Electric Gates
Edinburgh
Looking for electric gate installation in Edinburgh? Our fabricator is based just six miles away in Musselburgh — supplying and fitting swing gates, sliding gates, cantilever gates and full driveway automation across the city and the Lothians.
A look at our work in Scotland
Every gate is made to measure for the property it goes on. Here is a small selection of recent installations by your local fabricator.
Holds its colour through Scottish winters with none of the annual treating timber needs.
Keypad, fob, intercom or phone app — specified around how the entrance actually gets used.
Slides parallel to the boundary, so a short driveway is no obstacle.
Local to the city, and used to its rules
Edinburgh is home ground for our fabricator, who is based in Musselburgh about six miles east of the city centre. On a system you will own for fifteen years or more that proximity matters more than it might seem — surveys get booked sooner, a return visit to adjust a photocell is straightforward, and an annual service is not a half-day round trip.
It also means he knows the local planning position, which matters here more than almost anywhere. Edinburgh has more conservation areas than any other Scottish city and a concentration of listed buildings that is unusual even by UK standards. The Old and New Towns together form a World Heritage Site, and protection extends well beyond them — into Morningside, Grange, Merchiston, Cramond, Colinton and Barnton, which is exactly where the gated driveways are.
Listed building consent in Scotland falls under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997, and works affecting a listed property or anything within its curtilage require it regardless of gate height. That usually includes the boundary wall and piers, not just the gate itself.
What tends to get approved is restraint. An open design in painted metal, proportioned to the existing boundary rather than making a statement of its own, sits far better against Edinburgh stone than a solid panel and is viewed more favourably. Where a gate looks unlikely to be approved at all, rising bollards are worth considering, since they alter a frontage far less.
Coverage area: Edinburgh and the Lothians
Electric gate types & services
Electric Swing Gates
The most popular residential choice. Composite or traditional wrought iron, fabricated to suit the property.
Learn more →Electric Sliding Gates
Travels parallel to the boundary, so no swing clearance is needed. Suits shallow driveways and wide openings.
Learn more →Cantilever Gates
Slides with no ground track at all — nothing to fill with snow, grit or leaves. Worth considering here.
Learn more →Driveway Automation
Full systems including video intercom, keypads, remote fobs, vehicle detection loops and app control.
Learn more →Automate Existing Gates
Already have gates? In many cases motors can be added without replacing them, subject to condition and weight.
Find out more →Railings & Gate Repairs
Matching railings fabricated alongside your gate, plus repairs to motors, panels and access control.
Learn more →How much do electric gates cost in Edinburgh?
There are enough variables in an electric gate that a single price would be misleading, so these are starting figures rather than ranges. Each one reflects a full-size double driveway gate — 2 metres or more per leaf, at intermediate specification — rather than the smallest thing that could be built.
Prices and minimum specifications vary by region and installer. A precise quote follows a site survey, which is free and carries no obligation.
Full cost guide →Starting figures for a 2m+ double driveway gate at intermediate specification. Groundwork varies by site.
Frequently asked questions about electric gates in Edinburgh
Do you install electric gates throughout Edinburgh?
Yes — our fabricator is based in Musselburgh and covers Edinburgh along with the surrounding Lothians, including Dalkeith, Bonnyrigg, Penicuik, Tranent, Prestonpans, Haddington, Livingston and Bathgate.
How quickly can I get a survey?
Quicker than most places. Musselburgh is roughly six miles from the city centre, so Edinburgh surveys are straightforward to arrange rather than needing to be batched with other work in the area. Submit an enquiry through the quote form and you should hear back within 24 to 48 hours.
Do I need planning permission in Edinburgh?
More often than almost anywhere. Edinburgh has extensive conservation areas and a very high concentration of listed buildings, and works affecting a listed property or its curtilage need consent regardless of gate height. Scotland operates under its own legislation — our planning permission guide has a dedicated Scottish section.
What if a gate will not be approved for my property?
Automatic rising bollards are worth exploring. Lowered, they sit flush with the ground and leave the frontage visually unchanged, which makes them a considerably easier proposition on a listed or conservation-area property. They give the same control over vehicle access. See our electric bollards page.
What style of gate suits an Edinburgh stone property?
Traditional metalwork, generally — painted wrought iron in an open design rather than a solid panel. Proportion against the existing boundary and piers matters as much as the style itself, and a lighter design is both more sympathetic and more likely to gain consent.
How long does installation take?
Most residential installations take one to two days once fabrication is complete. Where consent is required, the determination period sits with the council and needs factoring in first — that timescale is outside your installer's control.
Worth reading first
Scottish planning rules
Scotland has its own planning legislation. Our guide has a dedicated Scottish section.
Planning guide →Rising bollards
The alternative where a gate is unlikely to gain consent on a listed frontage.
Bollards →What safe looks like
BS EN 12453 applies UK-wide — force limitation, safety edges and photocells.
Safety guide →What it will cost
How gate type, size, material and groundwork move the final figure.
Cost guide →Send us your postcode and the width of your entrance using the form below and Dale will come back to you directly.
Electric gate installers across Scotland
We cover the central belt, Fife and the Borders, with 33 towns each having their own page and the surrounding villages of each covered too.
Edinburgh & the Lothians
See full Edinburgh & the Lothians coverage →
Glasgow & the West
See full Glasgow & the West coverage →
Fife
Forth Valley
See full Forth Valley coverage →
Scottish Borders
See full Scottish Borders coverage →
Don’t see your town? Send us an enquiry — or see all areas we cover.