Leith
Encyclopedia
Leith
Leith (icon ; is a district and former municipal burgh
to the north of the city of Edinburgh
at the mouth of the Water of Leith
and is the port of Edinburgh, Scotland. It lies on the south shore of the Firth of Forth
, in the unitary local authority of the City of Edinburgh.
, on early maps), comprised two separate towns on either side of the river.
South Leith was the larger, coming under the jurisdiction of St. Cuthbert's parish in Edinburgh. It was based on trade and had many merchants' houses and warehouses. This was where ships offloaded their cargoes at the Shore where they were collected by Edinburgh merchants.
North Leith was smaller but proportionately richer, coming under the jurisdiction of Holyrood Abbey
. It was effectively one street, now Sandport Street and Quayside Lane. Long rig
gs ran down to the river from each house. This was the shipbuilding side of Leith. Several wet and dry docks existed, including the first dry dock
in Scotland (1720). A small peninsula of land on the east bank also came under the same jurisdiction on what is now Sheriff Brae/Sheriff Bank. The first bridge to link both banks of the river was built in 1496 by Abbot Bellenden, who controlled the church at North Leith. Dating from the same period, it is reputedly Leith's oldest building (albeit considerably altered). The bridge was demolished in 1780 to allow ships to sail further upstream. The bridge to that date was a toll bridge
, the revenue supplementing the church's income.
Leith has played a long and prominent role in Scottish history. As the major port serving Edinburgh, it has been the stage on which many significant events in Scottish history have taken place. Mary of Guise
ruled Scotland from Leith in 1560 as Regent
while her daughter, Mary, Queen of Scots remained in France. In that year Mary of Guise left her temporary palace on the Castlehill, in use since the burning of Holyroodhouse in the Hertford raid of 1544, and moved the Scottish Court to Leith, to a site that is now Parliament street, off Coalhill. Her own palace was situated in what is now Quality Lane. Artifacts from the demolished palace are held by the National Museum of Antiquities. This move was made to take advantage of the protection provided by the large French garrison stationed in Leith which resisted attacking Scottish Protestant lords, reinforced by troops and artillery sent from England
by Queen Elizabeth I. In June 1560, 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). Mary of Guise died during the siege.
A large mound on Leith Links, known locally as "Giant's Brae", was long believed to be a cannon emplacement created for the siege, though a respected local historian, Stuart Harris, has challenged this. His interpretation of the 1560 Siege of Leith map places the English artillery on the nearby slope of Hawkhill. Nevertheless, the mound, which appears on early maps as 'Somerset's Battery', owes its survival to the belief that it was a man-made earthwork, because Leith Town Council spared it from being flattened when the Links were laid out as a public park in the Victorian period. It is now a scheduled monument. Other gun emplacements in the siege were positioned at Pilrig and Bonnington, near the north end of Ferry Road, and at the north end of Bangor Road. The best documented day of the siege was 7 May 1560, when the English 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.
Late in 1561, Mary, Queen of Scots, arrived in Leith and, finding no welcoming party to receive her, made a brief stop at the "house of Andro Lamb ... beit the space of ane hour", before being collected and escorted by coach to Holyrood Palace
, to begin her ill-fated six-year-long reign. The Protestant reformer, John Knox, explained the lack of preparation thus,
"The ninetein Day of August 1561 Yeirs, betwene seven and eicht Hours Befoirnone, arryved Marie Quene of Scotland, then Wedo, with two Gallies furth of France... Becaus the Palace of Halyrudehous was not throuchly put in Ordour (for hir cumming was more suddane then many luiked for), sche remained in Leyth, till towards the Evening, and then repaired thither". .
A century later, Leith was a prospective battleground when the Army of the Covenant, led by General David Leslie, threw up an earthen rampart between the Calton Hill and Leith to defend the northern approach to Edinburgh against Oliver Cromwell
's forces, under the command of General Monck. This rampart became the line of Edinburgh's longest street, Leith Walk. After Cromwell's victory at the Battle of Dunbar
in 1650 and subsequent occupation of Scotland, a fort known as Leith Citadel 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.
The earliest documented mention of golf
refers to Leith Links
. The Town Council, at the request of King James II
, banned "gouff" (golf) and "fut ball" (football) in 1457 on military grounds, to discourage distractions from archery practice. Leith Links hosted golf again in 1714 with the first competition for "The Edinburgh Arrow" by the Royal Company of Archers
. The links are the site of an early five hole golf
course built in the 18th century. What bolsters Leith's claim to being "the home of golf" is the fact that the official rules of golf, initially formulated at Leith in 1744 by the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers, were later adopted by St Andrews. The only difference introduced with those rules (which remain the rules of golf) was the omission of one rule to do with hazards such as trenches. Leith Links also has one of the longest established cricket pitches in Scotland, at 1820 (late by English standards, but early for Scotland).
During the American War of Independence the Scot John Paul Jones
, who is credited as founder of the US Navy, set sail on 14 August 1779 as commodore of 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 the Firth of Forth. The scare he caused led to the hasty erection of Leith Fort, designed by James Craig
, the architect of Edinburgh's New Town, and built in 1780. It was similar in scale and design to Fort George near Inverness (see Fort George, Highland
). A fine Georgian terrace to 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 around Fort House and enclosed by the old fort walls. The Council development was an award-winning scheme in its day (1955), but is now intended for demolition. A pair of the old fort's gatehouses survive at the southern entrance to the scheme.
There is a long history of worship in Leith which can be dated back to at least the 12th century. After the Scottish Reformation
the principal parish kirk
for Leith was South Leith Parish Church
, originally constructed in 1483. In June 1811 a statistical population census gave the population of South Leith as 15,938; North Leith 4875. 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 was then given its new name, to mark the King's arrival by ship's boat at Leith Shore for this event, which is remembered most for popularising and decriminalising symbols of Scottish national identity
.
