Colinton
Encyclopedia
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
situated 6 kilometres south west of the city centre. It is bordered by Dreghorn to the south and Craiglockhart
Craiglockhart
Craiglockhart is a suburb in the south west of Edinburgh, Scotland, lying between Colinton to the south, Morningside to the east Merchiston to the north east and Kingsknowe to the west...
to the north-east. To the north-west it extends to Lanark Road (the A70) and to the south-west to the City Bypass. Bonaly is a subsection of the area on its southern side.
Colinton is a designated conservation area
Conservation area
A conservation areas is a tract of land that has been awarded protected status in order to ensure that natural features, cultural heritage or biota are safeguarded...
.
History
Originally sited within a steep-sided glen on a convenient fording point on the Water of LeithWater of Leith
The Water of Leith is the main river flowing through Edinburgh, Scotland, to the port of Leith where it flows into the sea via the Firth of Forth.It is long and rises in the Colzium Springs at Millstone Rig of the Pentland Hills...
, and expanding from there, Colinton's history dates back to before the 11th century.
Close to the Water of Leith is Colinton Parish Church
Colinton Parish Church
Colinton Parish Church is a congregation of the Church of Scotland. The church building is located in Dell Road, Colinton, Edinburgh, Scotland....
, correctly called St.Cuthbert
Cuthbert
- People :*Cuthbert , Anglo-Saxon saint, bishop, monk and hermit*Cuthbert of Canterbury , Archbishop of Canterbury*Cuthbert Bardsley , Anglican Bishop of Coventry*Cuthbert Brodrick , British architect...
's Parish Church, originally founded as the Church of Halis (Hailes) around 1095 by Elthelred, third son of Malcolm III
Malcolm III of Scotland
Máel Coluim mac Donnchada , was King of Scots...
and Queen Margaret
Saint Margaret of Scotland
Saint Margaret of Scotland , also known as Margaret of Wessex and Queen Margaret of Scotland, was an English princess of the House of Wessex. Born in exile in Hungary, she was the sister of Edgar Ætheling, the short-ruling and uncrowned Anglo-Saxon King of England...
. The church is particularly picturesque in its setting, which appears more rural than suburban. The current exterior largely dates from 1907 but the structure dates from 1650. It groups pleasantly with its manse, the old schoolhouse and the offertory house at the entrance. The entrance is marked by a lych gate, rare in Scotland and more common in southern England. The cemetery (on the lower slopes to the south) contains the village war memorial. One unique grave within the cemetery is a Norwegian War Grave.
The nearby 15th century Colinton Castle, in the grounds of what is now Merchiston Castle School
Merchiston Castle School
Merchiston Castle School is an independent school for boys in the village of Colinton in Edinburgh, Scotland. It has about 480 pupils and is open to boys between the ages of 8 and 18 as either boarders or day pupils; day pupils make up 35% of the school....
, was destroyed by Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader who overthrew the English monarchy and temporarily turned England into a republican Commonwealth, and served as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....
during his invasion of Scotland. Following repair, the castle was subsequently partially demolished by the artist Alexander Nasmyth
Alexander Nasmyth
Alexander Nasmyth was a Scottish portrait and landscape painter, often called the "father of Scottish landscape painting".-Biography:...
in order to create a picturesque ruin.
Other notable figures with connections to Colinton include: Robert Louis Stevenson
Robert Louis Stevenson
Robert Louis Balfour Stevenson was a Scottish novelist, poet, essayist and travel writer. His best-known books include Treasure Island, Kidnapped, and Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde....
who spent the summers of his childhood at the manse when his grandfather was the village's Parish Minister; the philanthropist
Philanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
James Gillespie; and architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
s Sir Robert Rowand Anderson
Robert Rowand Anderson
Sir Robert Rowand Anderson RSA was a Scottish Victorian architect. Anderson trained in the office of George Gilbert Scott in London before setting up his own practice in Edinburgh in 1860. During the 1860s his main work was small churches in the 'First Pointed' style that is characteristic of...
and John James Burnet
John James Burnet
Sir John James Burnet was a Scottish Edwardian architect who was noted for a number of prominent buildings in Glasgow, Scotland and London, England...
, who all lived in the village.
A number of innovative Arts and Crafts
Arts and Crafts movement
Arts and Crafts was an international design philosophy that originated in England and flourished between 1860 and 1910 , continuing its influence until the 1930s...
style cottages were also constructed in the village in the early 1900s by the architect Sir Robert Lorimer
Robert Lorimer
Sir Robert Stodart Lorimer was a prolific Scottish architect noted for his restoration work on historic houses and castles, and for promotion of the Arts and Crafts style.-Early life:...
