Construction has started on a new purpose-built student accommodation development at Jock's Lodge in Edinburgh, after Alumno Group appointed Clark Contracts to design and build the 191-bed scheme.

A groundbreaking ceremony on 5 March marked the official start on site, attended by representatives from Alumno, project partners, members of the design team and the contractor.

Set on the corner of London Road and Restalrig Road South, around 1.9 miles from the University of Edinburgh and close to other institutions, the project will comprise a mix of cluster apartments with shared kitchens and self-contained studios. Plans also include dedicated study and social areas, landscaped courtyards, rooftop winter gardens with panoramic city views, and a ground-floor retail unit fronting London Road.

David Campbell, Chief Executive Officer of Alumno Group, said: "Breaking ground at Jock's Lodge represents an important milestone for Alumno, as we continue delivering thoughtfully well-designed student living environments across the UK's university cities. Edinburgh and neighbouring Glasgow are two of the most dynamic student cities and we are excited to see this project start on site, and play a vital role in supporting the student population and enhancing local neighbourhoods."

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Michael Scanlan, Director at Clark Contracts, commented: "We're delighted to be delivering this excellent student accommodation scheme in Edinburgh. Building on our experience of delivering more than 1,400 student beds in recent years, this project marks our second collaboration with Alumno, and we're excited to continue working together to bring the development forward and see it progress on site."

With works now underway, the scheme aims to meet ongoing demand for high-quality PBSA across Scotland's leading higher education hubs and reinforce Edinburgh's status as a major university city.

Mrinal Jalan, Managing Director at Henderson Park, commented: "This is an important milestone not only for this development, but for our continued investment into theScottish real estate market across a number of our high conviction sectors. This PBSA project stood out to us for its excellent micro location and the opportunity to work with best-in-class partners in Alumno and Clark Contracts to deliver a high quality, amenity-rich scheme that will meet the demands of increasingly discerning student occupiers."

The agent is Summers-Inman, with the wider design team Stallan Brand, RankinFraser, Will Rudd and Hawthorne Boyle.