Leith Docks became known as the port for Edinburgh and modest shipbuilding and repair facilities grew. On 20 May 1806, there was a procession of the Lord Provost of Edinburgh, Magistrates (Baillies), and Council, along with a numerous company of ladies and gentleman, for the opening of the first new Wet Dock, the first of its kind in North Britain. 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 the 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 the Trinity House in Kirkgate was erected in Grecian architectural style at an expense of £2500.
The dock
s at Leith underwent severe decline in the post-Second World War period, with the area gaining a reputation for roughness and prostitution, with an official 'tolerance zone' until 2001. In recent years Leith has undergone significant regeneration and is now a busy port with visits from cruise liners and the home of the Royal Yacht Britannia, Ocean Terminal
, 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 seedy, is now a centre for a range of new pubs and restaurants in charming surroundings. On 6 November 2003, Leith was the location for the MTV Europe Music Awards
, with a temporary venue being built next to Ocean Terminal
.
Historically Leith was governed by the Town Council of Edinburgh, with separately organised baillie
s appointed by various bodies without contact with each other. The result became vary unsatisfactory, and half of Leith was provided with no municipal government whatever or any local magistrate
s. An 1827 Act of Parliament 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. In 1833 the Burgh Reform Act made Leith a Parliamentary Burgh, which jointly with Portobello
and Musselburgh
was represented by one member of Parliament. On 1 November 1833, Leith became a separate Municipal Burgh
, with its own provost, magistrates, and council, and was no longer run by bailies. In history the Right Hon. Lord Provost of Edinburgh is virtue officii Admiral of the Firth of Forth
, the Provost of Leith is Admiral of the port thereof, and his four bailies were admirals-depute. 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.
Continued growth meant that Leith and Edinburgh formed a contiguous urban area. Leith was merged with Edinburgh in 1920 despite a plebiscite
in which the people of Leith voted 26,810 to 4,340 against the merger.
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 a clutch of upmarket restaurants, including the second of the groundbreaking chain of Malmaison hotels in a conversion of the former "Angel Hotel", a seamans' 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 was chosen as part of a design-and-build competition against other sites at Haymarket and Marionville. It was completed in 1994. A tram was offered at the time of the application (at Forth Port's expense) from the new office to St Andrew Square, but the Council declined this offer. However, 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 however further foster Leith's growing reputation as a white-collar
, small business location. Further large-scale service and tourist development followed, including the Ocean Terminal
complex and the permanently moored Royal Yacht Britannia. Unfortunately, the plan to connect Ocean Terminal and the Scottish Executive building area by the new Edinburgh Trams by the Port of Leith tram stop
has been shelved after dispute between Edinburgh Council and the contractors.
In 2004 the owner of the docks, Forth Ports
, announced plans to eventually close the port and carry out a major redevelopment of the area. The planned development, which was given supplementary planning guidance by the City of Edinburgh Council in 2004, will be the size of a small town with up to 17,000 new homes. It will include developments on the infilled Western Harbour
as well as residential, leisure, retail and commercial development across the rest of the old docks. The urban design of the project will keep it in context with the older developments in Leith and provide a wealth of public and private open space, including two large parks and a number of pedestrian linkages across the docks. The whole project is expected to be completed by about 2020.
, Great Junction Street
, Henderson Street
, Leith Walk
and Easter Road, Edinburgh
.
One of the areas is Timber Bush
.
and South Leith Parish Church
(both of the Church of Scotland
), plus Our Lady Star of the Sea (Catholic Church).
Leith has a long history of idealistic social advances, many of which were the first in Scots history:
All boys were educated for free from 1555 onwards. This was paid for by the local trade guilds.
All girls were educated from 1820, admittedly a long time after the boys, but very early for free education for females (the law only required it from 1876).
A free hospital service was provided from 1777, paid for by a local income tax, with beds sponsored by local shops.
Leith had electric street lighting from 1890, and electric trams from 1905 (only Blackpool was earlier in the UK).
The first public sewer in Scotland was built in Bernard Street in 1780; this simply flowed into the Water of Leith. The iron seal over the end of this is still visible next to Bernard Street bridge. The sewage is now pumped the other way (it was laid to fall westwards) to Seafield.
Hibernian Football Club have their stadium at Easter Road
in Leith.
The Utopia pub on Easter Road started a protest campaign against the Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling
after the 2008 Budget
.
Leith (icon ; is a district and former municipal burgh
Burgh
A burgh was an autonomous corporate entity in Scotland and Northern England, usually a town. This type of administrative division existed from the 12th century, when King David I created the first royal burghs. Burgh status was broadly analogous to borough status, found in the rest of the United...
to the north of the city of Edinburgh
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...
at the mouth of the Water of Leith
Water 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 is the port of Edinburgh, Scotland. It lies on the south shore of the Firth of Forth
Firth of Forth
The Firth of Forth is the estuary or firth of Scotland's River Forth, where it flows into the North Sea, between Fife to the north, and West Lothian, the City of Edinburgh and East Lothian to the south...
, in the unitary local authority of the City of Edinburgh.
South Leith v. North Leith
Up until the late 16th century Leith (originally designated Inverleith, i.e. the mouth of 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...
, on early maps), comprised two separate towns on either side of the river.
South Leith was the larger, coming under the jurisdiction of St. Cuthbert's parish in Edinburgh. It was based on trade and had many merchants' houses and warehouses. This was where ships offloaded their cargoes at the Shore where they were collected by Edinburgh merchants.
North Leith was smaller but proportionately richer, coming under the jurisdiction of Holyrood Abbey
Holyrood Abbey
Holyrood Abbey is a ruined abbey of the Canons Regular in Edinburgh, Scotland. The abbey was founded in 1128 by King David I of Scotland. During the 15th century, the abbey guesthouse was developed into a royal residence, and after the Scottish Reformation the Palace of Holyroodhouse was expanded...
