Westside Plaza is a rather austere shopping centre, office development, entertainment venue, library and transport hub that operates as the retail and service centre of the Wester Hailes district of SW Edinburgh. Wester Hailes Shopping Centre opened in 1974, is partially-covered and includes a post office, with a bingo hall to the northeast and an eight-screen cinema to the west. Murrayburn House includes the local Jobcentre, run by the Department for Work and Pensions.
The centre was re-developed as Westside Plaza 1996-99, including the opening of Wester Hailes Library in 1997, constructed at a cost of £1.7 million and operated by the City of Edinburgh Council. A £1.3-million indoor market hall opened in 1999, but closed in 2014 and the space was re-used as a gym. To the north of the plaza is a bus interchange, while to the south is a car park with 673 parking spaces and on the southern margin of this is Wester Hailes Railway Station.
At the centre of the development is an ancient standing stone, damaged when moved to its current location and held together by bands of copper which cross to form a saltire. Inscriptions state:
Wester Hailes Centre. This stone was unveiled by the Rt Hon Sir James W. McKay D. Litt., Lord Provost of the City of Edinburgh, 24th April 1972, to mark the start of the building of this centre.
and
This stone symbolises the regeneration of Wester Hailes and was unveiled by The Right Honourable Eric Milligan JP, Lord Provost of the City of Edinburgh, 3rd December 1996.
