Fort Kinnaird

Gazing upon this sprawling landscape of shops, it’s hard to imagine Fort Kinnaird as anything other than a retail giant. Fort Kinnaird today is a bustling hub of activity, a shopper’s paradise with over 70 stores. But its story begins not with the gleam of storefronts, but with the grit of industry. Fort Kinnaird stands on the site of the former Newcraighall Colliery. This land once echoed with the clang of machinery and the toil of miners extracting coal. Opened in 1989 as Craig Park, it was a pioneering venture, representing the shift from industrial heartland to retail haven. The name later evolved to Kinnaird Park, a subtle change foreshadowing its greater destiny. Fort Kinnaird wasn’t simply built; it grew, absorbing the surrounding land. This included the grounds of the former Niddrie Brickworks, another echo of the area’s industrial past. The brickworks, closed in 1991, offered a blank canvas for expansion. For a time, two distinct retail areas existed side-by-side: Kinnaird Park and Edinburgh Fort. In the late 1990s, these two entities merged, solidifying their identity under the single banner of Fort Kinnaird. The retail park continued its evolution. In 2008, the on-site cinema and bowling alley were demolished. This seemingly destructive act paved the way for a remarkable £24 million expansion. This project, completed in 2015, brought new restaurants, a children’s play area, and a state-of-the-art Odeon cinema to Fort Kinnaird. The new Odeon rose from the ashes of its predecessor, a phoenix of entertainment in this ever-changing landscape. Fort Kinnaird remains a testament to adaptation and growth. It stands as a symbol of transformation, a place where the echoes of industry have given way to the vibrant pulse of modern retail.