. It was effectively one street, now Sandport Street and Quayside Lane. Long rig
Rig
Rig may refer to:* Rig, Something that a dog pulls when Mushing* Rig, a slang term referring to a tractor unit* Drilling rig, a structure housing equipment used to drill or extract oil from underground* Gaming rig, a PC built for high-performance gaming...
gs ran down to the river from each house. This was the shipbuilding side of Leith. Several wet and dry docks existed, including the first dry dock
Dry dock
A drydock is a narrow basin or vessel that can be flooded to allow a load to be floated in, then drained to allow that load to come to rest on a dry platform...
in Scotland (1720). A small peninsula of land on the east bank also came under the same jurisdiction on what is now Sheriff Brae/Sheriff Bank. The first bridge to link both banks of the river was built in 1496 by Abbot Bellenden, who controlled the church at North Leith. Dating from the same period, it is reputedly Leith's oldest building (albeit considerably altered). The bridge was demolished in 1780 to allow ships to sail further upstream. The bridge to that date was a toll bridge
Toll bridge
A toll bridge is a bridge over which traffic may pass upon payment of a toll, or fee.- History :The practice of collecting tolls on bridges probably harks back to the days of ferry crossings where people paid a fee to be ferried across stretches of water. As boats became impractical to carry large...
, the revenue supplementing the church's income.
History
The earliest evidence of settlement in Leith comes from several archaeological digs undertaken in the Leith area in the late 20th century. Amongst the finds were medieval wharf edges from the 12th century.Leith has played a long and prominent role in Scottish history. As the major port serving Edinburgh, it has been the stage on which many significant events in Scottish history have taken place. Mary of Guise
Mary of Guise
Mary of Guise was a queen consort of Scotland as the second spouse of King James V. She was the mother of Mary, Queen of Scots, and served as regent of Scotland in her daughter's name from 1554 to 1560...
ruled Scotland from Leith in 1560 as Regent
Regent
A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
while her daughter, Mary, Queen of Scots remained in France. In that year Mary of Guise left her temporary palace on the Castlehill, in use since the burning of Holyroodhouse in the Hertford raid of 1544, and moved the Scottish Court to Leith, to a site that is now Parliament street, off Coalhill. Her own palace was situated in what is now Quality Lane. Artifacts from the demolished palace are held by the National Museum of Antiquities. This move was made to take advantage of the protection provided by the large French garrison stationed in Leith which resisted attacking Scottish Protestant lords, reinforced by troops and artillery sent from England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
by Queen Elizabeth I. In June 1560, 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). Mary of Guise died during the siege.
A large mound on Leith Links, known locally as "Giant's Brae", was long believed to be a cannon emplacement created for the siege, though a respected local historian, Stuart Harris, has challenged this. His interpretation of the 1560 Siege of Leith map places the English artillery on the nearby slope of Hawkhill. Nevertheless, the mound, which appears on early maps as 'Somerset's Battery', owes its survival to the belief that it was a man-made earthwork, because Leith Town Council spared it from being flattened when the Links were laid out as a public park in the Victorian period. It is now a scheduled monument. Other gun emplacements in the siege were positioned at Pilrig and Bonnington, near the north end of Ferry Road, and at the north end of Bangor Road. The best documented day of the siege was 7 May 1560, when the English 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.
Late in 1561, Mary, Queen of Scots, arrived in Leith and, finding no welcoming party to receive her, made a brief stop at the "house of Andro Lamb ... beit the space of ane hour", before being collected and escorted by coach to Holyrood Palace
Holyrood Palace
The Palace of Holyroodhouse, commonly referred to as Holyrood Palace, is the official residence of the monarch in Scotland. The palace stands at the bottom of the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, at the opposite end to Edinburgh Castle...
, to begin her ill-fated six-year-long reign. The Protestant reformer, John Knox, explained the lack of preparation thus,
"The ninetein Day of August 1561 Yeirs, betwene seven and eicht Hours Befoirnone, arryved Marie Quene of Scotland, then Wedo, with two Gallies furth of France... Becaus the Palace of Halyrudehous was not throuchly put in Ordour (for hir cumming was more suddane then many luiked for), sche remained in Leyth, till towards the Evening, and then repaired thither". .
A century later, Leith was a prospective battleground when the Army of the Covenant, led by General David Leslie, threw up an earthen rampart between the Calton Hill and Leith to defend the northern approach to Edinburgh against 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....
's forces, under the command of General Monck. This rampart became the line of Edinburgh's longest street, Leith Walk. After Cromwell's victory at the Battle of Dunbar
Battle of Dunbar (1650)
The Battle of Dunbar was a battle of the Third English Civil War. The English Parliamentarian forces under Oliver Cromwell defeated a Scottish army commanded by David Leslie which was loyal to King Charles II, who had been proclaimed King of Scots on 5 February 1649.-Background:The English...
in 1650 and subsequent occupation of Scotland, a fort known as Leith Citadel 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.
The earliest documented mention of golf
Golf in Scotland
Golf in Scotland was first recorded in the 15th century, and the modern game of golf was first developed and established in the country. The game plays a key role in the national sporting consciousness....
refers to Leith Links
Leith Links
Leith Links is the principal open space within Leith, the harbour district of Edinburgh, Scotland. This public park extends to . In its current form it is largely flat and bordered by mature trees. Historically it was an undulating area of former sand-dunes utilised as a golf links.-Current...
. The Town Council, at the request of King James II
James II of Scotland
James II reigned as King of Scots from 1437 to his death.He was the son of James I, King of Scots, and Joan Beaufort...
, banned "gouff" (golf) and "fut ball" (football) in 1457 on military grounds, to discourage distractions from archery practice. Leith Links hosted golf again in 1714 with the first competition for "The Edinburgh Arrow" by the Royal Company of Archers
Royal Company of Archers
The Royal Company of Archers is a ceremonial unit that serves as the Sovereign's Bodyguard in Scotland, a role it has performed since 1822 and the reign of King George IV, when the company provided a personal bodyguard to the King on his visit to Scotland. It is currently known as the Queen's...
. The links are the site of an early five hole golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
course built in the 18th century. What bolsters Leith's claim to being "the home of golf" is the fact that the official rules of golf, initially formulated at Leith in 1744 by the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers, were later adopted by St Andrews. The only difference introduced with those rules (which remain the rules of golf) was the omission of one rule to do with hazards such as trenches. Leith Links also has one of the longest established cricket pitches in Scotland, at 1820 (late by English standards, but early for Scotland).
