Silverknowes is a suburb 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...

, 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...

. Silverknowes lies to the northwest of the city. The neighbourhood contains over 2000 homes, ranging in size from bungalow

Bungalow

A bungalow is a type of house, with varying meanings across the world. Common features to many of these definitions include being detached, low-rise , and the use of verandahs...

 to semi-detached

Semi-detached

Semi-detached housing consists of pairs of houses built side by side as units sharing a party wall and usually in such a way that each house's layout is a mirror image of its twin...

 housing, much of it built during the mid-twentieth century.

It holds the EH4 postcode. Silverknowes is surrounded by Davidson's Mains

Davidson's Mains

Davidsons Mains is a former village which is now a suburb of Edinburgh, Scotland. It is adjacent to the areas of Barnton, Cramond, Silverknowes, Blackhall and Corbiehill/House O'Hill...

 Village to the south, Barnton

Barnton, Edinburgh

Barnton is an affluent suburb of Edinburgh, Scotland, located to the north-west of the city.It is home to the Royal High School of Edinburgh; the Barnton Hotel; Braehead House, a plain Scots Classical house dating from circa 1700; and The Royal Burgess Golfing Society, one of the oldest golf clubs...

, Lauriston

Lauriston Castle

Lauriston Castle is a 16th century tower house with 19th century extensions overlooking the Firth of Forth, in Edinburgh, Scotland.-History:...

 to the west, and 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...

 to the east.

History

Until the late 19th century, the area of farmland to the north of Davidson's Mains was known as "Randalistoun" or "Randerstoune". Early development was on the part of the Caledonian Railway

Caledonian Railway

The Caledonian Railway was a major Scottish railway company. It was formed in the early 19th century and it was absorbed almost a century later into the London, Midland and Scottish Railway, in the 1923 railway grouping, by means of the Railways Act 1921...

, which contstructed a railway line to Barnton

Barnton

Barnton is a civil parish and village in the north-west of England, just outside the town of Northwich, in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire...

 via Davidson's Mains. The former route lies to the south of the estate, and is now used as a cycle path. In 1934, Glasgow

Glasgow

Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...

 tenement

Tenement

A tenement is, in most English-speaking areas, a substandard multi-family dwelling, usually old, occupied by the poor.-History:Originally the term tenement referred to tenancy and therefore to any rented accommodation...

 builders McTaggart & Mickel purchased land to the west of the estate, which led to the construction of Silverknowes Avenue, Crescent, Drive, Hill, Loan and Terrace and Lauriston Farm Road. The homes proved popular, and building work resumed after the Second World War.

Housebuilding resumed in 1952 with the construction of Silverknowes Bank, Brae, Court, Eastway, Gardens, Grove, Parkway and Place. These later developments were to the east of Silverknowes Road, which connects Main Street to the Promenade. The road narrows as it bridges the former Caledonian Railway line, but the main road was later diverted with the construction of Silverknowes Road East, which connects to Ferry Road

Ferry Road

Ferry Road is one of the major roads of Edinburgh, Scotland, and is often referred to as an area in its own right. It runs from the eastern end of Davidson's Mains village in the west, to Leith in the east, passing through Goldenacre on the way....

. The remaining land was developed as Silverknowes Green, Midway, Southway and View. Silverknowes Dell and Neuk were constructed on land which had been left isolated by the railway.

The last farm buildings were cleared during the 1970s, bringing to an end hundreds of years of farming. The Lauriston Farm

Toby Carvery

Toby Carvery is a British carvery chain brand owned and operated by Mitchells and Butlers. The brand has been in operation for over 30 years. The chain is one of the most popular in the UK, serving 21 Million meals last year....

 restaurant was constructed on neighbouring Lauriston farmland some years later.

Amenities

To the west of Silverknowes is the historic Lauriston Castle

Lauriston Castle

Lauriston Castle is a 16th century tower house with 19th century extensions overlooking the Firth of Forth, in Edinburgh, Scotland.-History:...

 and estate. Open farmland lies between the northern fringes of the western half and 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...

 promenade. It is possible to reach the 18th century Cramond

Cramond

Cramond is a seaside village now part of suburban Edinburgh, Scotland, located in the north-west corner of the city at the mouth of the River Almond where it enters the Firth of Forth....

