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Cables Wynd House, better known as theLeith Banana Flats[1][2] or theBanana Block[3] because of its curved shape, is a nine-storeylocal authority housing block inLeith,Edinburgh. The building has ten storeys. The ground floor is called Cables Wynd and the nine floors above constitute Cables Wynd House. This often leads to confusion in postal and other services.
Under construction between 1962 and 1965, for many families the complex offered a welcome improvement over the overcrowding andslum housing conditions that were still common problems at the time.[4] There is now extensive security in the building which includes a 24-hour staffed concierge, key fob entry system and security camera system on every walkway and in each of the 4 lifts. The building is well maintained with walkways and lifts cleaned on a daily basis by council employees.
On 1 December 2011, Lothian and Borders police were called to an incident involving five residents of Cables Wynd House injured by a dog "thought to be a cross between anAmerican pitbull andStaffordshire terrier".[5] On 13 March 2012, the City of Edinburgh Council announced plans in response to the dog attack incident to help residents identify dangerous dog breeds that had been banned under thedangerous dogs act.[6]
In 2012, communal heating and other energy measures were installed by theCity of Edinburgh Council.[7]
On 28 June 2024, TheEdinburgh Evening news reported that residents had a meeting with City of Edinburgh Council atEdinburgh City Chambers over the elevators state of disrepair that caused a number of residents to become stuck in them. Councillor Katrina Faccenda tabled a motion to include the renewal of the elevators as part of the retrofit project.[8]
On 6 June 2025, part of Cables Wynd House was damaged by a fire. Police confirmed that nobody was injured in the fire.[9]
The building was designed by Alison & Hutchinson & Partners under the leadership of Robert Forbes Hutchinson. It contains 212 flats and has a 24-hourconcierge service situated on the ground floor, andCCTV coverage. Most of the properties use deck access, but the ground floor flats are accessed via individual front doors. Some of these properties are preferentially allocated to older people, but in recent years many young families have been allocated larger flats in the building. All but five of the flats remain in public ownership as of 2015[update].[10]
The entire building (along with the nearby Linksview House of similar design, though not curved) was awarded an'A' listing byHistoric Environment Scotland from January 2017, being cited as one of the best examples of 'brutalist' architecture in Scotland. This is the highest rating which can be awarded to a building in Scotland.[11]
InIrvine Welsh'sTrainspotting, the flats were the childhood home of the character Simon "Sick Boy" Williamson.
In 2007, the block was used during filming ofWedding Belles, which was also created by Irvine Welsh.
55°58′27″N3°10′25″W / 55.97417°N 3.17361°W /55.97417; -3.17361
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