Morningside, Edinburgh
Encyclopedia
Morningside is a district in the south-west of Edinburgh
, Scotland
. It is south of the areas of Bruntsfield
, Burghmuirhead
(including Holy Corner
, Church Hill
, and Greenhill
); south-west of Marchmont
, and south-east of Merchiston
. It is to the north of Comiston
and the Braid Hills
.
); the elaborately decorated Canny Man's pub (formerly The Volunteer's Arms) on the corner of Canaan Lane; and the Bore Stane, an ancient monument adjacent to the former Parish Church.
Also of note is the Streamline Moderne
Dominion Cinema on Newbattle Terrace.
d out; the immigration shortly afterwards of a number of notable Jewish people; a connection to the army of Oliver Cromwell
and simply the presence of Egypt Farm, nearby.
Another early street name of note is Cuddy Lane ("cuddy" is an old Scots
term for horse).
, writer of the Harry Potter
series of books; however by some definitions her house on Abbotsford Crescent was within the Merchiston
area. It stands close to the homes of fellow authors Alexander McCall Smith
and Ian Rankin
.
In fiction, Morningside is the home of Muriel Spark
's Miss Jean Brodie
, and in children's literature
it is the home of "Maisie from Morningside", a kitten in books by Aileen Paterson
. Prior to his death, the Labour leader John Smith lived locally and his funeral, attended by much of the British Establishment, was held at Morningside Parish Church, which has the longest aisle of any parish church in the UK. Fred Goodwin, former chief executive of Royal Bank of Scotland, has a residence in nearby Marchmont
. The Engineer John Begg was born in Morningside.
villas
(detached or semi-detached houses), plus a number of notable older buildings. Exceptions are the streets around Falcon Avenue and Falcon Road West which are also tenemented. The names of these streets recall one of the largest local mansion houses, Falcon Hall
, now gone.
; Saint Peter's Roman Catholic Primary School; Blackford Pond; and Morningside Library. There are a wide range of small, traditional shops, cafés and restaurants as well as some more mainstream shops and supermarkets such as Waitrose
and Marks & Spencer
; and there is an independent, family-run cinema, The Dominion.
Churches in the area include Morningside United Church (Church of Scotland
and United Reformed Church
) at Holy Corner
; Morningside Parish Church in Cluny Gardens; Morningside Baptist Church (Baptist Union of Scotland
), St Peter's Church (Roman Catholic) and the Old Schoolhouse Christian Fellowship (independent). Morningside Baptist Church
purchased Central Hall, Tollcross in June 2011. MBC are retaining their Holy Corner building but are leasing it out to the Rock Elim Church. The former North Morningside Parish church was converted for community use in 1980 and is now called the Eric Liddell Centre after the Olympic athlete who lived locally and attended Morningside United Church.
including the 5, 11, 15, 16, 23, 38 & 41.
The disused Morningside Road railway station
was closed to passenger service in 1962 when the circular Edinburgh Suburban and Southside Junction Railway
service was withdrawn. A local pressure group is campaigning for the station to be re-opened, possibly as an extension to the forthcoming Edinburgh tram system.
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...
. It is south of the areas of 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:...
, 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....
(including 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...
, Church Hill
Church Hill, Edinburgh
Church Hill is the name of a street and small surrounding area in Edinburgh, Scotland.It lies immediately to the north of Morningside and south of Bruntsfield; technically it is part of Burghmuirhead, together with Holy Corner. All of Burghmuirhead was once part of the lands of Greenhill...
, and Greenhill
Greenhill, Edinburgh
Greenhill is a small area of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland.South-west of the city centre, Greenhill is normally taken to be part of Bruntsfield, which continues to the north. Greenhill borders Marchmont and The Grange to the east, Morningside to the south, and Merchiston is west, beyond Holy...
); south-west of Marchmont
Marchmont
Marchmont is a mainly residential affluent area of Edinburgh, Scotland. It lies roughly a mile to the south of the Old Town, separated from it by The Meadows and Bruntsfield Links...
, and south-east of Merchiston
Merchiston
Merchiston is a prosperous, mainly residential area in the south-west of Edinburgh, Scotland. The housing is primarily a mixture of large, late Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian villas – several of the latter by Edward Calvert – together with a smaller number of Victorian tenements and...
