There are so many great things that locals used to love doing in Edinburgh which are no longer here, including some of our once favourite shops, restaurants and nightclubs.
There was also the iconic Little Marcos’s soft play centre, Gorgie City Farm, free entry to the Hogmanay street party, the Fun City amusement park and the flumes at “The Commie”.
So take a trip down memory lane and check out some great attractions that are no longer available in Edinburgh.
17. Enjoy a trip to 1920s America
Fat Sams was an American diner at Fountainbridge that brought the vibe and style of prohibition era USA to Fountainbridge. Fat Sam’s opening in 1986 coincided with an inventive marketing campaign that involved actors cutting about Edinburgh in a Godfather-style motorcar and dressed in pin stripe suits and fedoras. Despite its popularity, the restaurant closed for good in 2000 and the building razed to the ground seven years later to make way for a new office and retail development. | en license Photo: National World
18. Hit the colourful dancefloor at 'The Cav'
The Cavendish was a nightclub in Tollcross since the 1940s when it opened as a ballroom. In the 1960s its name was changed to Clouds and then Coasters in the 80s before returning to it's original name in the 90s when it was seen as an over 25s nightclub and was often referred to as the place to 'grab a granny'. 'The Cav' as it was known by regulars later became Lava & Ignite and lastly Atik before it closed in 2023, along with its iconic multicoloured dancefloor. The venue was used in a nightclub scene in the film T2: Trainspotting, when Begbie catches up with his nemesis Renton in the toilets and a chase ensued through the city centre. | Johnston Press Photo: National World
19. Visit the local theme park
The Marine Gardens was a pleasure garden and entertainment complex located in the Portobello area, with a ballroom, circus and zoo, cinema and theatre and scenic railway, which opened in 1909. What we would probably refer to now as a theme park. Most of its original attractions apart from the ballroom were removed following military use of the site during the First World War. The complex also included a stadium which was used for football and speedway. The Marine Gardens closed down permanently in 1939 after again being taken over by the military, with the area being redeveloped after the Second World War. | TSPL Photo: National World
20. The 12-screen multiplex cinema at Craig Park (aka UCI 12, Fort Kinnaird) in Newcraighall Edinburgh, which opened in July 1990.
The 12-screen UCI multiplex cinema at Craig Park (later Fort Kinnaird) in Newcraighall Edinburgh, opened in July 1990. It was the first multi-screen of its kind in Edinburgh at the time and was very much seen as the future of cinema-going. Multiplex cinemas popped up over the Capital in the years that followed although the UCI cinema was later replaced with an Odeon. | TSPL Photo: National World