. Between 1909 and 1915, the War Office
War Office
The War Office was a department of the British Government, responsible for the administration of the British Army between the 17th century and 1964, when its functions were transferred to the Ministry of Defence...
constructed Redford Barracks
Redford Barracks
Redford Cavalry and Infantry Barracks are located on Colinton Road, near the Edinburgh City Bypass, east of the suburb of Colinton in Edinburgh, Scotland....
to the east of the village. The barracks represent the largest military installation built in Scotland since Fort George
Fort George, Highland
Fort George , is a large 18th century fortress near Ardersier, to the north-east of Inverness in the Highland council area of Scotland. It was built to pacify the Scottish Highlands in the aftermath of the Jacobite rising of 1745, replacing an earlier Fort George built with the same aim after the...
in the Highlands
Scottish Highlands
The Highlands is an historic region of Scotland. The area is sometimes referred to as the "Scottish Highlands". It was culturally distinguishable from the Lowlands from the later Middle Ages into the modern period, when Lowland Scots replaced Scottish Gaelic throughout most of the Lowlands...
and they provide military accommodation, together with offices and training facilities. As part of the UK government's defence spending review, UK Defence Secretary Liam Fox announced on the 18th July 2011, that Redford and Dreghorn Barracks
Dreghorn Barracks
Dreghorn Barracks are located in Edinburgh, Scotland. The barracks are situated at the southern edge of the city, south of Colinton, and adjacent to the Edinburgh City Bypass. The present barracks complex was largely built in 1937–1939 to designs by William Alexander Ross. The barracks were...
will become surplus to requirements and are earmarked for disposal.
The village was the location for numerous mills producing textile
Textile
A textile or cloth is a flexible woven material consisting of a network of natural or artificial fibres often referred to as thread or yarn. Yarn is produced by spinning raw fibres of wool, flax, cotton, or other material to produce long strands...
s, snuff
Tobacco
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
, and paper
Paper
Paper is a thin material mainly used for writing upon, printing upon, drawing or for packaging. It is produced by pressing together moist fibers, typically cellulose pulp derived from wood, rags or grasses, and drying them into flexible sheets....
. It is thought that the first banknote
Banknote
A banknote is a kind of negotiable instrument, a promissory note made by a bank payable to the bearer on demand, used as money, and in many jurisdictions is legal tender. In addition to coins, banknotes make up the cash or bearer forms of all modern fiat money...
s produced by the Bank of Scotland
Bank of Scotland
The Bank of Scotland plc is a commercial and clearing bank based in Edinburgh, Scotland. With a history dating to the 17th century, it is the second oldest surviving bank in what is now the United Kingdom, and is the only commercial institution created by the Parliament of Scotland to...
were printed on paper manufactured in Colinton. The Caledonian Railway
Caledonian Railway
The Caledonian Railway was a major Scottish railway company. It was formed in the early 19th century and it was absorbed almost a century later into the London, Midland and Scottish Railway, in the 1923 railway grouping, by means of the Railways Act 1921...
Company constructed a new spur line connecting Slateford
Slateford
Slateford is a suburb of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. It is east of the Water of Leith.The former village of Slateford lies on the Lanark Road where it crosses the Water of Leith 1/4 of a mile south west of Slateford Station. The name "Slateford" comes from local rock found in the area and...
and Balerno
Balerno
Balerno is a suburb of Edinburgh, Scotland situated 12 kilometres south west of the city centre, next to Juniper Green and Currie. Administratively, Balerno falls within the jurisdiction of the City of Edinburgh Council.- History :...
in 1874, which included the creation of a new station at Colinton. This line continued to carry passenger traffic until 1943, and finally closed when the carriage of freight was discontinued in the 1960s.
Colinton today
The Dell extends along the Water of Leith Walkway
Water of Leith Walkway
The Water of Leith Walkway is a public footpath and cycleway that runs alongside the small river of the same name through Edinburgh, Scotland, from Balerno to Leith....
from Colinton Parish Church towards Slateford, and contains a mixture of mature and ancient woodland
Woodland
Ecologically, a woodland is a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade. Woodlands may support an understory of shrubs and herbaceous plants including grasses. Woodland may form a transition to shrubland under drier conditions or during early stages of...
. It is a natural habitat for wildlife, including numerous bird species, amphibians, vole
Vole
A vole is a small rodent resembling a mouse but with a stouter body, a shorter hairy tail, a slightly rounder head, smaller ears and eyes, and differently formed molars . There are approximately 155 species of voles. They are sometimes known as meadow mice or field mice in North America...
s, weasel
Weasel
Weasels are mammals forming the genus Mustela of the Mustelidae family. They are small, active predators, long and slender with short legs....
s, stoat
Stoat
The stoat , also known as the ermine or short-tailed weasel, is a species of Mustelid native to Eurasia and North America, distinguished from the least weasel by its larger size and longer tail with a prominent black tip...
s and occasionally roe deer
Roe Deer
The European Roe Deer , also known as the Western Roe Deer, chevreuil or just Roe Deer, is a Eurasian species of deer. It is relatively small, reddish and grey-brown, and well-adapted to cold environments. Roe Deer are widespread in Western Europe, from the Mediterranean to Scandinavia, and from...
