Monktonhall services
| Road: | A1 at Old Craighall Junction (Edinburgh City Bypass) A720 at the A1 roundabout (also accessible to traffic on the B6415) (open map) |
| Address: | Service Area Old Craighall |
| Signposted from the road? | Yes |
| Previous names: | Musselburgh |
| Grid reference: | NT337708 |
| Services type: | Single site located at a junction |
⚠️ Please note that this service area is not yet open.
This is the service area near Edinburgh. For the site on the A77, see Monkton.
The only official service area on the Scottish side of the A1, though large parts of Musselburgh were recently demolished.
Work on demolishing the remaining facilities began in June 2023, replacing it with a much smaller facility.
Facilities
Trivia and History
The service area was opened as Edinburgh services, a name which still persists on some maps.
It was built by Granada in 1989 to coincide with the completion of the Edinburgh City Bypass and the A1 Musselburgh Bypass. It had a Granada Shop, and Country Kitchen Restaurant, as well as a Granada Lodge.
The restaurant became Scotland's only AJ's in 1992. The shop became a Burger King, and then the AJ's changed to a Little Chef by Granada in 1996. Little Chef generally called it Musselburgh, as did Moto.
There were plans for the Burger King to gain a drive thru in 2001, but these were dropped. There were also plans for an extension to the Travelodge building utilising some of what was the HGV parking area. This plan was accepted in 2005 but was never built.
Breaking Apart
Like Colsterworth services, most of Musselburgh was sold off by Moto in 2002 along with the Little Chef brand, although for a while they operated the restaurant remotely by franchise arrangement.
The Little Chef here closed in 2010, leaving the main amenity building completely devoid of any facilities. The Travelodge was previously also operated by Moto, but Travelodge themselves would eventually take it over.
Despite its dilapidated state, the service area was still signed from the A1 and A720, but the symbols advertise just a hotel and petrol station. Travelodge then closed their hotel in early 2021, leaving just a filling station and a large, derelict area.
MRH took over operation of the filling station in October 2013 and the brand changed from Esso to BP. It is now operated by MFG following the merger of the two companies, and remained as the only signposted service area with a Hursts store. MFG called it Monktonhall services.
New Services
Work started to demolish the abandoned buildings in September 2021. There will be a new Starbucks Drive Thru, positioned on the current car park with the current car park entrance being blocked off and a new car park positioned on the site of the former amenity building. Four electric vehicle charging bays will also be positioned in the Starbucks car park.
The plans were drawn up before the hotel closed, and a new hotel entrance was due to be constructed. The hotel was instead demolished with the rest of the buildings. Under a separate ongoing planning proposal, the former service area building will now be turned into a secured HGV parking area, with the former tourist information building becoming a shower block.
Meanwhile, MFG are redeveloping their forecourt. Work began in June 2023, with the new facility planned to have six pumps and eight electric vehicle charging bays, a new sales building containing a Londis and Greggs, and a larger circulation area. The refurbishment of the forecourt meant the whole site has had to close, with no facilities currently available.
Alternatives
| Previous: | Next: | |
| Lindisfarne (60 miles) | Services on the A1 | none |
| Dreghorn (7 miles) | Services on the A720 | end of road |
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