered by nearly two meters to enhance safety. Some of the stonework and large bricks, weighing up to 850 kg, have been removed and stored for future use.
The Debenhams site was being converted into Scotland’s first Zedwell hotel by Criterion Capital, who had acquired the property following an earlier fire in 2021. At the height of the recent fire, about 50 firefighters worked to control the blaze. Notably, an original Victorian staircase and a stained-glass window commemorating former Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli from the 1880s survived the fire. Meanwhile, a joint investigation conducted by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and Police Scotland into the fire’s cause remains ongoing. Meanwhile, public transport groups and officials continue to monitor the situation; Lothian and Edinburgh Trams chief executive Sarah Boyd described the reopening as “encouraging” but advised passengers to check service updates and expect potential delays as operations return to normal
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