Crane Hire Edinburgh

Cranes for Edinburgh jobs

Tell us the weight, radius and access for your Edinburgh job and we’ll recommend the right machine. Not sure where to start? Read our guide to what size crane you need.

Where we work in and around Edinburgh

Most of our Edinburgh crane hire work falls into a handful of sectors.

The Old and New Towns

Central Edinburgh work is heritage work whether or not the building is listed: narrow streets, setts, stone frontages, tenement roofs and almost no room to set up. Jobs run from roof and stonework repairs to plant going into buildings with no vehicle access, and they are planned around a compact machine in one position rather than the biggest crane that will reach.

Edinburgh Park, South Gyle and Sighthill

The office campuses and trade estates to the west of the city, out towards the airport, are steady work: rooftop plant replacement, generator and chiller changes, machinery into trade units and fit-out lifts. See our HVAC and industrial sector pages.

Port of Leith and the Waterfront

Leith is Scotland’s largest enclosed deep-water port and an active construction and logistics area, with regeneration continuing along the Waterfront. Dockside lifts get planned around cargo movements, ground bearing at the quay edge and wind off the Forth. See our maritime sector page.

Energy and the Forth

Renewable energy manufacturing and infrastructure work across the Forth, including at Rosyth, generates component handling, load-out and heavy lifting on fixed programmes. See our power and renewables page.

Hospitals, universities and life sciences

Edinburgh has a large hospital, university and life science estate. Our work on it is chiller and air handling unit replacement, plant room equipment and laboratory kit going in and out of buildings that stay open. See our healthcare and pharma and education sector pages.

Construction, tram and rail

Commercial and residential schemes across the city bring steel, precast and cladding lifts, while tram and rail work has to fit inside a possession with exact timings and overhead line clearances agreed in advance. See our construction and rail sector pages.

Access and planning for lifts in Edinburgh

Every site is different, but a few things come up again and again on Edinburgh jobs:

• Getting there. The A720 city bypass takes heavy plant round the city and links the M8, A1, A7 and A702, which usually beats driving through the middle. Larger all-terrain cranes and ballast loads are routed around low bridges and weight limits, and we plan the route before we quote.
• The World Heritage centre. Setts, gradients, bus routes, pedestrian areas and listed frontages all limit where a crane can stand, and several central streets only work at certain hours. We settle the standing position first.
• Tram and overhead lines. The tram route runs from the city centre out to the airport and down to Newhaven. Working near the overhead lines means clearance distances, and sometimes an isolation, agreed in advance.
• Ground conditions. The centre sits on rock in places and on made ground and old cellars in others, while the Leith waterfront is largely reclaimed. We confirm ground bearing and outrigger positions, and use crane mats where needed.
• Road closures and the festival. Where a lift needs part of a road or pavement closed, we can arrange the traffic management and road closure with the City of Edinburgh Council. Central access in August is another matter, and worth planning around early.

Postcodes and areas we cover

We cover every EH postcode and the Lothian districts around the city:

• Edinburgh: Old Town, New Town, Stockbridge, Leith, Granton, Newhaven, Portobello, Marchmont, Newington and Morningside
• West and south: Corstorphine, Sighthill, South Gyle, Fairmilehead, Gilmerton and Liberton
• The Lothians: Musselburgh, Dalkeith, Tranent, Penicuik, Kirkliston and Livingston
• Wider area: Bathgate, Falkirk, Dunfermline, Kirkcaldy, Haddington and Galashiels

Beyond Edinburgh we also work across Fife, the Borders and the rest of Scotland. See all the areas we cover.

Why Edinburgh firms choose Synergy Lifting for crane hire

• Used to heritage and restricted access. Setts, gradients, listed frontages and single workable standing positions are normal planning for us, not exceptions.
• The awkward ones get planned properly. Where there is only one position that works, we would rather establish that at quote stage than discover it on the day.
• Qualified and accredited. CPCS and NPORS operators, lifts planned to BS 7121, and a business certified to ISO 9001 and ISO 14001, with Constructionline Gold Member registration.
• One contractor for the whole lift. We can take on the lift plan, appointed person, RAMS, supervision and insurance.

More than cranes

Many Edinburgh jobs need more than a lift, so we also offer:

• Machine movement
• Machine delivery and installation
• Factory relocation
• Industrial plant dismantling
• Steel erection and dismantling
• Plant room strip out
• Traffic management and road closures

How to book a crane

1. Send us the site location, load weight, access details and dates. Photos help.
2. We quote, usually the same working day. Complex lifts may need a site visit first.
3. For contract lifts we prepare the lift plan and RAMS. For CPA hire we advise on crane position and set-up.
4. We arrive on the agreed day and carry out the lift to BS 7121.

Common questions

Can you get a crane into an Old Town street?

Often, yes, but it depends on the approach, the gradient and whether there is anywhere to stand. Send us the address and photos of the street and the building, and we’ll tell you what is workable before you commit to a date.

Can you lift near the tram lines?

Yes, with the clearances agreed beforehand. Overhead lines set a minimum distance for the boom and the load, and some positions need an isolation arranging, which takes lead time.

Can you work in the city centre in August?

It is the hardest month for central access, so the earlier we know the better. Where a lift can’t reasonably happen during the festival we’ll say so and look at the weeks either side, or a different standing position.

Get a quote for crane hire in Edinburgh

• Phone: 0131 608 0165
• Email: edinburgh@synergy-lifting.co.uk

We also provide crane hire in Grangemouth, Glasgow, Dumfries and Newcastle. See all the areas we cover.