St James Quarter: Edinburgh's new £1 billion shopping centre opens
It's been under construction for five years
Last updated 24th Jun 2021
The new St James Quarter shopping centre in Edinburgh is now open to the public.
The complex of shops, hospitality and residential buildings cost £1 billion, took five years to build and currently has forty retailers.
'Just the beginning'
The site at the top of Leith Walk is opening in four phases, starting today and running until 2022.
Martin Perry, director of development for St James Quarter, said: "This is a momentous occasion for the city of Edinburgh - and this is just the beginning.
"The brands and experience that we have welcomed today demonstrate our commitment to delivering a curated destination for the people of Edinburgh.
"We are now looking forward to continuing on our journey to deliver a truly mixed-use destination of the future as we welcome more brands, leisure, and our new neighbours."
First through the door
Shoppers queued up to get a first look inside the long-awaited development, which has changed Edinburgh's skyline.
Liz McAreavey, Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce chief executive, said: "As we start the recovery process for the city centre, attracting people back and giving them that experience is going to be really important and I think the St James is going to give them that in spades.
"This is a business that's looking to a long-term relationship with Edinburgh. It's creating 3,000 jobs, it's looking to make a statement that Edinburgh is open, that Edinburgh will recover."
Edinburgh's St James Quarter skyline
