Thousands expected to watch Cockenzie Power Station demolition

Thousands of people are expected to watch the demolition of the twin chimney stacks at the former Cockenzie Power Station in East Lothian.

People are due to gather at Portobello Beach in Edinburgh to see the 149-metre-tall towers brought down at noon on Saturday.

A second controlled explosion will then demolish the turbine hall.

Cockenzie, which generated 150 terawatt hours of electricity in its lifetime, was decommissioned in March 2013.

Its towers have been a landmark in the area for almost 50 years.

Scottish Power project manager George Camps said 150 holes had been drilled in each tower, then filled with explosives.

"The drill holes weaken the structure when the charges go off," he explained.

"They are on one side, which causes the chimneys to come in towards each other."

The "button press", which will start demolition of both chimneys, will be carried out by East Lothian resident Donald McCulloch, who won a charity raffle.

An exclusion zone will be in place from 09:00 to ensure that the demolition can be carried out safely.

The safety restrictions will cover the Greenhills, sections of Edinburgh Road and the John Muir Way, as well as extending into the Firth of Forth.

Craig Yorkston worked at Cockenzie Power Station for 30 years

There will also be traffic restrictions around the power station from 07:00.

Scottish Power said viewing locations in the immediate vicinity of the power station would be very limited.

The twin chimney stacks were constructed in time for the coal station opening in 1967. The turbine hall structure is predominantly made of steel.

Craig Yorkston, who worked at Cockenzie Power Station for 30 years, said: "I think its quite a pretty power station.

"I've seen many power stations, and Cockenzie seemed to be designed and built to try and fit as much as possible into the local surroundings."