Winter security patrols in Edinburgh

Dark evenings and early lock-up in Edinburgh

On the shortest day, 21st December, the sun rises in Edinburgh at 8.42am and sets at 3.39pm, giving just under seven hours of daylight.

Source: Edinburgh Guide, Winter Solstice sunrise and sunset times, edinburghguide.com/events/wintersolstice.

A business that locks up at 5pm will be closing in the dark for most of November, December and January. Patrol visits can be timed around your lock-up and the hours after it, and carried on through weekends and holidays when the premises stay empty.

Komoo's Edinburgh premises are one example. We guarded cars left in for repair overnight, from 9pm to 6am, with officers walking the site and sending the client a report and a time-stamped walk video every hour to prevent car theft.

Christmas and New Year closure patrols

Scotland's festive bank holidays are Christmas Day, Boxing Day, 1st January and 2nd January, and when one falls at a weekend the holiday moves to the following weekday. Many offices, warehouses and sites stay closed for the days in between.

Closure cover can start with a lock-up check on your last working day and run until staff return. Book as soon as you know your closure dates, so we can audit the site and send a tailored quotation and loss prevention plan before you close. If your plans change late, we also provide last minute and emergency security guards.

What a winter patrol visit includes

While your premises are closed, you need to know they are still secure and have a record of each check. A winter patrol visit includes:

• A site audit before patrols start, built around your staff access times
• Patrol times varied according to the risk, the goods stored and the type of site
• Checks of doors, shutters, windows, gates and fences from outside
• An internal walkthrough of the premises, where you give access
• Lock-up at the time you set
• Anti-vandalism and trespass checks around the building and yard
• A time-stamped log of every visit, plus a shift report
• On some packages, hourly walkthrough videos and WhatsApp updates to your key contact
• Keyholding and alarm response over the holidays, with a 24/7 emergency line

Officers check for signs of entry and damage. They do not check heating, leaks or pipes.

Premises that book winter patrols

Any premises left empty through the dark months can go on a patrol route, including:

• Offices closed over the holidays, in the city centre, west Edinburgh and elsewhere
• Shops after closing time
• Warehouses and industrial units on estates such as Sighthill, Newbridge and Leith
• Construction sites closed over Christmas
• Vacant buildings waiting for a tenant or sale

Patrols run all year as well; see our mobile patrols and keyholding in Edinburgh. Where a site needs an officer present throughout, we provide manned guarding and rotating 24/7 teams. Buildings left empty for longer are covered by our vacant property security across Scotland, and closed sites by our Christmas closure security. Our winter security checklist for Scottish businesses sets out what to check before you close.

Proof of every visit

How it works

1. Get in touchWhatsApp or email us with your location, dates and what you need covered.
2. Site auditWe learn about your site or event: layout, entry points, risks and timings.
3. Tailored planYou receive a written quotation and a security or loss prevention plan.
4. Deployment and reportingSIA licensed officers on site, supervised, with records you can check.