. The walkway and cycle path also pass by some of the original mill buildings, not forgetting the old tunnel (locally known as Henry's Tunnel, in reference to the character from popular children's TV series, Thomas the Tank Engine
Thomas the Tank Engine
Thomas the Tank Engine is a fictional steam locomotive in The Railway Series books by the Reverend Wilbert Awdry and his son, Christopher. He became the most popular character in the series, and the accompanying television spin-off series, Thomas and Friends.Thomas is a tank engine, painted blue...
) that dates back to when the path was part of the local railway line.
Colinton is served by Bonaly Primary School, Firrhill High School
Firrhill High School
Firrhill High School is a state-run secondary school in the South West of Edinburgh, Scotland. The school was established in the year 1960, being unveiled by the city's Lord Provost. The school has around 1160 pupils with a teaching staff of around 120...
and Edinburgh's only independant all boys boarding school, Merchiston Castle School
Merchiston Castle School
Merchiston Castle School is an independent school for boys in the village of Colinton in Edinburgh, Scotland. It has about 480 pupils and is open to boys between the ages of 8 and 18 as either boarders or day pupils; day pupils make up 35% of the school....
.
Spylaw Park is a delightful park situated in the beautiful surroundings of the dell. The park has many features including a children's play area. There is also a large Victorian style house, situated near to the Spylaw entrance, along with a one-story building which is utilised by many local groups (Including Beavers, Cubs and Scout groups). Although the parks official seating capacity is only 30, it has been known for large crowds to gather in the standing area for larger-scale public and private events.
The major route to the city centre, Colinton Road, runs from Colinton through Craiglockhart
Craiglockhart
Craiglockhart is a suburb in the south west of Edinburgh, Scotland, lying between Colinton to the south, Morningside to the east Merchiston to the north east and Kingsknowe to the west...
to Holy Corner
Holy Corner
Holy Corner is a colloquial name for a small area of Edinburgh, Scotland, and is actually part of the area more properly known as Burghmuirhead, itself part of the lands of Greenhill. Holy Corner lies between the areas of Bruntsfield and Morningside...
, a part of Burghmuirhead
Burghmuirhead
Burghmuirhead is an area of Edinburgh, Scotland.The area lies between Bruntsfield to the north and Morningside to the south. West is Merchiston and east is Greenhill and then The Grange....
between Morningside
Morningside, Edinburgh
Morningside is a district in the south-west of Edinburgh, Scotland. It is south of the areas of Bruntsfield, Burghmuirhead ; south-west of Marchmont, and south-east of Merchiston...
and Bruntsfield
Bruntsfield
Bruntsfield is an area of Edinburgh, Scotland, about twenty minutes walk south-west of the city centre. In feudal times it fell within the barony of Colinton.-Location:...
. Along the road are a number of significant Victorian
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
and Edwardian
Edwardian architecture
Edwardian architecture is the style popular when King Edward VII of the United Kingdom was in power; he reigned from 1901 to 1910, but the architecture style is generally considered to be indicative of the years 1901 to 1914....
villas, some of which were designed by Edward Calvert
Edward Calvert (architect)
Edward Calvert was a Scottish domestic architect.Calvert's work appears to have been exclusively confined to Edinburgh, and was mostly concerned with the creation of Baronial tenements and villas in the Second Empire and Jacobean styles...
.
Transport
- See also Transport in EdinburghTransport in EdinburghEdinburgh constitutes a major transport hub in east central Scotland and as such is at the centre of a multi-modal transport network comprising road, rail and air communications connecting the city with the rest of Scotland, the United Kingdom and internationally....
The following bus routes, operated by Lothian Buses
Lothian Buses
Lothian Buses Plc is the only municipal bus company in Scotland and the largest provider of bus services in Edinburgh, Scotland. City of Edinburgh Council own 91.01% of the company with the remainder being owned by East Lothian and Midlothian councils. As well as serving Edinburgh, Lothian Buses...
pass through Colinton village, and the surrounding roads:
- Number 10 Bus — Western Harbour (through city via Princes StreetPrinces StreetPrinces Street is one of the major thoroughfares in central Edinburgh, Scotland, UK, and its main shopping street. It is the southernmost street of Edinburgh's New Town, stretching around 1 mile from Lothian Road in the west to Leith Street in the east. The street is mostly closed to private...
