75-734: The Forth Corinthian Yacht Club is located in Granton , in Edinburgh , Scotland, on a site overlooking the Firth of Forth In 1880, several gentlemen met in a room at the Granton Hotel (now HMS Claverhouse ) and formed the Forth Corinthian Yacht Club. The hotel was designed by the architect William Burn in 1838 and is situated in Granton Square. Granton was very much the creation of
150-551: A Shia imambargah , a Sunni mosque and community centre, a Pentecostal centre and a Ukrainian Greek Catholic church . It also has a former Norwegian church , which is home now to the Leith School of Art . As of 2011 (the most recent Census for which data is available), the religious composition of Leith was as follows: Religion in Leith (2011) A regular stage coach service ran between Bernard Street and Edinburgh's Old Town from
225-469: A general practice in the area, and when he was called up for national service in World War Two, his locum was pioneering German Dr. Ekkehard von Kuenssberg . Post-war Kuenssberg developed "The Care Trust" that integrated all local government services into one group, becoming one of the first cases of primary care in what was the newly launched National Health Service . Much of West Granton housing
300-404: A Scottish sports club is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This sailing -related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Granton, Edinburgh Granton is a district in the north of Edinburgh , Scotland. Granton forms part of Edinburgh's waterfront along the Firth of Forth and is, historically, an industrial area having a large harbour. Granton
375-596: A brief stop at the house of Andrew Lamb, before being collected and escorted by coach to Holyrood Palace , to begin her ill-fated six-year-long reign. Mary's court came to the sands of Leith to enjoy equestrian tournaments of " running at the ring " performed by courtiers and diplomats in exotic costumes. After the abdication of Mary Queen of Scots in 1567 , during the ensuing civil war, troops fighting for James VI of Scotland against his mother's supporters in Edinburgh Castle based themselves in Leith from 1571 to 1573,
450-533: A clutch of upmarket restaurants, including the first of the chain of Malmaison hotels in a conversion of a seamen's mission, whilst the once industrially-polluted and desolate banks of the Water of Leith were cleaned up and a public walkway opened. Leith's gradual revival was also helped by the decision of the then Scottish Office to site their new offices in Leith Docks (just north of the old infilled East Dock). The site
525-406: A contiguous urban area. Leith was merged with Edinburgh on 1 November 1920 despite a plebiscite in which the people of Leith voted 26,810 to 4,340 against the merger. The population of Leith at the time of the merger was 80,000, representing 20% of the entire population of Edinburgh in around 5% of the city area, reflecting the town's high density. It was Scotland's sixth largest town at the time of
600-549: A huge fire in 1999, and is now part of the waterside redevelopment. The firm continues in business as Parsons Peebles Generation Limited, Wood Road, Royal Dockyard, Rosyth. Ferranti 's factory on Ferry Road was built to make electronics for aircraft, including gyro -based gunsights for the Supermarine Spitfire . Bus services are mainly provided by Lothian Buses . Buses that Terminate in Granton either stop at Granton Square or
675-508: A parliamentary burgh, which jointly with Portobello and Musselburgh was represented by one Member of Parliament (MP). On 1 November 1833, Leith became a separate municipal burgh , with its own provost, magistrates, and council, and was no longer run by bailies. Historically the Lord Provost of Edinburgh was virtue officii Admiral of the Firth of Forth , the Provost of Leith was Admiral of
750-524: A period called the "Wars between Leith and Edinburgh" . In January 1581 The Shore was the scene of a mock combat, involving an assault on the Pope's Castel Sant'Angelo built on boats, for the marriage of Elizabeth Stuart, 2nd Countess of Moray and James Stewart for the entertainment of guests including James VI. In 1590, James's wife, Anne of Denmark , was lodged in the King's Wark when she arrived. In 1622 there
825-424: A planning condition, found a mass grave of 81 bodies from the 1645 plague. The archaeologists surmised that there was extreme fear of dying from this plague, likely Pneumonic , as many of the bodies were hastily buried in their clothes and still had money and other personal items on them, indicating that people did not want to touch the bodies, even to remove money. In 1650, Leith was a prospective battleground when