. It is to the north of Comiston
Comiston
Comiston is a suburb of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. It is south of Morningside and west of the Braid Hills.The main road through the area, Comiston Road, is a continuation of Morningside Road, and further south becomes Biggar Road. It is classified as the A702 which indeed runs eventually...
and the Braid Hills
Braid Hills
The Braid Hills form an area towards the south-western edge of Edinburgh, Scotland.The hills themselves are largely open space. Housing in the area is mostly confined to detached villas, and some large terraced houses...
.
Landmark structures
Morningside landmarks include the Morningside Clock, originally in the middle of the roadway as the clock for Morningside Station (part of the suburban railway lineEdinburgh 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 elaborately decorated Canny Man's pub (formerly The Volunteer's Arms) on the corner of Canaan Lane; and the Bore Stane, an ancient monument adjacent to the former Parish Church.
Also of note is the Streamline Moderne
Streamline Moderne
Streamline Moderne, sometimes referred to by either name alone or as Art Moderne, was a late type of the Art Deco design style which emerged during the 1930s...
Dominion Cinema on Newbattle Terrace.
Historic planning
The area centres around Morningside Road — an ancient route from Edinburgh to the south-west.Street naming and local history
The names of several streets in the area follow a biblical theme, such as Nile Grove, Canaan Lane, Eden Lane and Jordan Lane. Jordan Burn which trickles out of sight under Morningside Road similarly adopts this same naming theme. Several theories exist for the origins of these names, and Charles Smith, in his noted history of the area, indicates that the historical evidence does not support a favourite theory. Theories include the presence of a large number of Gypsies at the time the land was feuFeu
Feu was previously the most common form of land tenure in Scotland, as conveyancing in Scots law was dominated by feudalism until the Scottish Parliament passed the Abolition of Feudal Tenure etc. Act 2000...
d out; the immigration shortly afterwards of a number of notable Jewish people; a connection to the army of 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....
and simply the presence of Egypt Farm, nearby.
Another early street name of note is Cuddy Lane ("cuddy" is an old Scots
Scottish English
Scottish English refers to the varieties of English spoken in Scotland. It may or may not be considered distinct from the Scots language. It is always considered distinct from Scottish Gaelic, a Celtic language....
term for horse).
Residents
By some definitions, in Morningside was a former Edinburgh home of the author J. K. RowlingJ. K. Rowling
Joanne "Jo" Rowling, OBE , better known as J. K. Rowling, is the British author of the Harry Potter fantasy series...
, writer of the Harry Potter
Harry Potter
Harry Potter is a series of seven fantasy novels written by the British author J. K. Rowling. The books chronicle the adventures of the adolescent wizard Harry Potter and his best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, all of whom are students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry...
series of books; however by some definitions her house on Abbotsford Crescent was within the Merchiston
Merchiston
Merchiston is a prosperous, mainly residential area in the south-west of Edinburgh, Scotland. The housing is primarily a mixture of large, late Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian villas – several of the latter by Edward Calvert – together with a smaller number of Victorian tenements and...
area. It stands close to the homes of fellow authors Alexander McCall Smith
Alexander McCall Smith
Alexander "Sandy" McCall Smith, CBE, FRSE, is a Rhodesian-born Scottish writer and Emeritus Professor of Medical Law at the University of Edinburgh. In the late 20th century, McCall Smith became a respected expert on medical law and bioethics and served on British and international committees...
and Ian Rankin
Ian Rankin
Ian Rankin, OBE, DL , is a Scottish crime writer. His best known books are the Inspector Rebus novels. He has also written several pieces of literary criticism.-Background:He attended Beath High School, Cowdenbeath...
.
In fiction, Morningside is the home of Muriel Spark
Muriel Spark
Dame Muriel Spark, DBE was an award-winning Scottish novelist. In 2008 The Times newspaper named Spark in its list of "the 50 greatest British writers since 1945".-Early life:...
's Miss Jean Brodie
Jean Brodie
Jean Brodie is a fictional character in the Muriel Spark novel The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie; and in the play and film of the same name — both by Jay Presson Allen — which were based on the novel, but radically depart from it in the interest of theatre and poetic licence.Miss...
, and in children's literature
Children's literature
Children's literature is for readers and listeners up to about age twelve; it is often defined in four different ways: books written by children, books written for children, books chosen by children, or books chosen for children. It is often illustrated. The term is used in senses which sometimes...
it is the home of "Maisie from Morningside", a kitten in books by Aileen Paterson
Aileen Paterson
Aileen Paterson is a Scottish writer and illustrator, best known for her series of children's books about Maisie the kitten, beginning with Maisie Comes to Morningside the title deliberately echoing 'Cotton comes to Harlem' by Chester Himes.Born in the Fife town of Burntisland, she then moved to...
