Craigmillar
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...
, about 3 miles (4.8 km) south east of the city centre, with Duddingston
Duddingston
Duddingston is a former village in the east of Edinburgh, Scotland, next to Holyrood Park.-Origins and etymology:The estate wherein Duddingston Village now lies was first recorded in lands granted to the Abbot of Kelso Abbey by David I of Scotland between 1136–47, and is described as stretching...
to the north and Newcraighall
Newcraighall
Newcraighall is a southeastern suburb of Edinburgh, Scotland. A former mining village, its prosperity was based on the Midlothian coalfields and in particular the now closed Monktonhall pit. The village had a miners club and bowling green...
to the east.
History
Public housing
Public housing is a form of housing tenure in which the property is owned by a government authority, which may be central or local. Social housing is an umbrella term referring to rental housing which may be owned and managed by the state, by non-profit organizations, or by a combination of the...
schemes, ranging from private bungalows to Edinburgh Council-owned high rise tower blocks. The housing schemes were created through the Housing (Scotland) Act of 1924, with lands bought from the Wauchope Estate. Despite the relative modernity of most of the housing in the area, the settlement of Craigmillar itself is very old, and contains Craigmillar Castle
Craigmillar Castle
Craigmillar Castle is a ruined medieval castle in Edinburgh, Scotland. It is situated south-east of the city centre, on a low hill to the south of the modern suburb of Craigmillar. It was begun in the late 14th century by the Preston family, feudal barons of Craigmillar, and extended through the...
, which was begun in the late 14th or early 15th century, and occupied until the early 18th century. In 1660, the Craigmillar estate was bought by Sir John Gilmour
John Gilmour of Craigmillar
Sir John Gilmour of Craigmillar was a Scottish judge, who served as Lord President of the Court of Session from 1661 to 1670...
, and Inch House remains the property of the Gilmour family.
Craigmillar Brewery formed an industrial focus for the area. Built in 1886 by William Murray of "Murray's Ales" and also serving the Drybrough Brewery. Brewing ceased in 1950 but the majority of the buildings survived into the late 1990s before being cleared for modern flats.
Historical maps
In 2009 The National Library of ScotlandNational Library of Scotland
The National Library of Scotland is the legal deposit library of Scotland and is one of the country's National Collections. It is based in a collection of buildings in Edinburgh city centre. The headquarters is on George IV Bridge, between the Old Town and the university quarter...
released maps for the Craigmillar Area
- Ordnance Survey 1:10,560 Sheet IV SW, 1909 Shows detail of Niddrie House, Waterfall, Icehouse, Niddrie Stone 1909.
- Ordnance Survey 1:10,560 Sheet IV SW, 1938 Shows the development of Niddrie Main 1938.
- Ordnance Survey 1:10,560 - Air Photos - Sheet NT 27 SE and NT 37 SW, 1946 Shows the Arial Photos from 1946
- Ordnance Survey 1:10,560 Sheet NT 27 SE and NT 37 SW, 1955 Shows the Greendykes development. 1955
Present day maps
OpenstreetmapOpenStreetMap
OpenStreetMap is a collaborative project to create a free editable map of the world. Two major driving forces behind the establishment and growth of OSM have been restrictions on use or availability of map information across much of the world and the advent of inexpensive portable GPS devices.The...
volunteers completed Openstreetmap Craigmillar in January 2009
Facilities
Craigmillar saw riots in the 1980s, amid complaints about the lack of facilities in the area. Both the library and Arts Centre were won by grassrootsGrassroots
A grassroots movement is one driven by the politics of a community. The term implies that the creation of the movement and the group supporting it are natural and spontaneous, highlighting the differences between this and a movement that is orchestrated by traditional power structures...
-based community action trying to tackle the area's social problems. One such venture was the Craigmillar Festival Society
Craigmillar Festival Society
The Craigmillar Festival Society was a Community Arts organisation that existed in the Craigmillar area of Edinburgh, Scotland from 1962 to 2002. It is regarded as important contributor to the Community Arts Movement...
, which was active from 1962 until 2002.
The area also has a large concrete sculpture/play-structure, created by artist Jimmy Boyle
Jimmy Boyle (artist)
Jimmy Boyle is a Scottish sculptor, novelist and convicted criminal.In 1967 he was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of another gangland figure, William "Babs" Rooney...
called Gulliver, The Gentle Giant that cares and shares. It was built for the Craigmillar Festival Society in 1976. The University of Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...
has playing fields in this area, including one of the oldest modern-style shinty
Shinty
Shinty is a team game played with sticks and a ball. Shinty is now played mainly in the Scottish Highlands, and amongst Highland migrants to the big cities of Scotland, but it was formerly more widespread, being once competitively played on a widespread basis in England and other areas in the...
fields in Scotland.
Gulliver is considered a geoglyph
Geoglyph
A geoglyph is a large design or motif produced on the ground and typically formed by clastic rocks or similarly durable elements of the geography, such as stones, stone fragments, gravel, or earth...
.
Regeneration of Craigmillar
An ambitious plan to re-develop parts of Craigmillar is currently underway. The Scottish Government's "Green Quarter Plan" proposes the creation of several new parks and woodland areas throughout the Craigmillar area. The "Green Quarter Plan" is being undertaken by the Parc life development company. They also propose the development of 3,200 affordable houses to rent and improved learning and leisure facilities for young people.One of the few retained buildings of significance is "The White House" public house, a listed building which is to be restored to its Art Deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
glory in 2010/11 largely at public expense. Gallery spaces are to be created inside.