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#1732855392474900-538: A second Bill promoting Granton was agreed. It received Royal Assent on 21 April 1837. Construction began in June 1837 and the initial central pier was opened on 28 June 1838, coinciding with the coronation of Queen Victoria. The entire project was funded by the 5th Duke of Buccleuch . The original project included a central pier named the Victoria Jetty and a road running eastwards to Leith. The young Queen Victoria landed at
975-631: A site that is now Parliament Street, off Coalhill. According to the 18th-century historian William Maitland , her palace was situated on Rotten Row, now Water Street. Artifacts from the demolished residence are held by the National Museum of Scotland , and her sculptured coat of arms, dated 1560, can be seen in South Leith Parish Church . When the large French garrison stationed in Leith was attacked by Scottish Protestant lords , reinforced by troops and artillery sent from England, Mary of Guise
1050-554: A squadron of seven ships with the intention of destroying British commerce in the North Sea. He intended to capture the port of Leith and hold it for ransom, but his plan was thwarted when a gale on 16 September kept him at the mouth of the Firth of Forth. The scare he caused led to the hasty erection of Leith Fort, with a battery of nine guns, designed by James Craig , the architect of Edinburgh's New Town, and built in 1780. A Georgian terrace to
1125-675: A timber keel from France for building one of the king's ships. The town was burnt by the Earl of Hertford (on the orders of Henry VIII ) in retaliation for the rejection of the Treaty of Greenwich by the Parliament of Scotland in 1543. Mary of Guise ruled Scotland from Leith in 1560 as Regent while her daughter, Mary, Queen of Scots remained in France. Mary of Guise moved the Scottish Court to Leith, to
1200-594: A total of 103 craft. Granton Depot was the key base in Scotland of the Northern Lighthouse Board with their boats taking lighthouse keepers and their supplies to and from lighthouses around the coast of Scotland. Granton also became the base for pilots from 1920, guiding ships into the Firth of Forth , a service it still provides a base for today. From 1942 to 1946, Granton harbour was home of shore-based minesweeping training establishment HMS Lochinvar . As
1275-539: Is a port area in the north of Edinburgh , Scotland, founded at the mouth of the Water of Leith and is home to the Port of Leith . The earliest surviving historical references are in the royal charter authorising the construction of Holyrood Abbey in 1128 in which it is termed Inverlet (Inverleith). After centuries of control by Edinburgh, Leith was made a separate burgh in 1833 only to be merged into Edinburgh in 1920. Leith
1350-503: Is first recorded as Grendun , around 1200CE, which would make the Burn a boundary marker. Granton Castle is first documented in 1479, as a building owned by John Melville of Carnbee, Fife . It stood to the north-west of the current mansion, Caroline Park . On John's death it passed to his son, also John Melville, who was one of the many Scottish nobility killed at the Battle of Flodden . In 1592 it
1425-548: Is located on the southern coast of the Firth of Forth and lies within the City of Edinburgh council area ; since 2007 it has formed one of 17 multi-member wards of the city. As the major port serving Edinburgh, Leith has seen many significant events in Scottish history. The earliest evidence of settlement in Leith comes from several archaeological digs undertaken in The Shore area in
1500-524: Is part of Edinburgh's large scale waterfront regeneration programme . Granton first appears on maps in the seventeenth century relating to the now-demolished Granton Castle. The name also appears in Granton Burn, which now runs through Caroline Park down to what was Granton Beach. The name is presumed to come from Grant's Town or Grant's Dun (hill). However, the OED entry for the word grindle states that Granton
1575-549: The 5th Duke of Buccleuch , based around the harbour whose main function was the export of coal from the Duke's mines in the Lothians. The Forth Corinthian Yacht Club is about amateur sailors coming together to make sailing affordable for all. Wherever possible, members contribute their own skills and labour to the work of the club and the experience of long-standing members is shared with new members and beginners. This article about
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#17328553924741650-611: The Granton Gasworks railway station was built for this purpose. In 1864, the Caledonian built a line to Leith, with stations at Newhaven Road (near Trinity Academy), Granton Road, East Pilton, Craigleith, Murrayfield and Dalry Road running to Edinburgh Princes Street . One of the two connections between the Caledonian and the North British networks was on Granton Square. Passenger trains ran until 1962, and goods trains until 1968, when