. Prior to his death, the Labour leader John Smith lived locally and his funeral, attended by much of the British Establishment, was held at Morningside Parish Church, which has the longest aisle of any parish church in the UK. Fred Goodwin, former chief executive of Royal Bank of Scotland, has a residence in nearby Marchmont
Marchmont
Marchmont is a mainly residential affluent area of Edinburgh, Scotland. It lies roughly a mile to the south of the Old Town, separated from it by The Meadows and Bruntsfield Links...
. The Engineer John Begg was born in Morningside.
Housing
Most of the housing on Morningside Road is of tenement style, with surrounding streets housing mostly VictorianVictorian 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...
villas
Villa
A villa was originally an ancient Roman upper-class country house. Since its origins in the Roman villa, the idea and function of a villa have evolved considerably. After the fall of the Roman Republic, villas became small farming compounds, which were increasingly fortified in Late Antiquity,...
(detached or semi-detached houses), plus a number of notable older buildings. Exceptions are the streets around Falcon Avenue and Falcon Road West which are also tenemented. The names of these streets recall one of the largest local mansion houses, Falcon Hall
Falcon Hall
Falcon Hall was a large mansion home in Morningside, Edinburgh. It was built in 1780 by William Coulter, a wealthy hosier and baillie who served as Lord Provost of Edinburgh from 1808 until his death in 1810....
, now gone.
Amenities
Civic amenities include South Morningside Primary SchoolEducation in Scotland
Scotland has a long history of universal provision of public education, and the Scottish education system is distinctly different from the other countries of the United Kingdom...
; Saint Peter's Roman Catholic Primary School; Blackford Pond; and Morningside Library. There are a wide range of small, traditional shops, cafés and restaurants as well as some more mainstream shops and supermarkets such as Waitrose
Waitrose
Waitrose Limited is an upmarket chain of supermarkets in the United Kingdom and is the food division of the British retailer and worker co-operative the John Lewis Partnership. Its head office is in Bracknell, Berkshire, England...
and Marks & Spencer
Marks & Spencer
Marks and Spencer plc is a British retailer headquartered in the City of Westminster, London, with over 700 stores in the United Kingdom and over 300 stores spread across more than 40 countries. It specialises in the selling of clothing and luxury food products...
; and there is an independent, family-run cinema, The Dominion.
Churches in the area include Morningside United Church (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....
and United Reformed Church
United Reformed Church
The United Reformed Church is a Christian church in the United Kingdom. It has approximately 68,000 members in 1,500 congregations with some 700 ministers.-Origins and history:...
) at 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...
; Morningside Parish Church in Cluny Gardens; Morningside Baptist Church (Baptist Union of Scotland
Baptist Union of Scotland
The Baptist Union of Scotland is the main denomination of Baptist churches in Scotland.-From the 1650s to 1869:Baptists first arrived in Scotland with the armies of English republican Oliver Cromwell in the 1650s, who established small churches in Leith, Perth, Cupar, Ayr and Aberdeen, but they did...
), St Peter's Church (Roman Catholic) and the Old Schoolhouse Christian Fellowship (independent). Morningside Baptist Church
Morningside Baptist Church
Morningside Baptist Church is a Baptist church originally located in Morningside, Edinburgh.The church was built as a Free church in 1872. It proved to be too small so they built what is now the Churchhill Theatre and moved there. As the Holy Corner church was vacant it was bought in 1894/95 for...
purchased Central Hall, Tollcross in June 2011. MBC are retaining their Holy Corner building but are leasing it out to the Rock Elim Church. The former North Morningside Parish church was converted for community use in 1980 and is now called the Eric Liddell Centre after the Olympic athlete who lived locally and attended Morningside United Church.
Transport
The area is served by a number of bus routes operated 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...
including the 5, 11, 15, 16, 23, 38 & 41.
The disused Morningside Road railway station
Morningside Road railway station
Morningside Road railway station is a former railway station in the Morningside area of Edinburgh, Scotland. It was opened by the Edinburgh Suburban and Southside Junction Railway on 1 December 1884 as Morningside Station....
was closed to passenger service in 1962 when the circular 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...
service was withdrawn. A local pressure group is campaigning for the station to be re-opened, possibly as an extension to the forthcoming Edinburgh tram system.