During the American War of Independence the Scot John Paul Jones
John Paul Jones
John Paul Jones was a Scottish sailor and the United States' first well-known naval fighter in the American Revolutionary War. Although he made enemies among America's political elites, his actions in British waters during the Revolution earned him an international reputation which persists to...
, who is credited as founder of the US Navy, set sail on 14 August 1779 as commodore of 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 the Firth of Forth. The scare he caused led to the hasty erection of Leith Fort, designed by James Craig
James Craig (architect)
James Craig was a Scottish architect. His brief career was concentrated almost entirely in Edinburgh, and he is remembered primarily for his layout of the first Edinburgh New Town.-Date of birth:...
, the architect of Edinburgh's New Town, and built in 1780. It was similar in scale and design to Fort George near Inverness (see Fort George, Highland
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...
). A fine Georgian terrace to 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
National service
National service is a common name for mandatory government service programmes . The term became common British usage during and for some years following the Second World War. Many young people spent one or more years in such programmes...
training. Most of the barracks were demolished to build a Council housing scheme centred around Fort House and enclosed by the old fort walls. The Council development was an award-winning scheme in its day (1955), but is now intended for demolition. A pair of the old fort's gatehouses survive at the southern entrance to the scheme.
There is a long history of worship in Leith which can be dated back to at least the 12th century. After the Scottish Reformation
Scottish Reformation
The Scottish Reformation was Scotland's formal break with the Papacy in 1560, and the events surrounding this. It was part of the wider European Protestant Reformation; and in Scotland's case culminated ecclesiastically in the re-establishment of the church along Reformed lines, and politically in...
the principal parish kirk
Kirk
Kirk can mean "church" in general or the Church of Scotland in particular. Many place names and personal names are also derived from it.-Basic meaning and etymology:...
for Leith was South Leith Parish Church
South Leith Parish Church
South Leith Parish Church or Kirk is a congregation of the Church of Scotland. It is the principal church and congregation in Leith, in Edinburgh, Scotland. Its kirkyard is the burial place for John Home, author of Douglas, and John Pew, the man from whom the author Robert Louis Stevenson reputedly...
, originally constructed in 1483. In June 1811 a statistical population census gave the population of South Leith as 15,938; North Leith 4875. 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
Visit of King George IV to Scotland
The 1822 visit of King George IV to Scotland was the first visit of a reigning monarch to Scotland since 1650. Government ministers had pressed the King to bring forward a proposed visit to Scotland, to divert him from diplomatic intrigue at the Congress of Verona.The visit increased his popularity...
, and The Old Ship Hotel and King's Landing was then given its new name, to mark the King's arrival by ship's boat at Leith Shore for this event, which is remembered most for popularising and decriminalising symbols of Scottish national identity
Scottish national identity
Scottish national identity is a term referring to the sense of national identity and common culture of Scottish people and is shared by a considerable majority of the people of Scotland....
.
Leith Docks became known as the port for Edinburgh and modest shipbuilding and repair facilities grew. On 20 May 1806, there was a procession of the Lord Provost of Edinburgh, Magistrates (Baillies), and Council, along with a numerous company of ladies and gentleman, for the opening of the first new Wet Dock, the first of its kind in North Britain. The Fife
Fife
Fife is a council area and former county of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries to Perth and Kinross and Clackmannanshire...
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 the 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 the Trinity House in Kirkgate was erected in Grecian architectural style at an expense of £2500.
The dock
Dock (maritime)
A dock is a human-made structure or group of structures involved in the handling of boats or ships, usually on or close to a shore.However, the exact meaning varies among different variants of the English language...
s at Leith underwent severe decline in the post-Second World War period, with the area gaining a reputation for roughness and prostitution, with an official 'tolerance zone' until 2001. In recent years Leith has undergone significant regeneration and is now a busy port with visits from cruise liners and the home of the Royal Yacht Britannia, Ocean Terminal
Ocean Terminal, Edinburgh
Ocean Terminal in Leith, Edinburgh, Scotland is a shopping centre, designed by Sir Terence Conran.It is built on former industrial docklands on the north side of the city at the edge of the boundary between formerly separate ports of Newhaven and Leith. The land was formerly occupied by the Henry...
, 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 seedy, is now a centre for a range of new pubs and restaurants in charming surroundings. On 6 November 2003, Leith was the location for the MTV Europe Music Awards
MTV Europe Music Awards
The MTV Europe Music Awards were established in 1994 by MTV Networks Europe to celebrate the most popular music videos in Europe. Originally beginning as an alternative to the American MTV Video Music Awards, the MTV Europe Music Awards is today a popular celebration of what MTV viewers consider...
, with a temporary venue being built next to Ocean Terminal
Ocean Terminal, Edinburgh
Ocean Terminal in Leith, Edinburgh, Scotland is a shopping centre, designed by Sir Terence Conran.It is built on former industrial docklands on the north side of the city at the edge of the boundary between formerly separate ports of Newhaven and Leith. The land was formerly occupied by the Henry...
.
Historically Leith was governed by the Town Council of Edinburgh, with separately organised baillie
Baillie
A baillie or bailie is a civic officer in the local government of Scotland. The position arose in the burghs, where baillies formerly held a post similar to that of an alderman or magistrate...
s appointed by various bodies without contact with each other. The result became vary unsatisfactory, and half of Leith was provided with no municipal government whatever or any local magistrate
Magistrate
A magistrate is an officer of the state; in modern usage the term usually refers to a judge or prosecutor. This was not always the case; in ancient Rome, a magistratus was one of the highest government officers and possessed both judicial and executive powers. Today, in common law systems, a...
s. An 1827 Act of Parliament 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. In 1833 the Burgh Reform Act made Leith a Parliamentary Burgh, which jointly with Portobello
Portobello, Edinburgh
Portobello is a beach resort located three miles to the east of the city centre of Edinburgh, along the coast of the Firth of Forth, in Scotland. It is now a suburb of Edinburgh, with a promenade fronting on to the wide sand beach....
and 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:...
was represented by one member of Parliament. On 1 November 1833, Leith became a separate Municipal Burgh
Burgh
A burgh was an autonomous corporate entity in Scotland and Northern England, usually a town. This type of administrative division existed from the 12th century, when King David I created the first royal burghs. Burgh status was broadly analogous to borough status, found in the rest of the United...