1725-522: The Royal Navy Reserve . During this period the harbour was officially renamed as "HMS Gunner" when referred to in military documents, in reference to the name of the largest trawler in its fleet. The harbour was then home to mine-sweepers, decoy ships ( Q-ships ), and anti-submarine vessels. The north section held smaller support vessels specifically built for Navy use, including 24 motor launches, 18 paddle mine-sweepers, and 30 boom-defence vessels, with
1800-822: The Trinity House in Kirkgate was erected in Grecian architectural style at an expense of £2500. In 1809, the Tally Toor , a martello tower was constructed to defend the entrance of the harbour during the Napoleonic Wars . It is now a scheduled monument within the port. Historically Leith was governed by the Town Council of Edinburgh, with separately organised baillies appointed by various bodies without contact with each other. The result became very unsatisfactory, and half of Leith
1875-562: The 1960s, the Beeching report recommended the closure of almost all of Leith's railway infrastructure. Today, only one freight line that connects to the dock remains in use. Although there are no longer any passenger rail services serving Leith, two station buildings partially remain: The SS Sirius (built in Leith) beat the SS Great Western by one day in being the first steamship to cross
1950-506: The Army of the Covenant, led by General David Leslie , threw up an earthen rampart between Calton Hill and Leith to defend the northern approach to Edinburgh against Oliver Cromwell 's forces. This rampart became the line of one of Edinburgh's longest streets, Leith Walk . After Cromwell's victory at the Battle of Dunbar in 1650 and subsequent occupation of Scotland, a fort known as Leith Citadel
2025-460: The Atlantic but, as a much smaller ship, was eclipsed by the press coverage given to the larger ship. Leith offered ferry services to many European ports, including Hamburg and Oslo. Today, Leith is served by various bus services provided by Lothian Buses and a tram service provided by Edinburgh Trams . This tram service was due to serve Leith in 2011, however, due to construction and funding issues,
2100-579: The Council developed Granton as a major 150 acres (61 ha) housing scheme. Over 1,700 residential units, mainly tenement flats, were built from east to west in three tranches, Granton, Wardieburn and Royston Mains. They were designed by City Architect Ebenezer MacRae and his team, including GC Robb who laid out the latter stages and designed feature terraces in Royston Mains. The majority of these properties are still in use. Dr. Charles Munro had developed
2175-556: The Friends of Granton Castle Garden. In 1834 Edinburgh debated the need for a larger harbour. James Walker in his capacity as President of the Institution of Civil Engineers oversaw a committee, also including Admiral David Milne , to choose between three options: an extension to the existing Leith Docks; a new harbour at Trinity or a new harbour at Granton. The initial bid for Trinity did not receive parliamentary consent and in 1836
2250-618: The John Knox Church. The church was active from 1688 and was last used by a visit of John Wesley but the huge crowd he drew was too large to fit. Leith still has several notable historic churches, including North Leith Parish Church and South Leith Parish Church (both of the Church of Scotland ), and the Roman Catholic St Mary's Star of the Sea . The area has Sikh and Hindu temples,
2325-473: The Resident Engineer was John Howkins, followed by his son, also John Howkins . The original concept to create two large wet docks on the landward side was abandoned as this proved impractical. Granton became a successful port for the export of coal, and import of esparto grass for making paper. The fishing fleet grew considerably, leading to the development of an ice house in the late 19th century, to
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2400-1352: The Scottish Gas HQ, the Scottish Gas HQ journeys will have West Granton, Pilton or Muirhouse as their destination blinds. 8 Muirhouse - Granton - Pilton - Canonmills - North Bridge - Newington - Moredun - Royal Infirmary 14 Muirhouse - Granton - Pilton - Ferry Road - Elm Row - North Bridge - Newington - Prestonfield - Niddrie 16 Colinton - Oxgangs - Morningside - Tollcross - Princes Street - Leith - Newhaven - Granton - Muirhouse - Silverknowes 19 Granton - Pilton - Western General - West End - Princes Street - Meadowbank - Lochend - Portobello 24 West Granton - Muirhouse - Drylaw - Western General - Stockbridge - West End - The Meadows - Blackford - Royal Infirmary 32 Granton - Muirhouse - Davidson Mains - Drum Brae - Sighthill - Wester Hailes 38 West Granton - Western General - Craigleith - Ravelston - Murrayfield - Gorgie - Morningside - Blackford - Kings Building - Royal Infirmary 47/X37 Granton - Western General - West End - Lothian Road (47) Princes Street (X37) - Newington - Liberton - Straiton - Penicuik Ladywood (47) Penicuik Deanburn (X37) N16 Torphin - Colinton - Oxgangs - Morningside - Tollcross - Princes Street - Leith - Newhaven - Granton - Muirhouse - Silverknowes On development of
