Thousands watch Cockenzie Power Station chimney demolition

The twin chimney stacks at the former Cockenzie Power Station in East Lothian have been demolished in a controlled explosion.

Thousands of people gathered to watch the demolition, which happened at noon.

The 149m-tall chimney stacks had dominated the local skyline for the past 50 years.

The power station, which Scottish Power said generated 150 terawatt hours of electricity in its lifetime, was decommissioned in March 2013.

Each of the chimney stacks had 150 holes drilled in it, which were then filled with explosives. The power station's turbine hall was also demolished, with the boiler house due to come down at a later date.

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

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

A flotilla of boats gathered in the Firth of Forth to watch the demolition, with many more people gathering at surrounding vantage points, including Portobello Beach.

A flotilla of boats and canoes took to the water to watch the demolition

The twin chimney stacks had been a local landmark for almost 50 years

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

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

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