The partners behind the student-living scheme in Leith, Edinburgh – independent living-led developer HUB, specialist sustainable investor Bridges Fund Management (“Bridges”) and equity investor Housing Growth Partnership (HGP) – are delighted to announce that Fresh has been chosen to operate the scheme. This follows the news of the partners securing a £79m development loan from BGO last year. Formerly ‘Shore Station’, the site is to be now known as Mantle Yard.

Fresh, which has been appointed to mobilise, market, lease and operate the 604-bed scheme, has fifteen years of experience in third-party management, with over 20,000 units across a range of rental living tenures currently within its remit across 27 cities and towns. Fresh currently operates over 60 student-living schemes, including one in central Edinburgh.

Mantle Yard, designed by Edinburgh-based Michael Laird Architects, is a former gasworks and naval yard being transformed into the largest single-site student living scheme in the Scottish capital. The site’s heritage and role it played in lighting up Edinburgh when it was a gasworks inspired the name Mantle Yard; a mantle is an element of gas lights that were used across the city.

Mantle Yard is campus-style student living with six buildings around a landscaped central square and courtyard gardens, within walking distance of The Shore, in the heart of the sought-after Leith neighbourhood. Shared internal amenity spaces include study rooms, library, lounge, TV room, kitchen, gym and yoga spaces, with abundant cycle storage prioritising wellbeing and collaboration.

With construction well underway, led by McAleer & Rushe, completion is targeted ahead of the 2027/28 academic year.

Sarah Willoughby-Parsons, Head of Asset Management at HUB said:

“Mantle Yard is a truly exciting project for HUB, Bridges, HGP and Edinburgh. With demand for high-quality student accommodation continuing to grow, we’re proud to be delivering a scheme that not only meets that need but does so with ambition, design excellence, and a deep respect for the local context. Fresh brings a wealth of operational expertise, and we’re confident that it will help make Mantle Yard a thriving and well-managed community for students.”

Sam Scott, Managing Director at Fresh, said:

“We are delighted to be appointed to play a key role in bringing Mantle Yard to market. We believe Mantle Yard will provide a unique offer into the Edinburgh market with the growing popularity of Leith, giving the students a new location, a village within a city feel. The design is superb with students needs well catered for with exceptional study and amenity facilities meaning they have everything they need in their home. Students are immediately accessible to the city centre and the universities with a direct tram line giving them a complete experience of student life in Scotland’s capital.”