History of Leith, Edinburgh

“Yes, my dad and all his family have very strong links with Leith and in particular the docks. My dad (Archie) started his working life at a very early age in a blacksmiths shop and was living in the area known as the Citadel. (The old bridge as I remember from my childhood is still there and is the only evidence of its existence now that you can still see). It was close to the railway sidings and opposite the main hub of the docks. It was a relative of my dads who owned the little shop that stood in the childrens play area (swings – think!) of the Citadels square. His dad worked in the docks and drove one of those peculiar shaped articulated lorries which seemed to be everywhere when us kids were young.
My dad had four sisters who worked nearly all their lives either in or around the whisky bonds and married men who they encountered doing similar work in that area. Even to this day they still tell stories about their childhood and in particular the war years. After national service my dad and my uncles all became lorry drivers (the new rock and roll?) and did long distance driving for several firms in the area. My dad ended his driving career with Russell of Bathgate who had their depot at the big flour mill (Ranks?) in the docks. The old Leith that my dad lived and worked in and which many of our family have fond memories of is now barely recognizable and seems a life time away”

Published with permission

The Royal Yacht Britannia is moored at the Ocean Terminal at Leith and is open to the Public and well worth a visit.

Brittania is now owned by the “The Royal Yacht Britannia Trust” a non Profit making charity, which is grateful for your support. All proceeds go towards Britannia’s long term maintenance.

Cumberland Market, Regent’s Park and Jane Street, Leith, Scotland.

In 1840 William Grimble of Albany Street, London, a gin distiller by trade, decided to embark on producing vinegar from spirit left over from his distillery. He went into partnership with another distiller, Sir Felix Booth, and they set up premises in Cumberland Market. The venture was unsuccessful, and so they turned to the more orthodox method of vinegar brewing. The brewery burnt down in 1864 and was rebuilt and extended soon after.

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The early part of the 19th century saw considerable exploitation of South Georgia’s Fur Seal population, with Edward Fanning taking 57,000 seal skins on one voyage.

Leith Harbour, an abandoned Whaling Station

There were at least 17 other sealing expeditions on the island, and the Fur Seal population soon declined. The next to be exploited were the elephant seals (for their oil), and when these had been decimated, the trade collapsed around 1830.

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Trade Directories, books which listed the businesses and tradespeople in town, first appeared in the latter half of the 17th century. They can be inaccurate and the evidence they provide must be treated with care. Directories for the larger towns were published each year, and those for London was not only published each year but several publishers brought out their own versions.

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Shipping Adverts (19th Century)

These adverts show some of the transport available, and in some cases the speed and cost of this transport, in the early days of photography in Edinburgh.

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ONE of the oldest buildings in Leith, The Vaults is first referred to in 1439 when a grant was made by Patrick, Abbot of Holyroodhouse to Sir Kobert Logan, Lord of Restalrig and his heirs. (more…)

A historical perspective, drawn from the Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland: A Survey of Scottish Topography, Statistical, Biographical and Historical, edited by Francis H. Groome and originally published in parts by Thomas C. Jack, Grange Publishing Works, Edinburgh between 1882 and 1885.

This edition is copyright © The Editors of the Gazetteer for Scotland, 2002-2004.

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The Birth Of Golf
Golf as we know it today originated from a game played on the eastern coast of Scotland in the Kingdom of Fife during the 15th century.

Players would hit a pebble around a natural course of sand dunes, rabbit runs and tracks using a stick or primitive club. (more…)

Captain Vernon Kell, the first head of the Security Service, masterminded an operation that culminated in the important closure of Germany’s spy network in Britain on 4 August 1914 – the day of the outbreak of the First World War. (more…)