Transport
Craigmillar is served by Lothian BusesLothian 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...
service 42 which runs from Portobello
Portobello
-Places:England* Portobello, West Midlands* Portobello Road, London* Portobellow, an estate in Wakefield, West YorkshireIreland* Portobello, Dublin, IrelandNew Zealand* Portobello, New ZealandPanama* Portobelo, PanamaScotland* Portobello, Edinburgh...
to Davidsons Mains, service 2 from The Jewel, Asda
Asda
Asda Stores Ltd is a British supermarket chain which retails food, clothing, general merchandise, toys and financial services. It also has a mobile telephone network, , Asda Mobile...
, to The Gyle Shopping Centre
The Gyle Shopping Centre
The 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 :...
, service 14 from Greendykes
Greendykes
Greendykes is a suburb of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. It is a fairly large council scheme, which consists mostly of low-rise flats but also houses two 14 storey tower blocks . It is sometimes considered to be part of Craigmillar, areas such as Niddrie, Niddrie Mains and Newcraighall are...
to Muirhouse
Muirhouse
Muirhouse is a district in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. It is west of Granton and the housing estates of East Pilton and West Pilton, and East of Davidsons Mains...
, service 21 from The Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh to The Gyle Shopping Centre
The Gyle Shopping Centre
The 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 :...
, & service 30 from Musselburgh
Musselburgh
Musselburgh is the largest settlement in East Lothian, Scotland, on the coast of the Firth of Forth, six miles east of Edinburgh city centre.-History:...
to Clovenstone, Wester Hailes
Wester Hailes
Wester Hailes is an area in the south west of Edinburgh, Scotland.Depending on the definition, Wester Hailes sometimes takes in Sighthill, the Calders and other surrounding areas, and may be said to contain the areas of Murrayburn, Clovenstone, Westburn and Dumbryden.Wester Hailes borders on...
.
The area was once served by a local railway from Duddingston & Craigmillar railway station
Duddingston & Craigmillar railway station
Duddingston & Craigmillar Railway Station was a railway station in Scotland on the Edinburgh Suburban and Southside Junction Railway. It served the Duddingston and Craigmillar areas of Edinburgh's south side...
on the Edinburgh Suburban and Southside Junction Railway
Edinburgh Suburban and Southside Junction Railway
The Edinburgh Suburban and South Side Junction Railway is a freight and former commuter railway which runs in a loop across the southern suburbs of Edinburgh, Scotland. It opened in 1884 for both freight and passenger services...
. The station closed in 1962, but local pressure groups are campaigning to have the line re-opened, possibly as an extension of the forthcoming Edinburgh Tram Network. Following a petition submitted to the Scottish Parliament
Scottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament is the devolved national, unicameral legislature of Scotland, located in the Holyrood area of the capital, Edinburgh. The Parliament, informally referred to as "Holyrood", is a democratically elected body comprising 129 members known as Members of the Scottish Parliament...
in 2007, the proposal was rejected in 2009 by transport planners due to anticipated cost.
Notable people
- Helen DuncanHelen DuncanHelen Duncan was a Scottish medium best known as the last person to be imprisoned under the British Witchcraft Act of 1735.-Early life:...
(1897–1956), the last woman to be imprisoned under the 1735 Witchcraft Act, lived in Craigmillar. - Filmmaker Bill DouglasBill DouglasWilliam Gerald Forbes Douglas was a Scottish film director best known for the trilogy of films about his early life.-Biography:...
was born and raised in nearby NewcraighallNewcraighallNewcraighall is a southeastern suburb of Edinburgh, Scotland. A former mining village, its prosperity was based on the Midlothian coalfields and in particular the now closed Monktonhall pit. The village had a miners club and bowling green...
. - The former Craigmillar Primary School building houses a mural by the painter John MaxwellJohn Maxwell (artist)John Maxwell was a Scottish painter of landscapes and imaginative subjects.Born in Dalbeattie in Kirkcudbrightshire, Maxwell studied at Edinburgh College of Art from 1921 to 1927 and then, with the aid of a travelling scholarship, from 1927 to 1928 at the Académie Moderne in Paris under Léger and...
, who was trained by Fernand LégerFernand LégerJoseph Fernand Henri Léger was a French painter, sculptor, and filmmaker. In his early works he created a personal form of Cubism which he gradually modified into a more figurative, populist style...
and was a fellow student of Marc ChagallMarc ChagallMarc Chagall Art critic Robert Hughes referred to Chagall as "the quintessential Jewish artist of the twentieth century."According to art historian Michael J...
in Paris. - There is a fine example of 20th century stained glassStained glassThe term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
by Sadie Maclellan in Robin ChapelRobin ChapelRobin Chapel is an ecumenical Christian place of worship in the Craigmillar area of Edinburgh, Scotland. It was built in memory of Lieutenant Robin Tudsbery, who was killed in the closing days of World War II...
, in the Thistle Foundation, a housing complex for disabled people in the centre of Craigmillar. - Local mother Helen CrummyHelen CrummyHelen Crummy, MBE was a founder of The Craigmillar Festival Society , and served as the Organising Secretary for the group until 1985....
was instrumental in the founding of the Craigmillar Festival SocietyCraigmillar Festival SocietyThe Craigmillar Festival Society was a Community Arts organisation that existed in the Craigmillar area of Edinburgh, Scotland from 1962 to 2002. It is regarded as important contributor to the Community Arts Movement...
in 1962.