The Fountainbridge area of Edinburgh, between the Union Canal and the line of the Caledonian Railway (now the line of the Western Approach Road) developed during the 19th century to be a major industrial area. The North British Rubber Company had a large works along the canal and McEwans Brewery occupied a site by the railway line.
![]()
![]()
![]()
By the mid-1960s the North British Rubber Company had relocated elsewhere and in 1973 a new, larger Fountain Brewery was opened on the vacated site by the canal. By the 1990s some redevelopment had started with the Fountain Park multiplex cinema/leisure complex being built at the west end of the site, and Edinburgh Quay at the Lochrin Basin at the east.
In 2004 it was announced that the brewery was to close, with production moved to the smaller Caledonian Brewery at Slateford Road and elsewhere.
2008 aerial view from RCAHMS
![]()
The site was cleared by 2011
Google aerial views from August 2012:
From the south
![]()
From the west
![]()
Allan Murray Architects worked on the masterplan for the area.
http://www.ama-ltd.co.uk/Fountainbridge_Masterplan.html
![]()
http://www.ama-ltd.co.uk/Fountainbridge_South.html
![]()
10/02955/PPP
By the mid-1960s the North British Rubber Company had relocated elsewhere and in 1973 a new, larger Fountain Brewery was opened on the vacated site by the canal. By the 1990s some redevelopment had started with the Fountain Park multiplex cinema/leisure complex being built at the west end of the site, and Edinburgh Quay at the Lochrin Basin at the east.
In 2004 it was announced that the brewery was to close, with production moved to the smaller Caledonian Brewery at Slateford Road and elsewhere.
2008 aerial view from RCAHMS
The site was cleared by 2011
Google aerial views from August 2012:
From the south
From the west
Allan Murray Architects worked on the masterplan for the area.
Quote:
|
The proposals envisage the creation of a stunning new "urban village" with public squares linking the upgraded and potentially expanded Union Canal with Fountainbridge and the West Approach Road. A diverse mix of uses on the 32 hectares would include residential, commercial, retail, cultural and leisure with underground car-parking freeing up the ground for gardens and high quality pedestrian spaces. The West Approach Road and Fountainbridge would be transformed into a magnificent tree-lined boulevards with wide pavements. |
Quote:
|
The site is more than just a large tract of land for redevelopment: it is a unique opportunity to consider a comprehensive approach to the regeneration of the area as a whole making new connections, extending the Exchange, creating a mixed use environment and establishing the canal side as a new quarter of Edinburgh. The Fountainbridge Brewery is a very significant site within Edinburghs western city centre. The site has a long history of industry, brewing and manufacturing, much of which has either migrated to out of town areas or has been superseded by technology. The current site is disused and requires careful consideration of how and what its contribution is to be to the wellbeing of the city and to the local community. Many of the challenges of the site were generated by historical influences, especially the transformation of the land from semi-rural to an industrial landscape in the Nineteenth century, to the post industrial situation of today. A project team has been appointed to progress an application for Planning Permission in Principle for the redevelopment of the site which will establish the principles of what kind of uses may be developed on the site in the future and other issues such as heights, urban realm, open space, etc. We have prepared some illustrations and an illustrative model of how the future development of the site may look and feel, which will be expanded upon as the detailed applications and proposals come forward. |
10/02955/PPP