 Village using this promenade. To the east side of Silverknowes Road lies the Silverknowes Golf Club and course, operated by Edinburgh Leisure. The golf course stretches to the beach. Along Silverknowes Parkway there are also well-used playing fields.

Education

The neighbourhood lies in the catchment area for Davidson's Mains Primary and the Edinburgh Royal High School

Royal High School (Edinburgh)

The Royal High School of Edinburgh is a co-educational state school administered by the City of Edinburgh Council. The school was founded in 1128 and is one of the oldest schools in Scotland, and has, throughout its history, been high achieving, consistently attaining well above average exam results...

 in Barnton.

Previously, one of the primary schools serving the area was known as Silverknowes Primary. After its merger with Muirhouse Primary, the land was developed as housing, and now has the address of Silverknowes Eastway.

Transport links

Frequent Lothian Buses

Lothian Buses

Lothian Buses Plc is the only municipal bus company in Scotland and the largest provider of bus services in Edinburgh, Scotland. City of Edinburgh Council own 91.01% of the company with the remainder being owned by East Lothian and Midlothian councils. As well as serving Edinburgh, Lothian Buses...

 and First Edinburgh

First Edinburgh

First Edinburgh is a bus operator which operates in the south east and central Scotland, and was created by the merger of three companies: Lowland Scottish, Eastern Scottish and Midland Scottish to form a single company for the area and is part of First Group plc...

 buses link Silverknowes to Edinburgh city centre, continuing to:

Operator	Service	Destination	Daytime interval
Lothian	16	Colinton Colinton Colinton is a suburb of Edinburgh, Scotland situated 6 kilometres south west of the city centre. It is bordered by Dreghorn to the south and Craiglockhart to the north-east. To the north-west it extends to Lanark Road and to the south-west to the City Bypass... /Hunter's Tryst Hunter's Tryst Hunter's Tryst is the name of a long-established inn in Edinburgh, Scotland; it has lent its name to the surrounding area, near Fairmilehead.The inn, once well outside Edinburgh's built-up area, was a popular leisure destination and was a meeting place of the Six Foot Club...	10 min
Lothian	27	Hunter's Tryst Hunter's Tryst Hunter's Tryst is the name of a long-established inn in Edinburgh, Scotland; it has lent its name to the surrounding area, near Fairmilehead.The inn, once well outside Edinburgh's built-up area, was a popular leisure destination and was a meeting place of the Six Foot Club...	12 min
Lothian	29	Mayfield Mayfield, Edinburgh Mayfield is an area of Edinburgh, Scotland, about one mile south from the city centre, with Craigmillar to the south-east and Newington to the north. Mayfield is the also the name of several streets in the area.... /Gorebridge Gorebridge Gorebridge is a former mining village in Midlothian, Scotland. The village gets its name from the bridge across the River Gore, a tributary of the South Esk. It was once the home of Scotland's first gunpowder mill, at the Gore Water, commencing operation in 1794.Gorebridge has an annual gala day.... , Midlothian Midlothian Midlothian is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, and a lieutenancy area. It borders the Scottish Borders, East Lothian and the City of Edinburgh council areas....	15 min
Lothian	37	Penicuik Penicuik Penicuik is a burgh and civil parish in Midlothian, Scotland, lying on the west bank of the River North Esk. The town was developed as a planned village in 1770 by Sir James Clerk of Penicuik. It became a burgh in 1867. The town was well known for its paper mills, the last of which closed in 2005....	15 min
First	129	Seton Sands Seton Sands Seton Sands is a rocky beach to the east of Port Seton, East Lothian, Scotland. It is situated at the western end of Longniddry Bents and is part of the John Muir Way coastal walk.... , East Lothian East Lothian East Lothian is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, and a lieutenancy Area. It borders the City of Edinburgh, Scottish Borders and Midlothian. Its administrative centre is Haddington, although its largest town is Musselburgh....	20 min

Boundary change

In 2006, there were plans to place Silverknowes in the new "Forth" local authority voting ward. This outraged residents, who felt it would lead to the breakup of Davidson's Mains as a community. Over 600 objections were sent by members of the community and various local establishments, and Silverknowes became part of "Almond" ward alongside Davidson's Mains, Barnton and Cramond.