Soil removal
Soil and turf from landscaping, garden levelling, or digging out a patio. Loaded direct from the heap and away by the load.
Lothian
Grab Hire in Edinburgh
Serving EH1 · EH2 · EH3 · EH4 · EH5 · EH6 · EH7 · EH8 · EH9 · EH10 · EH11 · EH12 · EH13 · EH14 · EH15 · EH16 · EH17
From the £1.3-billion Granton Waterfront transformation to the £350-million tram extension to Newhaven, Edinburgh grab hire shifts soil, rubble, hardcore, aggregates and muckaway off your plot in a single visit.
- Same dayloading available*
- No hiddenextra charges
- Loaded directsingle visit
- Licensedwaste carrier
*Same-day loading is subject to availability.
About Skyward grab hire in Edinburgh
We cover grab hire and aggregates delivery across Edinburgh and the surrounding EH1, EH2, EH3, EH4, EH5, EH6, EH7, EH8, EH9, EH10, EH11, EH12, EH13, EH14, EH15, EH16, and EH17 postcode districts, from the city centre and Leith through to Granton, Portobello, Craigmillar, Wester Hailes, Corstorphine, Morningside, Bruntsfield, and Stockbridge. The same network reaches into Musselburgh, Dalkeith, Livingston, Bathgate, South Queensferry, Loanhead, and Penicuik across the wider EH area where access works.
Edinburgh is delivering one of Scotland's biggest coastal regeneration programmes. Granton Waterfront is a £1.3-billion City of Edinburgh Council-led programme for around 3,500 net-zero homes plus Scotland's largest coastal park, with the first phase backed by £42 million of Scottish Government funding for 847 net-zero homes (387 affordable), a new primary school, and space for 14 businesses. Restoration of the Granton gasholder into a public park and a partnership with Cruden Homes for 800-plus low-carbon homes are running alongside. West Craigs on the western edge is one of the largest mixed-tenure regeneration projects under construction in central Scotland, with a Wheatley Homes East-led masterplan for 425 homes and a Plot 13 delivery of 125 homes for social and mid-market rent. Active regeneration is also running at Fountainbridge, Meadowbank, Powderhall, Pennywell and Muirhouse, Craigmillar and Greendykes, and Wester Hailes. Programmes like that generate a steady run of muckaway and groundworks spoil, which is exactly what a grab lorry is built to move.
On the trade side, the Trams to Newhaven 4.7-kilometre extension added eight new stops from York Place to Newhaven inside a €240-million budget. Transport Scotland's Places for Everyone programme is delivering the 3.6-kilometre City Centre West to East Link that opened in March 2024 and the Roseburn to Union Canal route inside £14.8 million of active-travel investment. The wider Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal housing programme covers seven strategic sites for more than 41,000 new homes and 7,800 jobs. Our work in Edinburgh mixes new-build muckaway from the Granton, West Craigs, and Craigmillar plots with rear extension and patio rip-outs across Leith, Marchmont, Morningside, Bruntsfield, and Portobello. Some Edinburgh firms book this as tipper hire. That is the same chassis without the grab arm. We do both.
CoveringEH1EH2EH3EH4EH5EH6EH7EH8EH9EH10EH11EH12EH13EH14EH15EH16EH17
1 visit
Loaded direct
The lorry arrives, loads, and leaves on the same trip. No skip dropped, no chase-up.
16 t
Per grab lorry
Standard 8-wheeler grab lorry holds up to 16 tonnes. Most domestic loads fit in one visit.
0 permits
In the normal case
No road permit needed when the lorry loads from a driveway, garden, or yard.
How it works
A grab visit, end to end
Three steps from quote to clear site in Edinburgh.
- 1
Get a quote
Tell us your Edinburgh postcode, what you have, and the soonest you need it gone. We confirm the price, slot, and access plan, usually within the hour.
