Western Harbour

Between 1936 and 1942 the Port of Leith's western harbour was created by the construction of two breakwaters, the western of them running out from Newhaven into the Firth of Forth. A large area of land to the east of the western breakwater has since been reclaimed through landfill, on the opposite side of the water to Ocean Terminal. In 2003, it was the location for the 2003 MTV Europe Music Awards. The awards ceremony was held in a 6,000 capacity big top arena constructed specifically for the main event. In 2004 the owner of the Docks, Forth Ports, announced plans to carry out a major redevelopment of the area. The planned development, which was given supplementary planning guidance by the…

Since the development halted several years back, three ponds have formed within part of the excavated area. These have become home to several species of birds and other wildlife. A temporary tree preservation order has been issued for a collection of trees on the site.