, with its own provost, magistrates, and council, and was no longer run by bailies. In history the Right Hon. Lord Provost of Edinburgh is virtue officii Admiral of the Firth of Forth
Firth of Forth
The Firth of Forth is the estuary or firth of Scotland's River Forth, where it flows into the North Sea, between Fife to the north, and West Lothian, the City of Edinburgh and East Lothian to the south...
, the Provost of Leith is Admiral of the port thereof, and his four bailies were admirals-depute. 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
Edinburgh Corporation Tramways
Edinburgh Corporation Tramways formerly served the City of Edinburgh, Scotland. The city used four-wheeled double-decked trams painted dark red and white - a livery still used by Lothian Buses.-Origins:...
in the early 1920s.
Continued growth meant that Leith and Edinburgh formed a contiguous urban area. Leith was merged with Edinburgh in 1920 despite a plebiscite
Referendum
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
in which the people of Leith voted 26,810 to 4,340 against the merger.
Traditional industries
Leith was Scotland's premier leader in several industries for many centuries. Of these the most notable are:- Glass – the Leith Glassworks stood on Baltic Street and dated from 1746. There is also some reference to earlier glass production from 1682, but the site of this earlier works is unclear. Leith specialised in wine bottles, largely for export to France and Spain. At its peak (c.1770) production was a staggering one million bottles per week. The Leith pattern bottle is the parallel-sided, round shouldered, narrow neck bottle now dominant within the wine industry. Around 1770 the company branched into lead crystal glass, mainly for chandelierChandelierA chandelier is a branched decorative ceiling-mounted light fixture with two or more arms bearing lights. Chandeliers are often ornate, containing dozens of lamps and complex arrays of glass or crystal prisms to illuminate a room with refracted light...
s. This was under a new company name of the Edinburgh CrystalEdinburgh CrystalEdinburgh Crystal was a cut glass crystal manufactured in Scotland between 1867 and 2006, and was also the name of the manufacturing company. In addition to drinking glasses, Edinburgh Crystal have made decanters, bowls, baskets, and bells, in several ranges...
Company but stood on the same site in Leith (ironically this company has never truly been in "Edinburgh". - Soap – the Anchor Soapworks was established on Water Street around 1680. This largely used whale oil in its production. This survived until around 1830.
- Wine and whisky storage – wine storage in Leith dates from at least the early 16th century, notably being connected with the Vaults on Henderson StreetHenderson StreetHenderson Street is a street in Leith, a district of the city of Edinburgh, Scotland. It forms a curving artery between Great Junction Street and an area known as the Shore, where the Water of Leith river runs into the Port of Leith/Leith Docks...
from this time. At its peak there were around 100 warehouses storing wine and brandy. In the late 1880s, due to the collapse of wine harvest in Europe, most of these were "converted" to whisky storage. Around 85 bonded warehouses stood in Leith in the 1960s. Jointly these matured around 90% of all Scotch whisky. One of the largest, Crabbies on Great Junction Street, stored whisky for some of the foremost whisky distilleries: LagavulinLagavulinLagavulin is a small village approximately three miles outside Port Ellen on the Isle of Islay, Scotland.It is best known for being the home of Lagavulin single malt whisky....
, TaliskerTaliskerTalisker is an Island Single Malt Scotch whisky produced by the Talisker Distillery, Carbost, Scotland; the only distillery on the Isle of Skye. The distillery is operated by United Distillers and Vintners for Diageo, and is marketed as part of their Classic Malts series...
, LaphroaigLaphroaigLaphroaig , is an Islay single malt Scotch whisky distillery and brand name. It is named for the area of land at the head of Loch Laphroaig on the south coast of the Isle of Islay...
etc. The last bond, on Water Street, closed around 1995. An offshoot to the wine industry (for obvious reasons) were several vinegar works. Crabbies also had a famous Green Ginger manufactury alongside its bond. - Lime juice – Rose's lime juiceRose's lime juiceRose's lime juice, often known simply as Rose's, is a line of juice products first patented in 1867. The range includes both the original concentrated squash or cordial and also diluted drink mixers...
was founded by Lachlan Rose in Leith on Commercial Street in 1868. This was originally and primarily focussed upon provision of vitamin CVitamin CVitamin C or L-ascorbic acid or L-ascorbate is an essential nutrient for humans and certain other animal species. In living organisms ascorbate acts as an antioxidant by protecting the body against oxidative stress...
to seamen. - Shipbuilding – originally centred around the Water of Leith and limited in scale due to the shallow water, Leith's shipbuilding started to fade as vessels increased in size. Latterly Leith specialised in odd ship types: tugs, hotel ships, cable-layers etc. Whilst the most notable large shipyard Henry RobbHenry RobbHenry Robb, Limited, known colloquially as Robbs, was a British shipbuilding company based in Leith Docks on the east coast of Scotland. Robbs was notable for building small-to-medium sized vessels, particularly tugs and dredgers.-History:...
's, closed around 1981 this was technically outlived by a very small shipbuilder on Sherrif Brae (run by the Scottish Co-operative Society) which closed around 1988. The most notable ships built in Leith are the SS SiriusSS Sirius (1837)The Sirius was a side-wheel wooden-hulled steamship built in 1837 for the London-Cork route operated by the St George Steam Packet Company. The next year, she opened transatlantic steam passenger service when she was chartered for two voyages by the British and American Steam Navigation Company...
