The initial plan by the Royal Elizabeth Bond near Edinburgh involved the demolition of eight warehouses at the site.

Council papers showed: “The application is for the modification of an existing hazardous substances consent (HSC). The original HSC aligned with planning permission for the removal of eight existing warehouses, and addition of new bonded warehouses and associated equipment on the site.

“The HSC variation will add the eight existing warehouses, which will be upgraded for palletised cask storage, to be used during the transitional phased construction of the new warehouses.”

The Herald reported that plans showed 40 units at the site.

The developer said the proposals “seek to respond to significant market demand for bonded and maturation warehouse accommodation in central Scotland”.

The Paul Hogarth Company said in the initial application on behalf of Royal Elizabeth Bond Limited: “This site has been in commercial use since at least the 1940s when it was developed as a depot to supply food and beverages to the Royal Navy.”

The proposals were approved by councillors.

The 50-acre former Second World War naval storage depot secured HMRC Warehouse Keepers approval in November when REB also said it would “begin welcoming clients to the facility, which will feature a mix of newly constructed and refurbished historic warehouses”.

It also said Summerhall Distillery and Proof 8 would be operating partners.

Edinburgh-based hotel firm cites 'pivotal' developments

An Edinburgh-based hotel company has reported a rise in earnings during a year that saw it make significant additions to its portfolio.

New accounts show the family-owned business reported a group operating profit of £13.6 million in the year ended April 30, up 4.4% on the year prior.

Apex Hotels reported that profits edged up as group revenue increased by 21% year-on-year to £96m, driven by major acquisitions including the purchase of the historic Dunblane Hydro Hotel in late 2024.

Apex relaunched the hotel, one of Scotland’s original hydropathic hotels dating from the Victorian period, in late November this year and is currently investing in a major refurbishment of the property to preserve its historic “grandeur” while modernising rooms and conference and public areas.

The company's acquisition of Dunblane Hydro came shortly before Apex purchased The Vineyard Hotel, a five-star country house hotel and spa in West Berkshire, with those deals following the acquisition in recent years of Meldrum House Country Hotel and Golf Course in Aberdeenshire, and the Pine Trees Hotel in Pitlochry.

Four-in-ten employers 'moving away from CV-first hiring'

The traditional CV is seen as unreliable and may soon be a thing of the past, according to new findings.

New research reveals just 37% of employers rate credentials and learning history usually seen in CVs among the most reliable indicators of talent.

The CV, or curriculum vitae, is losing its grip on hiring decisions to the extent that just four-in-ten employers now rate them among the most reliable indicators of talent in an age of AI-generated applications, according to a new global study from candidate screening platform Willo.

The Hiring Trends Report 2026, published by Glasgow-founded global recruitment technology firm – which works with some of the biggest employers in the world including Toyota, easyJet, DPD Group and the NHS – shows that while CVs remain the starting point for most hiring processes, "their dominance is weakening fast".

The study found just 37% of employers rate credentials and learning history – as typically outlined in CVs – among the most reliable indicators of talent.