Fountainbridge

Fountainbridge is an area of Edinburgh, Scotland, a short distance west of the city centre, adjoining Tollcross to the east, Bruntsfield to the south, Dalry to the west and Haymarket to the north.

From the early 19th century until the late 20th century it was home to a mixture of working-class tenement housing and industry. In the area is the present eastern end of the Union Canal, which originally continued a short distance to the north and east to Port Hamilton. The route of the former Caledonian Railway continues to dominate the area, having been converted into the "West Approach Road" dual-carriageway after the closure of the railway.

It is notable as the area where film star Sir Sean Connery was born, explaining his choice of name for his production company, Fountainbridge Films. He later shut down the company after a series of disputes with a business partner [ [http://scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=513162002 Scotsman newspaper article] ] .

George Meikle Kemp, the designer of the Scott Monument, drowned in the Union Canal at Fountainbridge.

The McEwan's Brewery opened in Fountainbridge in 1856. Much of it was closed in 2004 and as of 2007 is in the process of being demolished as part of a wider redevelopment and regeneration programme known as Edinburgh Quay. The development has enabled public access to the canal basin at the 'Edinburgh end' of the Union Canal.

References

External links

* [http://www.capitalcollections.org.uk/viewItem.php?i=5010 Historic photograph of Port Hamilton] in [http://www.capitalcollections.org.uk Edinburgh City Libraries' "Capital Collections"]

* [http://www.edinburghquay.co.uk/edinburghquay.htm Edinburgh Quay]