, one of the first steamships to cross the Atlantic, and SS Copenhagen one of the largest rigged ships ever built. - Lead – Scotland's largest leadworks stood on the corner of Mitchell Street and Constitution Street. Founded around 1760 the operational part worked until the 1970s and the empty buildings stood until the late 1980s. The offices, on Constitution StreetConstitution StreetConstitution Street runs from the foot of Leith Walk north to Leith docks in Leith, Edinburgh, Scotland. Constitution Street will form part of the future Edinburgh Trams network, although the section of the line running from Leith Walk to the Ocean Terminal shopping centre has been delayed until...
, still survive. The company specialised in lead pipes for water supply and lead drainpipes. They also produced lead sheet for roofing and lead shot for weapons. - Whaling – the mainstay of Leith for centuries. Originally focussing on local waters (the last whale in the Firth of ForthFirth of ForthThe Firth of Forth is the estuary or firth of Scotland's River Forth, where it flows into the North Sea, between Fife to the north, and West Lothian, the City of Edinburgh and East Lothian to the south...
was caught in 1834) and on Icelandic waters, by the mid 19th century ships were travelling to the AntarcticAntarcticThe Antarctic is the region around the Earth's South Pole, opposite the Arctic region around the North Pole. The Antarctic comprises the continent of Antarctica and the ice shelves, waters and island territories in the Southern Ocean situated south of the Antarctic Convergence...
. This was latterly all under the umbrella of the Christian Salvesen Company who had many whaling stations in the South Atlantic. This led to the main settlement of South Georgia (which came to fame at the beginning of the Falklands WarFalklands WarThe Falklands War , also called the Falklands Conflict or Falklands Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands...
) being named Leith. The company moved from Leith to Fettes around 1980 and then left Edinburgh altogether in the mid 1990s. The founder, Christian Salvesen is buried in Rosebank Cemetery. The whale ships from Leith brought the very first penguins to Edinburgh Zoo around 1900.
Geography
After decades of industrial decline, slumSlum
A slum, as defined by United Nations agency UN-HABITAT, is a run-down area of a city characterized by substandard housing and squalor and lacking in tenure security. According to the United Nations, the percentage of urban dwellers living in slums decreased from 47 percent to 37 percent in the...
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 a clutch of upmarket restaurants, including the second of the groundbreaking chain of Malmaison hotels in a conversion of the former "Angel Hotel", a seamans' mission, whilst the once industrially-polluted
Pollution
Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into a natural environment that causes instability, disorder, harm or discomfort to the ecosystem i.e. physical systems or living organisms. Pollution can take the form of chemical substances or energy, such as noise, heat or light...
and desolate banks of the Water of Leith
Water 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...
were cleaned up and a public walkway opened.
Leith's gradual revival was also helped by the decision of the then Scottish Office
Scottish Office
The Scottish Office was a department of the United Kingdom Government from 1885 until 1999, exercising a wide range of government functions in relation to Scotland under the control of the Secretary of State for Scotland...
to site their new offices in Leith Docks (just north of the old infilled East Dock). The site was chosen as part of a design-and-build competition against other sites at Haymarket and Marionville. It was completed in 1994. A tram was offered at the time of the application (at Forth Port's expense) from the new office to St Andrew Square, but the Council declined this offer. However, 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 however further foster Leith's growing reputation as a white-collar
White-collar worker
The term white-collar worker refers to a person who performs professional, managerial, or administrative work, in contrast with a blue-collar worker, whose job requires manual labor...
, small business location. Further large-scale service and tourist development followed, including the Ocean Terminal
Ocean Terminal, Edinburgh
Ocean Terminal in Leith, Edinburgh, Scotland is a shopping centre, designed by Sir Terence Conran.It is built on former industrial docklands on the north side of the city at the edge of the boundary between formerly separate ports of Newhaven and Leith. The land was formerly occupied by the Henry...
complex and the permanently moored Royal Yacht Britannia. Unfortunately, the plan to connect Ocean Terminal and the Scottish Executive building area by the new Edinburgh Trams by the Port of Leith tram stop
Port of Leith tram stop
Port of Leith tram stop was to be one of several Edinburgh Trams Phase 1a tram stops beyond St Andrews Square. It was cancelled due to cost overruns in June 2011. The stop would have served the Leith area of Edinburgh, and also the Scottish Government Building at Victoria Quay.-External links:**...
has been shelved after dispute between Edinburgh Council and the contractors.
Forth Ports
Forth Ports Limited is one of the largest port operators in the United Kingdom. It is based in Edinburgh, Scotland, which is situated on the Firth of Forth...
, announced plans to eventually close the port and carry out a major redevelopment of the area. The planned development, which was given supplementary planning guidance by the City of Edinburgh Council in 2004, will be the size of a small town with up to 17,000 new homes. It will include developments on the infilled Western Harbour
Western Harbour, Edinburgh
Western Harbour is a mainly residential development in Leith, Edinburgh, Scotland.Reaching north into the Firth of Forth away from Newhaven Harbour, the site extends the breakwater on the west side of the Port of Leith with land reclaimed from the waters of the harbour through landfill...
as well as residential, leisure, retail and commercial development across the rest of the old docks. The urban design of the project will keep it in context with the older developments in Leith and provide a wealth of public and private open space, including two large parks and a number of pedestrian linkages across the docks. The whole project is expected to be completed by about 2020.
Area
Streets in Leith include Constitution StreetConstitution Street
Constitution Street runs from the foot of Leith Walk north to Leith docks in Leith, Edinburgh, Scotland. Constitution Street will form part of the future Edinburgh Trams network, although the section of the line running from Leith Walk to the Ocean Terminal shopping centre has been delayed until...
, Great Junction Street
Great Junction Street
Great Junction Street is a street in Leith, on the northern outskirts of Edinburgh, Scotland. It runs south east to north west following approximately the southwestmost line of the old city walls around Leith. While some sections existed c.1800, it was not planned as a continuous road, reaching all...
, Henderson Street
Henderson Street
Henderson Street is a street in Leith, a district of the city of Edinburgh, Scotland. It forms a curving artery between Great Junction Street and an area known as the Shore, where the Water of Leith river runs into the Port of Leith/Leith Docks...
