A former mining village. That’s Newcraighall for you. Established in 1827 it was once known as Whitehill. Newcraighall thrived on the Midlothian coalfields. The Newcraighall pit itself was nicknamed ‘Klondyke’. It operated until the 1960s. Mining work then moved to Bilston Glen. The last pit Monktonhall closed in 1998.
The heart of old Newcraighall beat with a church a Co-op and a miners’ club. Sadly the miners’ club was lost to a fire in July 2009. A bowling green offered a different kind of recreation. Today Newcraighall is home to Fort Kinnaird a large out-of-town shopping centre. Locals still often call it ‘The Fort’.
Newcraighall’s railway station is on the reopened Borders Railway. It links Edinburgh to Tweedbank. The line was formerly part of the Waverley Route to Carlisle. That route closed in 1969 following the Beeching Report of 1963.
Newcraighall holds a special place in film history. Bill Douglas’s film My Childhood was set here. A plaque commemorates Douglas in the village. A bridge featured in the film but was demolished in 2015. A sculpture by Jake Harvey celebrates the area’s mining heritage. It stands as a testament to the hard work and spirit of the miners. The Craigmillar Arts Centre on Newcraighall Road features a Woman of Achievement plaque for Helen Crummy. She was a long-term Newcraighall resident. Newcraighall’s story is one of coal mines film sets and community spirit. It’s a story etched into its very streets and buildings. A story waiting for you to discover.