Edinburgh Today

Fat Sam's Restaurant

Fountainbridge

Development

Proposals have been announced by Scottish Widows, whose Head Office is at Fountainbridge, Edinburgh, to demolish Fat Sam's restaurant on the corner of Fountainbridge and  Semple Street and to build a £50m office complex.

The Arch

These proposals included removing the arched frontage of Fat Sam's with its signage above the arch: "1884  EDINBURGH MEAT MARKET" and placing the arch over a Millennium Link path to be built on the site.

This development has not been given planning permission to proceed. Planning Committee officials and local residents believe that the arch would look out of place over a new path.

Fountainbridge councillor, Lorna Shiels, speaking on behalf of the local residents said she would have preferred to see the arch remain in its present position and be incorporated into the new buildings."

Edinburgh Evening News, December 9, 2005, p.3

Permission Granted

Edinburgh council's Planning Committee has granted permission to Scottish Widows to create two 6-storey buildings and a 5-storey building on the site of the derelict Fat Sam's restaurant.

The site is close to Scottish Widows own new office building in Morrison Street.

The Archway

Pavements around the development will be widened and the archway, originally part of the meat market, is to be moved to the front of a small area of public space on Fountainbridge

Edinburgh Evening News, June 8, 2006, p.16

Construction to Commence

Construction work is about to commence on new offices on the site of the former meat market at Fountainbridge.  This is now part of Edinburgh's new financial district.  The offices, which could bring another 1,500 jobs to the area, are being built as a £50m speculative investment on behalf of Scottish Widows Investment Partnership.

The Archway

The archway to the old meat market is to be dismantled and taken to a stonemason's yard for cleaning.  Later it will be re-assembled  a few yards away from its current site

Meat Market

The meat market operated from 1884 until 1920 when it was re-located to Gorgie.  The building with its archway later became Fat Sam's restaurant until around 2001.  More recently it has been a nightclub.

Edinburgh Evening News, May 21, 2007:  p.4