PLANS have been unveiled for a 338-home development on the waterfront at Leith in Edinburgh, comprising four, 10 to 14-storey buildings.

The development, described as one of the largest build-to-rent schemes in Scotland, marks the entrance of Australian financial giant Macquarie Asset Management into the Scottish market.

The site at Leith is the first in Scotland to be acquired by Goodstone Living, the build-to-rent platform set up by Macquarie Asset Management with UK real estate industry veterans Darryl Flay and Martin Bellinger.

Macquarie said the scheme would “sit directly on Albert Docks with unparalleled and uninterrupted views over the Firth of Forth to the north and Edinburgh’s historic city centre to the south”.

It added that the project would be boosted by the city’s tramline extension to Ocean Terminal – scheduled for completion in 2023.

The site already has a planning consent and Goodstone plans to commence construction this summer, Macquarie noted.

Martin Bellinger, principal at Goodstone Living, declared: “With Edinburgh’s world-class financial district and university nearby, a vibrant restaurant scene, start-up community and an edgy mix of arts and culture, Leith is recognised not only as one of Britain’s most attractive rental neighbourhoods but one of the world’s.

“Edinburgh is one of our core markets because of its young, highly educated and growing population, pointing to a deep pool of future talent which is currently undersupplied with quality housing. Our strategy will continue to identify opportunities such as this where an undersupply of quality housing matches with key criteria for growth and further regeneration.”

He added: “As with our plans for Digbeth in Birmingham, our residential placemaking strategy is to offer a better quality of living while building healthy homes that are accessible to local residents. We will do this by using smarter design and creating facilities that respond to the way people live, work, play and relax in a post-pandemic world.”