A huge new brewery for craft beer makers Innis and Gunn could be coming to the west of Edinburgh at Heriot Watt University's research campus.

The brewers are carrying out an environmental assessment of the site in Riccarton as they plan a major new development.

The new brewery was first announced in November last year, but until now its potential location within the city has been a mystery.

While the site hasn't been confirmed yet, Heriot Watt has a unique beer research facility called the International Centre for Brewing and Distilling nearby.

Known for their barrel-aged beers, Innis & Gunn want to build a brewery which has a capacity of 400,000 hectolitres.

It would be the first large brewery to be built in Edinburgh in 150 years and would include a taproom and visitor centre for fans to enjoy the experience.

An Innis & Gunn spokesman said: "We have instructed our agents to submit the request for an initial environmental feasibility study of this potential site.

"We will make further announcements in due course."

Documents submitted to Edinburgh city council by the brewers and the university say work will take place on land 150m west of 49 Research Avenue North.

Earlier, the company's founder Dougal Gunn Sharp said having the brewery in Edinburgh felt fitting.

He said: "For me putting the brewery in Edinburgh, where we first brewed Innis & Gunn, feels like we have come home as a business.

"Our fans can expect big things from us in the coming years. The brewery will have an annual capacity of 400,000 Hectolitres and we will have volumes of 200,000 Hectolitres when we open the doors there.

"There will be a taproom and visitor facilities for people who would like to come for a tour and a beer, and we are planning a line-up of events like beer and food festivals.

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"Our new brewery will be the beating heart of our vibrant craft beer business and I can’t wait to open the doors and show our fans around."

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