2475-699: The UK). The first public sewer in Scotland was built in Bernard Street in 1780; this flowed into the Water of Leith. Leith was formerly a port linked to the trade of the Hanseatic League . Leith is also home to The Queen's former floating Royal residence, the Royal Yacht Britannia, now a five-star visitor attraction and evening events venue permanently berthed at the Ocean Terminal shopping centre. Leith
2550-511: The area. In June 2017, planning permission was granted for a community garden on the site. In November 2021, a Red Wheel plaque was unveiled at the site. Red Wheel plaques are installed by the National Transport Trust to identify sites of significant transport heritage. Granton Gasworks were formerly one of Edinburgh waterfront's most prominent landmarks, comprising three blue gasometers which were clearly visible from Fife. Two of
2625-531: The area. The planned development, which was given supplementary planning guidance by the City of Edinburgh Council in 2004, was a small town with up to 17,000 new homes. One of the areas is Timber Bush which was originally used as a timber market. Until its amalgamation with Edinburgh in 1920, the southern-most town border was the middle of Pilrig Street. Expansion in the Georgian era gave rise to streets such as Queen Charlotte Street, named after Charlotte ,
2700-455: The consort of George III . Historically, due its Catholic connections (and French garrison), Leith was one of the last towns to have Catholic sympathies post-Reformation. Although the preceptory (small monastery) of St Anthony's was destroyed soon after 1560 the other churches were quickly adapted to Protestant use. There was also an Episcopalian meeting house near Kapple's Wynd (later renamed Cables Wynd) from 1688, somewhat inexplicably called
2775-552: The contemporary perception of their greater flexibility. In the mid-19th century the railways came. Leith had one horse-drawn line pre-dating steam-trains, bringing coal from Dalkeith to a station at the north end of Constitution Street, to serve the glassworks there. This dated from the late 18th century. Steam trains arrived in the 1840s, being some of the earliest lines in Britain. When the railways were at their height, Leith had four passenger stations and many goods stations. However, in
2850-714: The first of its kind in the United Kingdom. In 1894, this laboratory was moved to Millport, Isle of Cumbrae , on the Firth of Clyde , and became the University Marine Biological Station, Millport , the forerunner of today's Scottish Association for Marine Science at Dunstaffnage , near Oban , Argyll and Bute . During the First World War Granton harbour was used as the base for mine-sweeping equipment: mainly Scottish trawlers and their crews, called into active service and conscripted as part of
2925-531: The harbour, the Duke needed a railway connection to make a profit. He became an investor in the Edinburgh, Leith and Newhaven Railway , which in 1842 opened a line from Canal Street railway station , at right angles to the present Waverley station , Edinburgh, to Trinity Crescent near the Trinity Chain Pier . The line was extended in 1838 to Granton harbour, located on the middle pier. The junction in Edinburgh
3000-579: The home of the Royal Yacht Britannia , the Ocean Terminal shopping centre , and administrative offices for several departments of the Scottish Government . The council and government's 'Leith Project' provided a further economic boost. The shore area of Leith, once unattractive, is now a centre for a range of new pubs and restaurants in charming surroundings. On 6 November 2003, Leith was
3075-459: The individual "plots" will be separately designed by other architects. As part of the redevelopment, the main storage building of the National Museums of Scotland opened in Granton in 1996. It does not serve a publicly accessible museum function. A new reception and conservation building was built at its entrance in 2005. Leith Leith ( / l iː θ / ; Scottish Gaelic : Lìte )
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3150-543: The late 20th century. Amongst the finds were medieval wharf edges from the 12th century. This date fits with the earliest documentary evidence of settlement in Leith, the foundation charter of Holyrood Abbey. Mary of Guelders , the bride of James II , arrived on 18 May 1449 and rested in the Convent of St Anthony. Prominent Leith merchants and shipowners included James Makysone, who supplied tapestry to James IV in 1498 for his new lodging at Stirling Castle and in 1503 imported
