Composite Gates Lothian

We survey, manufacture and fit composite and metal gates across Edinburgh and the three Lothians — Livingston and Linlithgow in the west, the Midlothian towns south of the city, and out along the East Lothian coast to North Berwick and Dunbar. Every gate is measured on site, made to those measurements, and installed by the same people who quoted it.

Coverage moves. We are always reviewing how the installers on our network are performing and taking on new ones as demand grows, so the towns below are where we work most consistently rather than a complete or permanent list.

Towns and cities we cover

The surrounding villages and suburbs of each are covered too. If your town is not named, send your postcode and we will confirm.

Edinburgh & Midlothian

• Edinburgh

Also covered: Musselburgh, Dalkeith, Bonnyrigg, Penicuik, Loanhead, Gorebridge and the villages south of the city.

East Lothian

Also covered: Tranent, Prestonpans, Haddington, North Berwick, Dunbar, Gullane, Longniddry, Aberlady and the coastal villages.

West Lothian

• Livingston

Also covered: Linlithgow, Bathgate, Broxburn, Whitburn, Armadale, Winchburgh and the surrounding villages.

What we make and fit

• Composite driveway gates Double and single leaf, hung or sliding, manual or automated.
• Composite garden gates Side gates, back gates and matching pedestrian gates.
• Metal gates Steel and metal-framed gates, made to measure.
• Electric gates Automation on new gates, or retro-fitted to existing ones.
• Composite fencing Matching fence panels and screens to tie the boundary together.

The Lothians are not one place

In Edinburgh — consent comes first

The city has one of the largest protected historic areas in the UK, and conservation status reaches far beyond the Old and New Towns into Marchmont, Morningside, Stockbridge, Trinity and much of the Victorian suburbs. Thousands of properties are listed. Height, style, material and how a gate reads alongside its neighbours all get looked at, and consent is often needed rather than occasionally. It shapes the design; it rarely prevents a gate. For anything in the city itself, see our composite gates Edinburgh page.

On the East Lothian coast — salt and wind

From Prestonpans round through Gullane and North Berwick to Dunbar, the shore is open to the North Sea along its whole length and the wind arrives with salt in it. The composite board is untroubled — the colour runs through it and there is no coating for salt to break down — but the metal parts want specifying properly, and a tall, fully boarded pair on a coastal frontage behaves like a sail whatever it is made of. On these plots we raise the infill question early rather than late.

Inland East Lothian — farmland, not suburbs

Out towards Haddington, Gifford and the Garleton villages this is arable country with towns in it rather than suburbia with fields at the edge. Properties sit on generous plots with wide entrances, often shared with farm traffic and frequently at the end of a long approach. Past a certain span a swing pair stops being sensible, because the further a leaf reaches the harder it pulls on its hinges. A sliding gate is carried along its length instead.

In West Lothian — made-up ground

The old shale bings around Broxburn, Winchburgh and Addiewell are the visible part of a wider story: much of West Lothian sits on worked, tipped or made-up ground. It settles, and it settles unevenly. A post foundation that is perfectly sound elsewhere can move over a few winters, and the first sign is a gate that gradually stops closing cleanly. If you know the history of your plot, tell us at survey — it changes how the posts are set.

Scottish planning rules are not the English ones

Worth saying plainly, because it catches people out. Planning is devolved, so the permitted development limits that apply to gates, walls and fences in Scotland are set separately from the English ones, and guidance found online may simply not apply to your property. Add conservation areas and listed status on top, particularly in Edinburgh, Linlithgow and Haddington, and it is worth a call to your council — City of Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian or West Lothian — before you order rather than after.

What affects the cost

Gate prices move on a handful of variables rather than a fixed rate. The main ones are:

FAQs about Composite Gates in the Lothians

Do you cover my town if it is not listed above?

Yes — the Lothians are covered as a whole. Musselburgh, Dalkeith, Penicuik, Bonnyrigg, Tranent, Prestonpans, Haddington, North Berwick, Dunbar, Linlithgow, Bathgate and Broxburn are all within reach, and the villages around each are covered as a matter of course. Send your postcode and you will get a straight answer either way.

I am in Edinburgh itself — is this the right page?

The city has its own page, because the conservation position there is different enough to need one. See composite gates Edinburgh for the detail on consent, stone piers, railings and the wind off the Forth. This page covers the wider Lothians around it.

How much difference does the East Lothian coast make?

Enough to change the specification. The shore is open to the North Sea along its whole length, so a tall solid gate takes real wind load and the metal parts take constant salt. A partly open infill or a lower top rail deals with the first; a higher grade of finish on the frame, hinges and fixings deals with the second. The board itself is unaffected either way.

My plot is on old shale or made-up ground — does that matter?

It can, and it is worth mentioning at survey. Worked and tipped ground settles unevenly, so a post foundation that is sound elsewhere can move over a few winters — and the symptom is a gate that slowly stops closing properly. Knowing the history changes how the posts are set, and it costs a fraction to allow for than to correct afterwards.

Are the planning rules for gates different in Scotland?

They can be. Planning is devolved, so permitted development limits for gates, walls and fences are set separately from the English ones and English guidance found online may not apply. Conservation areas and listed status add another layer. Your council is the authority — a call before ordering is worth more than any search.

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