The consultation for the £40m SoCo scheme in Edinburgh's Old Town has begun.

South Bridge and Cowgate - which was ravaged by a fire in December 2002 - will be linked with Chambers Street and Guthrie Street.

SoCo is to become a destination for people to stay, work and relax within.

Proposals include two cafe-lined courtyards and property developer Whiteburn is in final talks for a 165-room hotel.

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Whiteburn will select a preferred hotel operator to occupy the upper levels of the 10,000 sq m development, which lies in the heart of Edinburgh's World Heritage Site.

Plans allow for pedestrians to enter the inner courtyard from the South Bridge and Chambers Street.

Allan Murray, the Edinburgh architect enlisted by Whiteburn to design the scheme, said: "SoCo will be a wonderful addition to Edinburgh's Old Town, with the steps and courtyards reconnecting Chambers Street and South Bridge directly from the Cowgate."

(GK/JM)