3225-495: The line to Granton was just used by local passenger and goods trains. Passenger trains ran until 1926, when the tram and omnibus services became fully integrated. Goods services ran until 1986, when the lines were lifted. In 1861, the Caledonian Railway opened a line to Granton from Dalry, providing a goods service to Granton harbour. They agreed a contract to run passenger services to the new gas works from central Edinburgh;
3300-663: The lines were removed. The railway embankment, which separated Lower Granton Road from the Forth, was removed in the late-1980s. In 1909, Leith Corporation ran trams from Leith to Granton. They were joined in 1923 by trams from the Edinburgh Corporation , resulting at one point, having seven tram routes to the area: four from Leith via Lower Granton Road (services 2, 14, 16 and 17); three via Granton Road (services 8, 9 and 13). Trams to Granton were withdrawn in stages, from 1952 to 1956, and replaced by buses. Proposed to be part of
3375-683: The location for the MTV Europe Music Awards , with a temporary venue being built next to Ocean Terminal. Leith was Scotland's leader in several industries for many centuries. Of these the most notable are: After decades of industrial decline, deindustrialisation , slum clearance and resultant depopulation in the post-war era, Leith gradually began to enjoy an upturn in fortunes in the late 1980s. Several old industrial sites were developed with modest, affordable housing, while small industrial business units were constructed at Swanfield, Bonnington, Seafield and off Lindsay Road. The Shore developed
3450-541: The merger. Until 1923 there was no through tram service between Leith and Edinburgh; at the boundary in Leith Walk it was necessary to change from a Leith tram (electrically powered) to an Edinburgh tram (cable hauled) until the electrification of the Edinburgh Corporation Tramways in the early 1920s. Leith has undergone significant regeneration and is now a busy port with visits from cruise liners and
3525-490: The mid-18th century. By 1863 this had become a horse-drawn omnibus running every 5 minutes from 9 am to 10 pm. This was put on tracks sometime around 1880 effectively then becoming a horse-drawn tram. Leith was the first town in Scotland to electrify its tram system (1905). Leith Corporation Tramways were merged into Edinburgh Corporation Tramways as part of the 1920 merger of the two burgh councils. Tram services ran until 1956 and were then replaced by buses due to
3600-423: The morning when the tide beached the ships. The Scottish authorities requested the fighting stop. The ships were allowed into Leith harbour where artillery from Edinburgh Castle was placed to ensure order. Leith suffered during the 1645 plague outbreak, with over 50% of the population in the southern district dying. Archaeological excavations in 2016 at St Mary's RC Primary School, by Wardell Armstrong, as part of
3675-510: The new Edinburgh Trams systems on Line 1b, in April 2009, the City of Edinburgh Council announced the cancellation of Phase 1b of the project citing problems caused by the global recession , saving an estimated £75,000,000. The decision meant that the construction of the line to Granton will not go ahead for the foreseeable future, although the possibility remains open that this phase may be revived in future, subject to available funds. From 1932,
3750-404: The north-east served as officers' quarters, and was known as "London Row" because, being brick-built, it looked more like a London terrace than any in Edinburgh. The fort was in active use until 1955, latterly serving for National Service training. Most of the barracks were demolished to build a Council housing scheme centred on Fort House and enclosed by the old fort walls. The council development
3825-503: The opening of the first new wet dock, the first of its kind in Scotland. The Fife packet called The Buccleuch was the first to enter the dock, with the civic dignitaries on board, amid discharges of artillery from the fort and His Majesty's warships in Leith Roads. The foundation stone for the second (middle) wet dock was laid on 14 March 1811, which was completed and opened with due ceremony in 1817 by Lord Provost Arbuthnot. The same year
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#17328553924743900-417: The permanently moored Royal Yacht Britannia. The Edinburgh Trams light rail line extension, from the city centre to Newhaven opened to passengers in June 2023 providing Leith and the new dock developments with a fast and convenient route for both local commuters and visitors. In 2004 the owner of the docks, Forth Ports , announced plans to eventually close the port and carry out a major redevelopment of
3975-511: The pier on RY Royal George on 1 September 1842 on her first official visit to Edinburgh as queen. In 1843/44 the pier was extended in length to a total of 1700 feet (around 500m) this stage being completed in October 1844. By 1845 an "exceedingly low" cost steamboat service used to run between Stirling and Granton. Lighthouse engineer Robert Stevenson oversaw the later construction of the outer breakwaters, which were completed in 1863. Thereafter
