Newcraighall

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Newcraighall is a suburb of Edinburgh, located in the southeast of the Scottish capital. An ex mining village, its prosperity was based on the Midlothian coalfields and in particular the now closed Monktonhall pit. Newcraighall is famous for what is said to be the greatest Scottish film of all time by Bill Douglas called My childhood, with a performance by Stephen Archibald, funded by the British Film Institute and won many international awards . There is a plaque to Bill Douglas in the village. THe village also contains the bridge that is the famous scene from the film. The village also contains a sculpture by Jake Harvey which celebrates the mining tradition of the area. The village has a miners club and bowling green. Further along on Newcraighall Road is The Craigmillar Arts Centre, with a Woman of Achievement plaque for Helen Crummy. She has lived in Newcraighall for many years.

Newcraighall is a railway terminus for the short Edinburgh Crossrail service from Edinburgh Waverley via Brunstane. This line uses the northern stub of the former Waverley Route from Carlisle to Edinburgh and although mostly lifted, the Scottish Parliament approved a Bill in June 2006 to reopen the railway from Newcraighall to just south of Galashiels in the Scottish Borders. The line could see its first passenger journeys in 2011, 42 years after closure (Closed 5th January 1969) following the Beeching report in 1963.

In modern days, the village of Newcraighall now plays host to an out of town shopping complex known as The Fort or Kinnaird Park with many High Street names and entertainment venues available.