, Leith Walk
Leith Walk
Leith Walk is one of the longest streets in Edinburgh, Scotland. It stretches from The Foot Of Leith Walk at the junction of Great Junction Street and Constitution Street to the junction with London Road, it then links to the east end of Princes Street via Leith Street...
and Easter Road, Edinburgh
Easter Road, Edinburgh
Easter Road is a main road in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. It links Leith with Abbeyhill. It is so called as it was originally the 'Easter Road to Leith', ie the road from Edinburgh to Leith which was furthest East. There is no connection to Easter the Christian festival...
.
One of the areas is Timber Bush
Timber Bush
Timber Bush is an area of Leith, the port town of Edinburgh, Scotland, north of Bernard Street. "Bush" derives from the French "Bourse" and the name means timber market; this formerly being an open area where timber was offloaded from ships before sale....
.
Churches
Leith has several notable historic churches, including North Leith Parish ChurchNorth Leith Parish Church
North Leith Parish Church is a congregation of the Church of Scotland, within the Presbytery of Edinburgh. It is serves part of Leith, formerly an independent burgh and since 1920 a part of the city of Edinburgh, Scotland.-Building:...
and South Leith Parish Church
South Leith Parish Church
South Leith Parish Church or Kirk is a congregation of the Church of Scotland. It is the principal church and congregation in Leith, in Edinburgh, Scotland. Its kirkyard is the burial place for John Home, author of Douglas, and John Pew, the man from whom the author Robert Louis Stevenson reputedly...
(both of the Church of Scotland
Church of Scotland
The Church of Scotland, known informally by its Scots language name, the Kirk, is a Presbyterian church, decisively shaped by the Scottish Reformation....
), plus Our Lady Star of the Sea (Catholic Church).
Culture and community
All boys were educated for free from 1555 onwards. This was paid for by the local trade guilds.
All girls were educated from 1820, admittedly a long time after the boys, but very early for free education for females (the law only required it from 1876).
A free hospital service was provided from 1777, paid for by a local income tax, with beds sponsored by local shops.
Leith had electric street lighting from 1890, and electric trams from 1905 (only Blackpool was earlier in the UK).
The first public sewer in Scotland was built in Bernard Street in 1780; this simply flowed into the Water of Leith. The iron seal over the end of this is still visible next to Bernard Street bridge. The sewage is now pumped the other way (it was laid to fall westwards) to Seafield.
Hibernian Football Club have their stadium at Easter Road
Easter Road
Easter Road is a football stadium located in the Leith area of Edinburgh, Scotland, which is the home ground of Scottish Premier League club Hibernian . The stadium currently has an all-seated capacity of 20,421, which makes it the fifth-largest football stadium in Scotland. Easter Road is also...
in Leith.
The Utopia pub on Easter Road started a protest campaign against the Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling
Alistair Darling
Alistair Maclean Darling is a Scottish Labour Party politician who has been a Member of Parliament since 1987, currently for Edinburgh South West. He served as the Chancellor of the Exchequer from 2007 to 2010...
after the 2008 Budget
United Kingdom budget
The United Kingdom budget deals with HM Treasury budgeting the revenues gathered by Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs and expenditures of public sector departments, in compliance with government policy.Adjustment is achieved with the GDP deflator....
.
Famous people from Leith
- Adam ArchibaldAdam ArchibaldAdam Archibald VC was a Scottish First World War recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces....
- World War IWorld War IWorld War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
recipient of the Victoria CrossVictoria CrossThe Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories.... - Hugo ArnotHugo ArnotHugo Arnot of Balcormo , was a Scottish advocate, writer and campaigner.Arnot was the son of a merchant at Leith, where he was born 8 December 1749. He changed his name from Pollock to Arnot on succeeding to his mother's property of Balcormo, by Arncroach, Fife. He became an advocate 5 December 1772...
- Scots historian. Buried in South Leith churchyard. - Andrew BartonAndrew BartonSir Andrew Barton served as High Admiral of the Kingdom of Scotland. Notorious in England and Portugal as a 'pirate', Barton was a seaman who operated under the aegis of a letter of marque on behalf of the Scottish crown, and is therefore more widely described as a privateer...
, Privateer Lord High Admiral of ScotlandLord High Admiral of ScotlandThe Lord High Admiral of Scotland was one of the Great Offices of State of the Kingdom of Scotland before the Union with England in 1707.The office was one of considerable power, also known as Royal Scottish Admiralty, including command of the King's ships and sailors and inspection of all sea...
d. 1511 - Robert BartonRobert Barton of Over BarntonRobert Barton of Over Barnton was a Scottish sailor and Lord High Treasurer to James V of Scotland.-Sailor and shipowner:Robert Barton was a son of John Barton the sailor. He took Perkin Warbeck away from Scotland in the Cuckoo in July 1497...
, brother of the above, Privateer and Lord High Treasurer of ScotlandTreasurer of ScotlandThe Treasurer was a senior post in the pre-Union government of Scotland, the Privy Council of Scotland.The full title of the post was Lord High Treasurer, Comptroller, Collector-General and Treasurer of the New Augmentation, formed as it was from the amalgamation of four earlier offices...
d. 1540 - Eric "Winkle" Brown, Test pilot who has flown more types of aircraft than anyone else in history.
- James Cohen, BBC Trust Audience Council for Scotland, member.
- Sir Tom Farmer, entrepreneur, founder of Kwik-Fit. Philanthropist- owner of Hibernian F.C.Hibernian F.C.Hibernian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Leith, in the north of Edinburgh. They are one of two Scottish Premier League clubs in the city, the other being their Edinburgh derby rivals, Hearts...
- Colin GalbraithColin GalbraithColin Galbraith , is a Scottish author and poet. He has published one novel, one novella and several chapbooks of poetry. He is the Editor-in-Chief at the and an assistant editor at...
- author and poet - Dick GaughanDick GaughanRichard Peter Gaughan usually known as Dick Gaughan is a Scottish musician, singer, and songwriter, particularly of folk and social protest songs.-Early years:...
