Wild West Morningside
An American ghost town hides along a side street in Scotland's capital.
An American-style ghost town hides along a side street in Scotland’s capital city. It’s the type of place where you’d expect to hear cowboys’ spurs clanging against the pavement, or eavesdrop on conversations saturated with a slow, southern twang.
What was once an advertising gimmick for a South Western Furniture Company in the mid-‘90s is now a dilapidated and worn-out facade, something reminiscent of a Main Street of a southwestern American cowboy town. Saunter along the street—which is complete with a jail, cantina, and general store—and you’ll feel as though you’ve stepped onto the set of a Wild West film.
The street’s facade was designed by Michael Faulkner, with help from the Euro Disney engineers who created the lettering. It was meant to cover the exterior of the old cinema that the furniture company was based in.
The company that created this transplanted sliver of America’s Wild West has since gone out of business, giving the street an even more ghost town-like atmosphere as the facade has fallen into disrepair. Today, the western decor conceals the storefronts of artist studios, galleries, and apartments. The Cantina’s door actually functions as the fire exit for the Morningside Library.
Know Before You Go
Because this area is occupied as both a residential and business space, be aware of traffic and be respectful to the occupants. It is best viewed on the weekends, when the businesses are not in operation, giving the area a more desolate, ghost town-like vibe.
The actual entrance is on a side street off Springvalley Gardens which runs adjacent to Morningside Road.
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