) to BonalyBonalyBonaly is an area on the south-western outskirts of Edinburgh and the northern slopes of the Pentland Hills, lying within the Parish of Colinton. It is a mix of mainly post-war housing, woodland, pasture-land and heather moorland. Bonaly Burn has its sources in the hills above Bonaly and flows...
/ TorphinTorphinTorphin, an area around Torphin Hill, is a suburb of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. The Edinburgh City Bypass runs through the area.-Torphin Hill:... - Number 16 Bus — SilverknowesSilverknowesSilverknowes is a suburb of Edinburgh, Scotland. Silverknowes lies to the northwest of the city. The neighbourhood contains over 2000 homes, ranging in size from bungalow to semi-detached housing, much of it built during the mid-twentieth century....
(through city via Princes Street) terminates at Colinton - Number 18 Bus — Royal Infirmary at Little FranceLittle FranceLittle France is a suburb of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. It is on the A7.The area falls within the parish of Liberton, and acquired its name from members of the entourage brought to Scotland from France by Mary, Queen of Scots, who took up residence there...
(through suburbs) to The Gyle Shopping CentreThe Gyle Shopping CentreThe Gyle Shopping Centre is located in South Gyle, Edinburgh. The main centre has two anchors, Marks & Spencer and Morrisons , situated at opposite ends of the shopping centre.- Construction of The Gyle :... - Number 45 Bus — Hanover StreetHanover StreetHanover Street is a 1979 Anglo-American war film written and directed by Peter Hyams, starring Harrison Ford, Lesley-Anne Down and Christopher Plummer.-Plot:...
(through city via The MoundThe MoundThe Mound is an artificial hill in central Edinburgh, Scotland, which connects Edinburgh's New Town and Old Town. It was formed by dumping around 1,501,000 cartloads of earth excavated from the foundations of the New Town into the drained Nor Loch which forms today's Princes Street Gardens. The...
) to RiccartonRiccarton, EdinburghRiccarton is an area in Edinburgh's Green Belt, in Scotland. It is mainly undeveloped, with much farmland and few houses.Riccarton is to the west of the Edinburgh City Bypass , and is known for being the location of Heriot-Watt University's main campus, as well as the Heart of Midlothian F.C...
/ Gogarburn
Famous residents
- Archibald Alison (author) - Scottish didactic and philosophical writer
- John Allen (historian)John Allen (historian)John Allen M.D. was a prominent eighteenth and nineteenth century political and historical writer, and Master of the College of God's Gift in Dulwich .-Early life:...
- eighteenth and nineteenth century political and historical writer - Henry MackenzieHenry MackenzieHenry Mackenzie was a Scottish novelist and miscellaneous writer. He was also known by the sobriquet "Addison of the North."-Biography:Mackenzie was born in Edinburgh....
- Scottish novelist - Lord Cockburn - Scottish judge and biographer
- John MacWhirterJohn MacWhirterJohn MacWhirter, was a Scottish landscape painter.-Biography:John was the third of four children. He attended a school in Colinton, and after his father's death was apprenticed to Oliver & Boyd, booksellers in Edinburgh...
- Scottish landscape painter. - Calum ElliotCalum ElliotCalum Elliot is a Scottish professional footballer currently playing for Scottish First Division club Dundee on loan from Scottish Premier League club Heart of Midlothian.-Domestic:...
- Professional Footballer
- Graeme SounessGraeme SounessGraeme James Souness is a Scottish former professional football player and manager.Souness was the captain of the successful Liverpool team of the early 1980s and player-manager of Rangers in the late 1980s as well as captain of the Scottish national team. He also played for Tottenham Hotspur,...
- Professional Footballer and Manager - Mo JohnstonMo JohnstonMaurice John Giblin "Mo" Johnston is a former football striker.Johnston began his football career with Partick Thistle in 1981 before moving to Watford in 1983. With Watford Johnston scored 23 league goals, made his international debut, and helped the team reach the 1984 FA Cup Final...
- Professional Footballer and Manager
See also
These areas are sometimes taken to be parts of Colinton, or to be neighbouring areas in their own right:- BonalyBonalyBonaly is an area on the south-western outskirts of Edinburgh and the northern slopes of the Pentland Hills, lying within the Parish of Colinton. It is a mix of mainly post-war housing, woodland, pasture-land and heather moorland. Bonaly Burn has its sources in the hills above Bonaly and flows...
- Colinton Village
- Dreghorn
- RedfordRedford, EdinburghRedford is a suburb of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. It is in the south-west of the city, south-east of the Colinton area, and is known particularly for Redford Barracks, an army base.-External links:*...
- TorphinTorphinTorphin, an area around Torphin Hill, is a suburb of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. The Edinburgh City Bypass runs through the area.-Torphin Hill:...
- Woodfield
- Woodhall