- prominent folk singer from Leith - John Gladstone - MPMember of ParliamentA Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
and father of William Ewart GladstoneWilliam Ewart GladstoneWilliam Ewart Gladstone FRS FSS was a British Liberal statesman. In a career lasting over sixty years, he served as Prime Minister four separate times , more than any other person. Gladstone was also Britain's oldest Prime Minister, 84 years old when he resigned for the last time...
. - John HallJohn Hall (Scotland)John Hall was the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, meeting in Burntisland in 1601. The Assembly asked King James the VI of Scotland to order a revised translation of the Holy Scriptures...
- the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of ScotlandModerator of the General Assembly of the Church of ScotlandThe Moderator of the General Assembly of Church of Scotland is a Minister, Elder or Deacon of the Church of Scotland chosen to "moderate" the annual General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, which is held for a week in Edinburgh every May....
in 1601 which asked King James VI of Scotland to commission a revised Authorised Version of the BibleBibleThe Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
was Parish Minister of Leith for a time. - John Hughes - Football Manager, formerly of Falkirk and Hibernian.
- John HunterJohn Hunter (New South Wales)Vice-Admiral John Hunter, RN was a British naval officer, explorer, naturalist and colonial administrator who succeeded Arthur Phillip as the second governor of New South Wales, Australia from 1795 to 1800.-Overview:...
- Second Governor of New South WalesGovernors of New South WalesThe Governor of New South Wales is the state viceregal representative of the Australian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, who is equally shared with 15 other sovereign nations in a form of personal union, as well as with the eleven other jurisdictions of Australia, and resides predominantly in her... - Robert JamesonRobert Jamesonthumb|Robert JamesonProfessor Robert Jameson, FRS FRSE was a Scottish naturalist and mineralogist.As Regius Professor at the University of Edinburgh for fifty years, Jameson is notable for his advanced scholarship in natural history, his superb museum collection, and for his tuition of Charles...
(1774–1854) - Scottish naturalist and mineralogist. - David Lindsay (d. 1613)David Lindsay (d. 1613)David Lindsay was of the twelve original ministers nominated to the "chief places in Scotland" in 1560. In 1589 as one of the recognised leaders of the Kirk and as chaplain of James VI of Scotland, Lindsay accompanied James to Norway to fetch home his bride. He was appointed bishop of Ross and a...
, chaplainChaplainTraditionally, a chaplain is a minister in a specialized setting such as a priest, pastor, rabbi, or imam or lay representative of a religion attached to a secular institution such as a hospital, prison, military unit, police department, university, or private chapel...
of James VI of Scotland and Bishop of RossBishop of RossThe Bishop of Ross was the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of Ross, one of Scotland's 13 medieval bishoprics. The first recorded bishop appears in the late 7th century as a witness to Adomnán of Iona's Cáin Adomnáin. The bishopric was based at the settlement of Rosemarkie until the mid-13th...
- buried here - Willie MerrileesWilliam MerrileesWilliam Merrilees OBE KPM was Chief Constable of the Lothians and Peebles Constabulary from 1950 to 1968.Willie Merrilees was Scotland’s best known policeman in his lifetime thanks to a flamboyant career involving disguise, celebrated court cases and tireless charity and welfare work...
- was at one time Scotland’s most famous policeman. - Eduardo PaolozziEduardo PaolozziSir Eduardo Luigi Paolozzi, KBE, RA , was a Scottish sculptor and artist. He was a major figure in the international art sphere, while, working on his own interpretation and vision of the world. Paolozzi investigated how we can fit into the modern world to resemble our fragmented civilization...
- Pop ArtPop artPop art is an art movement that emerged in the mid 1950s in Britain and in the late 1950s in the United States. Pop art challenged tradition by asserting that an artist's use of the mass-produced visual commodities of popular culture is contiguous with the perspective of fine art...
ist and sculptor. - Charlie and Craig Reid of the folk band The ProclaimersThe ProclaimersThe Proclaimers are a Scottish band composed of identical twin brothers, Charlie and Craig Reid . They are probably best known for the songs "Letter from America", "I'm On My Way" and "I'm Gonna Be ". The band tours extensively throughout Europe and other continents...
- Henry RobbHenry RobbHenry Robb, Limited, known colloquially as Robbs, was a British shipbuilding company based in Leith Docks on the east coast of Scotland. Robbs was notable for building small-to-medium sized vessels, particularly tugs and dredgers.-History:...
, shipbuilder. - Clarice Shaw (1883–1946), pioneering woman Labour Party politician and MP
- Chris SmallChris SmallChristopher "Chris" Small is a retired Scottish professional snooker player. His career was ended by the spinal condition ankylosing spondylitis.-Career:...
- professional snookerSnookerSnooker is a cue sport that is played on a green baize-covered table with pockets in each of the four corners and in the middle of each of the long side cushions. A regular table is . It is played using a cue and snooker balls: one white , 15 worth one point each, and six balls of different :...
player. - Neil SmithNeil Smith (geographer)Neil Smith was born 1954 in Leith, Scotland. he is a Distinguished Professor of Anthropology and Geography, at the Graduate Center department of the City University of New York. From 2008 he holds a twenty percent appointment as Sixth Century Professor of Geography and Social Theory, at the...
, Geographer - Unicorn KidUnicorn KidOliver Sabin, also known as Unicorn Kid is an electronic music/chip music composer and musician from Edinburgh. Educated at Leith Academy...
Electronic music/chip music composer - Irvine WelshIrvine WelshIrvine Welsh is a contemporary Scottish novelist, best known for his novel Trainspotting. His work is characterised by raw Scottish dialect, and brutal depiction of the realities of Edinburgh life...
- author of TrainspottingTrainspotting (novel)Trainspotting is the first novel by Scottish writer Irvine Welsh. It is written in the form of short chapters narrated in the first person by various residents of Leith, Edinburgh, who either use heroin, are friends of the core group of heroin users, or engage in destructive activities that are...
and other novels.
External links
- The Leither Magazine, a free-community centric magazineMagazineMagazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
covering news, culture, reviews and blogs from the edges of Edinburgh. - Leith Facebook page news and events from Leith