4050-409: The port, and his four bailies were admirals-depute. Emperor Nicholas II of Russia arrived by sea at Leith with his family and suite on Tuesday 22 September 1896. Scottish anarchist Thomas Hastie Bell managed to get in his face to criticise him. Leith was the scene of the dockers strike in 1913 recounted in the book Red Scotland . Continued growth meant that Leith and Edinburgh formed
4125-436: The principal parish kirk for Leith was South Leith Parish Church, originally constructed in 1483. In June 1811 a census gave the population of South Leith as 15,938; North Leith 4,875. With a procession and ceremony, the foundation stone of the new church for the parish of North Leith was laid on 11 April 1814. Leith was the port of entry for the visit of King George IV to Scotland , and The Old Ship Hotel and King's Landing
4200-434: The remnants. This showed a standard L-plan Scottish tower house with a courtyard to the north side. This was accessed by a gateway on the west side, on the outer side of which was a loupin stane , a set of steps to aid a person to mount a horse. In 1928 a quarrying firm, Bain and Brown, bought the site to excavate the rock outcrop beneath the castle. The majority of the castle was lost due to this exercise. The exercise itself
4275-538: The resource of fossils in the area. From 3 February 1850, the world's first ferry-train began operating between Granton and Burntisland , Fife . The paddle-steamer Leviathan carried the trains, which formed the main link across the Forth until completion of the Forth Bridge in 1890. Passenger and car ferry services continued into the 1960s. In 1884, John Murray set up the Marine Laboratory in Granton,
4350-646: The scale of the harbour restricted ship size, it became a site for scrapping former Royal Navy ships, including HMS Newport and HMS Hedingham Castle . Today two boat clubs jointly run the Edinburgh Marina: the Forth Corinthian Yacht Club and the Royal Forth Yacht Club. Granton quarry to the west of the harbour was initially developed to provide stone to build the harbour. Later it provided stone for parts of Holyrood Palace , and for
4425-439: The section of the line towards Leith and Newhaven was delayed. It opened just after midday on 7 June 2023 with Leith stops at Balfour Street (Leith Walk), Foot of the Walk (Constitution Street), The Shore (Constitution Street), Port of Leith and Ocean Terminal . Leith has a long history of pioneering social advances, some of which were the first of their kind in Scotland: All boys were educated for free from 1555 onwards. This
4500-480: The siege in April 1560 and are listed as scheduled monuments, but may be natural hillocks. The best documented day of the siege was 7 May 1560, when the English and Scots charged the walls of Leith with ladders that turned out to be too short. John Knox records the delight of Mary of Guise at the failure of the attack, and English sources report 1000 casualties. On 19 August 1561, Mary, Queen of Scots, arrived in Leith and, finding no welcoming party to receive her, made
4575-408: The statue of Lord Nelson on Nelson's Column in Trafalgar Square , London . The oldest surviving car factory building in Britain is located in Granton. The Madelvic Motor Carriage Company works were built in 1898 for the manufacture of electric cars. Like the gasometers, the factory is also a listed building. However, approval has been granted for its demolition as part of wider redevelopment of
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#17328553924744650-544: The structures, built in the 1930s and 1970s, have now been demolished. The third structure remains, and is listed as an example of Victorian industrial architecture. In 2023, the inner 'bell' of the surviving gasholder was removed, leaving the listed frame to be part of the regenerated waterfront. Development during World War Two included the construction of the works of Bruce Peebles (later Parsons Peebles), that made high voltage electrical equipment, including transformers for electricity power stations. The works burnt down in
4725-427: The west of the harbour. There were some 80 fishing trawlers resident just before World War II . The first example of the fossil crustacean Waterstonella was found in the Granton shrimp beds by the keeper of geology at the Royal Scottish Museum , Dr. Charles Waterstone . The foreshore area between Granton and Newhaven is a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) aimed at encouraging and preserving
4800-402: Was an award-winning scheme in its day (1955), but the building was demolished in January 2013 and the site has been redeveloped with new low-density housing, again award-winning. A pair of the old fort's gatehouses survive at the southern entrance to the scheme. From the twelfth century South Leith was part of the parish of Restalrig and had no church of its own. After the Scottish Reformation
