THREE 15-story tower blocks, once home to 285 households, have been reduced to rubble in under 10 seconds following a series of controlled explosions.

Hermiston, Weir and Glenalmond Courts were demolished by Edinburgh Council on Sunday to make way for up to 320 new homes.

Maureen Murdoch, a former resident of Glenalmond Court, was among those who gathered to witness the final implosion.

“I’ve spent 43 years of my life here. I had to be there to see it go,” she said. “So many memories are contained within those walls.”

An exclusion zone was set up around the site and a rest centre made available for residents who had to temporarily leave nearby homes.

The towers were considered state-of-the-art when they were built in 1960 at a cost of US$2.73m, but had become run down in recent years.

Councillor Work said: “I know that many people have fond memories of the North Sighthill flats but I’m also sure that most will recognize the need for progress and investment in the area.”

“It got to the point where flats in the towers were becoming hard to let so it is good to regenerate the area.”

Sunday’s demolition is part of a program of council-led investment worth up to 150 million GBP aiming to build 1,300 homes across the Scottish capital.

                (SD-Agencies)