- 2
The lorry arrives and loads
An 8-wheeler grab lorry pulls up. The hydraulic arm loads soil, rubble, hardcore, or whatever is in the heap, all in a single visit. No skip is dropped, no permit to chase.
- 3
Material gone the same day
The load goes straight to the licensed tipping point. You get back to the build, we get back to the road.
Jobs we typically clear in Edinburgh
The jobs we most often clear with a grab lorry. Trade also calls it grab wagon. Tipper hire on its own is the same chassis without the grab arm. We do both.
Rubble and hardcore removal
Broken brick, concrete, patio rubble, and crushed hardcore from sub-base removal. Loaded from the pile rather than wheelbarrowed into a skip.
Muck away
Mixed inert spoil from foundation digs, trenches, and groundworks. Trade often calls it muckaway. The standard grab-lorry job, priced per load.
Granton Waterfront and coastal regen groundworks
Mixed inert spoil from the £1.3-billion Granton Waterfront programme (3,500 net-zero homes plus Scotland's largest coastal park) including the 847-home first phase and the gasholder park restoration.
West Craigs and city-wide regen spoil
Groundworks spoil from the 425-home West Craigs masterplan on the western edge and the wider regeneration corridors at Fountainbridge, Pennywell and Muirhouse, Craigmillar and Greendykes, and Wester Hailes.
What a grab lorry can take
Soil, rubble, hardcore, sand, gravel and aggregates. The full guide explains each one and what we will not take.
We also deliver aggregates
Topsoil, ballast, hardcore, sand and gravel by the load. Quoted per delivery, tipped where you need it.
Topsoil delivery
Screened, ready to spread
Tipped directly where you need it, on driveway, lawn, or site.
Quote thisSand and gravel
Building or decorative
Sharp sand, building sand, and decorative gravels by the load.
Quote thisCrushed concrete
Recycled aggregate
Recycled crushed concrete for hardstandings and access tracks.
Quote thisDecorative gravel
Finished surfaces
Bagged or loose decorative gravels for drives, paths, and borders.
Quote thisCommon questions
Grab hire FAQs for Edinburgh
Do you cover the EH area beyond central Edinburgh?
Yes. The same Edinburgh network reaches across EH1 to EH17 and out through Musselburgh, Dalkeith, Livingston, Bathgate, South Queensferry, Loanhead, and Penicuik. Give us the postcode and load type and we will confirm the coverage and slot.
Can you handle a Granton, West Craigs, or Craigmillar plot?
Yes. We work the kind of programmes running across Edinburgh right now, from the £1.3-billion Granton Waterfront transformation and the 425-home West Craigs build on the western edge through to the Craigmillar and Greendykes regen and the Fountainbridge, Pennywell, and Wester Hailes corridors. Site access notes are useful upfront so we send the right vehicle for the gate width and route in.
Is grab hire the same as tipper hire in Edinburgh?
Grab hire and tipper hire are closely related but not the same. A grab lorry is a tipper fitted with a hydraulic arm and bucket, so the driver self-loads, reaching over walls and fences where needed. A tipper on its own is the same truck without the arm, so you load it with your own machinery or labour. Grab holds up to 16 tonnes per visit, tipper around 20. We do both across Edinburgh. Tell us about the site and load and we will send the right vehicle.
How quickly can you get to Edinburgh from a quote?
Most Edinburgh quotes are confirmed within the hour. Next-day collection is the realistic default, and same-day is often possible if you book before mid-morning, subject to lorry availability and access at your end.
Do you deliver topsoil and aggregates to Edinburgh too?
Yes. The same network delivers topsoil, ballast, hardcore, sand and gravel, crushed concrete, and decorative gravels across Edinburgh and the surrounding EH area. Per-load pricing the same way, tipped where you need it.
Get in touch
Get a grab hire quote
Tell us your postcode and what you need clearing. We confirm coverage, pricing, and the soonest slot upfront.
Prefer to call? We’re available Mon–Fri, 7:30am–5:30pm
0333 880 0095
or fill in the form below