Fountainbridge, City of Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Fountainbridge is an area of Edinburgh, Scotland, a short distance west of the city centre, adjoining Tollcross with East Fountainbridge and West Port to the east, Polwarth to the west and south, Dalry and Haymarket to the north and Gorgie and North Merchiston to the west. The main streets through the area are Fountainbridge and Dundee Street.

The Union Canal which originally continued a short distance north-eastwards to Port Hopetoun at Lothian Road now terminates at the Lochrin Basin. The canal to the south and the route of the former Caledonian Railway (now converted to the West Approach Road) to the north continue to define the area.

Redevelopment Redevelopment of the area began with the construction of the Fountain Park leisure centre on former brewery ground on the north side of Dundee Street in 1998. This multi-purpose complex includes an adventure golf course, a laser tag arena, an amusement arcade, a multiplex cinema and ten-pin bowling, alongside multiple food outlets. This cinema replaced the palais de danse which had been the largest cinema in Edinburgh, a ballroom and a skating rink.

Closure of the Fountainbridge brewery was announced in 2004 with the entire 22-acre (8.9 ha) site gradually decommissioned and demolished between and 2006 and 2011 as part of a wider redevelopment and regeneration programme which began with Edinburgh Quay at the Lochrin Basin on the canal in 2004.

After an extensive programme of community consultation, a masterplan for the site was announced in 2016. The redevelopment plans included new homes (including social housing), new office spaces and shops, hotels and new sites for Boroughmuir High School and Edinburgh Printmakers. In 2012, construction of new student accommodation for Edinburgh Napier University began on the south side of Fountainbridge opposite Fountain Park. Four concrete frame buildings contain 777 bedrooms in clusters of 4-8 bedrooms, each with a communal kitchen and dining area.

The new facilities for Boroughmuir opened in 2018, featuring modern teaching spaces and a rooftop basketball court

The only surviving structure from the original Castle Mills industrial complex is the former headquarters of the North British Rubber Company which is now the new home of Edinburgh Printmakers. In 2014 the building featured hoardings by Callum Colvin in the windows. The redevelopment of this derelict building transformed it into a multi-use arts complex and open spaces for printmaking production. Community activists and local groups work to ensure that viable and sustainable new local communities are developed Plans include active travel routes high quality landscaped spaces, projects to enhance the towpath, parks, local arts projects, work experience placements and apprenticeship opportunities.

Edinburgh Quay is now the home of the annual Edinburgh Canal Festival

Fountainbridge is now home to a growing community of residents who live on barges and canal boats.