Fountainbridge Heritage in Pictures: Here are 24 fascinating photos of the Edinburgh neighbourhood in the 1950s and 1960s

This area of Edinburgh looked very different over 55 years ago.

Named after the bridge that carried the road over the Dalry Burn near a well (or fountain), Fountainbridge was countryside until Alexander Brand bought the surrounding estate of Dalry at the start of the 18th century.

He feued out land for building and it quickly became a haven for wealthy citizens who built mansions to escape the cramped (and often smelly) Old Town.

That was all to change in the 19th century when it was transformed into the Scottish Capital’s main industrial district, becoming the easten terminus of the Union Canal in 1822.

The North British Rubber Company moved their headquarters to Fountainbridge in 1856 and would remain there - manufacturing Wellington boots and other products - for more than a century until 1973.

Brewers McEwans also opened premises at Fountainbridge in 1856 and remained there until 2004 (by that time they had become Scottish & Newcastle through a succession of mergers and takeovers).

While businesses thrived, living conditions in the area were poor, prompting the local council to initiate ‘slum clearances’ from 1950, with around 16,556 houses closed or demolished and residents rehoused elsewhere in the city.

In 1998 a major redevelopment of Fountainbridge began, with the construction of the Fountain Park Leisure Centre.

The new Boroughmuir High School followed in 2018, along with a redeveloped Edinburgh Quay on the Union Canal and new homes, offices, and shops.

Here are 24 photos from The Scotsman archive to take you back to the Fountainbridge of the 1950s and 1960s.

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