A section of Edinburgh’s Princes Street pavement could reopen before the end of the year, almost six months after a devastating fire tore through the former Debenhams department store.
Most of the pavement outside the fire-damaged building is reportedly expected to reopen by the end of December, offering relief to shoppers and businesses on one of Scotland’s busiest shopping streets.
The north-side pavement has been closed since 9 July, when a major blaze caused extensive damage to the historic B-listed building.
Princes Street itself reopened to traffic on 29 August following seven weeks of disruption, but pedestrians have continued to use a temporary walkway created from one of the eastbound traffic lanes.
The fire destroyed much of the upper structure of the former department store and left its historic frontage in a dangerous condition.
Specialist engineers carried out extensive work to stabilise the remaining building, installing steel supports to secure the facade and carefully removing tonnes of damaged stonework and bricks.
Some individual pieces of masonry weighed as much as 850kg.
The closure caused widespread disruption across Edinburgh during the summer festival season, forcing buses onto alternative routes and preventing trams from travelling beyond the West End towards Leith and Newhaven.
Normal tram services resumed when Princes Street reopened in August, although restrictions around the damaged building remained in place.
The Scottish Government announced up to £5 million in emergency funding to help the city recover from the fire, including support for affected businesses and work to make the site safe.
The council has also been working to preserve the building’s surviving historic features. Among those spared the worst of the destruction were an original Victorian staircase and stained-glass windows commemorating former Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli.
The future of the building itself remains uncertain. Edinburgh City Council has previously indicated that discussions with the property’s owners will determine the next steps for the site.
Police Scotland and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service have been investigating the cause of the blaze.