4875-524: Was chosen as part of a design-and-build competition against other sites at Haymarket and Marionville. It was completed in 1994. The hoped-for influx of well-paid civil service jobs failed to have much local impact as most commute to the office, and only a small percentage venture beyond the confines of the office during lunchtimes. It did further foster Leith's growing reputation as a white-collar , small business location. Further large-scale service and tourist development followed, including Ocean Terminal and
4950-415: Was conflict between privateer " Dunkirker ships " flying the Spanish flag and ships from the Dutch Republic . King James allowed a Dunkirker to lie at Leith Roads in June 1622, and soldiers from the ship were able to come ashore at Leith. Three Dutch ships, commanded by Willem de Zoete , Lord of Hautain, Admiral of Zeeland , arrived and attacked the Dunkirker through the night. The fighting stopped in
5025-401: Was demolished from 1995 onwards. The Edinburgh Waterfront scheme is bringing about the redevelopment of Leith and Granton. The gasworks site spread over 110 acres (0.45 km ), is to be redeveloped as the ForthQuarter, a mixed-use development of housing, offices, local services, a park, and a new campus for Edinburgh College . The area was masterplanned by Foster and Partners , although
5100-403: Was erected in 1656 to regulate the port traffic. All that remains of the fort today is a vaulted trance in Dock Street which was its main entrance. New industry in Leith included the Leith Sugar House , founded in 1677. During the American War of Independence the Scot, John Paul Jones , who, with John Barry , is credited as founder of the US Navy , set sail on 14 August 1779 as commodore of
5175-430: Was forced to shut herself in Edinburgh Castle . In June 1560, Mary of Guise died, and the Siege of Leith ended with the departure of the French troops in accordance with the Treaty of Leith, also known as the Treaty of Edinburgh . Two mounds on Leith Links , known as "Giant's Brae" and "Lady Fyfe's Brae", identified as Somerset's Battery and Pelham's Battery respectively, are believed to be artillery mounds created for
5250-409: Was largely redundant as the steeply angled rock bed quickly meant excavation became too deep to be economic. Now only small fragments of the castle remain. The walled garden of the castle survives. For many years it was the home of a small scale commercial market garden. It was threatened by housing development proposals but was saved by a local campaign and is now maintained as a community resource by
5325-405: Was paid for by the local trade guilds. All girls were educated from 1820, a long time after the boys, but a very early example of free education for females (only required by law from 1876). A free hospital service was provided from 1777, paid for by a local tax, with beds sponsored by local shops. Leith had electric street lighting from 1890 and electric trams from 1905 (only Blackpool was earlier in
5400-513: Was provided with no municipal government whatever or any local magistrates . An act of Parliament, the Leith Municipal Government Act 1827 ( 7 & 8 Geo. 4 . c. cxii) arranged for municipal government and administration of justice in the town, providing watching, paving, cleansing, and lighting, with Edinburgh Council responding to the views of Leith townspeople. The Burgh Reform Act 1833 ( 3 & 4 Will. 4 . c. 46) made Leith
5475-511: Was sold by the Melville family to John Russell but by 1619 was acquired by Sir Thomas Hope , the Lord Advocate , who greatly altered and extended the castle. On his death it passed to his son, Sir John Hope, Lord Craighall . The building fell derelict by the 18th century. At the end of the 19th century the architectural historians MacGibbon and Ross did a survey and created scale drawings of
5550-641: Was then given its new name, to mark the king's arrival by ship's boat at Leith Shore for this event, and this monarch was welcomed by the High Constabulary of the Port of Leith . A painting of the occasion hung in Leith Town Hall , now Leith Police station. On 20 May 1806, there was a procession of the Lord Provost of Edinburgh , Baillies , and Council, along with a numerous company of ladies and gentleman, for
5625-526: Was too steep to be operated by locomotive, and so trains had to be worked by rope. By 1868, a new line was built from Waverley station through Abbeyhill to Bonnington which ended rope working. From 1846-1890, Burntisland railway station was part of the main East Coast railway line to Perth , Dundee and Aberdeen . In 1890 when the Forth Bridge opened, the long distance trains started using it and after that
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