West Port, Edinburgh
Encyclopedia
West Port is a street in Edinburgh's
Old Town, Scotland
, located just south of Edinburgh Castle
. It runs from Main Point (the junction of Bread Street, Lauriston Street, East Fountainbridge and High Riggs) down to the south west corner of the Grassmarket
. Its name derives from the fact it led to the West Port, which was the only westwards exit from the city when the city walls stood, allowing one to pass through the Flodden Wall. The port (gate) itself was demolished in 1786.
of Portsburgh
- a burgh of barony
from 1649 to 1856.
The name West Port originally just referred to the gate itself, but can be seen referring to the entire length of the current-day street in maps from around 1837 onwards. Wester Portsburgh was still used on maps as the name for the same street as late as 1831.
Portsburgh can also be seen as the name for the same street in a map from 1836, however this does not serve to distinguish it from the eastern part of Portsburgh (Easter Portsburgh), which was still part of the same burgh at that date, the two parts of Portsburgh having their own administrative systems and baillie
s.
Salvation Army
Women's Hostel at the corner of the Grassmarket, The Vennel
and the West Port was built in 1910 and is C Listed. Edinburgh College of Art
, purchased and used the Hostel, in addition to the next-door Portsburgh Church, entered via the Vennel. Planning permission was granted in October 2007 for the two buildings to be changed to serviced apartments.
Portsburgh Square is on the North side of West Port, close to the Grassmarket and still bears reference to the old 'Portsburgh' and 'Western Portsburgh' names of the area.
rock, the site has been earmarked for redevelopment.
Evolution House, the newest building of the Edinburgh College of Art
is on the south east corner of West Port and Lady Lawson Street.
Plans have been unveiled for a new building to be constructed on the West Port side of the block between Lady Lawson Street and Lauriston Street, to be called Westport 102. This would be built on the same site as the old Post Office
headquarters, which famously collapsed during demolition, leading to several roads being closed in the area for an extended period of time.
. Acknowledging the mix of bookshops and strip clubs, they have christened the area as Edinburgh's Soho.
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...
Old Town, 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...
, located just south of Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh Castle is a fortress which dominates the skyline of the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, from its position atop the volcanic Castle Rock. Human habitation of the site is dated back as far as the 9th century BC, although the nature of early settlement is unclear...
. It runs from Main Point (the junction of Bread Street, Lauriston Street, East Fountainbridge and High Riggs) down to the south west corner of the Grassmarket
Grassmarket
The Grassmarket is an historic market square in the Old Town of Edinburgh, Scotland.In relation to the rest of the city the area is a hollow, well below surrounding ground levels.-Location:...
. Its name derives from the fact it led to the West Port, which was the only westwards exit from the city when the city walls stood, allowing one to pass through the Flodden Wall. The port (gate) itself was demolished in 1786.
Historic names for the street and area
Wester Portsburgh, as the West Port was formerly known, was the main street through the western part of the burghBurgh
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...
of Portsburgh
Portsburgh
Portsburgh was a burgh of barony outside the city walls of Edinburgh, Scotland from 1649 to 1856, taking its name from the West Port of Edinburgh. It extended from Lochrin in the west to Drummond Street in the east, and from King's Stables Road in the north to the Meadows in the south.The name...
- a burgh of barony
Burgh of barony
A burgh of barony is a type of Scottish town .They were distinct from royal burghs as the title was granted to a tenant-in-chief, a landowner who held his estates directly from the crown....
from 1649 to 1856.
The name West Port originally just referred to the gate itself, but can be seen referring to the entire length of the current-day street in maps from around 1837 onwards. Wester Portsburgh was still used on maps as the name for the same street as late as 1831.
Portsburgh can also be seen as the name for the same street in a map from 1836, however this does not serve to distinguish it from the eastern part of Portsburgh (Easter Portsburgh), which was still part of the same burgh at that date, the two parts of Portsburgh having their own administrative systems and 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.
Historic events and famous residents
- "In 1650, when an English invasion was expected, many houses in Potterrow, as well as the West Port, were demolished by order of the magistrates, that the guns of the castle, and those on the city wall might have free action to play upon the enemy".
- Robert The Bruce came into the city via the West Port
- James HoggJames HoggJames Hogg was a Scottish poet and novelist who wrote in both Scots and English.-Early life:James Hogg was born in a small farm near Ettrick, Scotland in 1770 and was baptized there on 9 December, his actual date of birth having never been recorded...
says in Confessions of a Justified Sinner that he had lodgings in Portsburgh. - Porteous riotsPorteous RiotsThe Porteous Riots surrounded the activities of Captain John Porteous, , Captain of the City Guard of Edinburgh, Scotland, who was lynched by a mob for his part in the killing of innocent civilians while ordering the men under his command to quell a disturbance during a public hanging in the...
started with a mob at Portsburgh. - The West Port murdersWest Port murdersThe Burke and Hare murders were serial murders perpetrated in Edinburgh, Scotland, from November 1827 to October 31, 1828. The killings were attributed to Irish immigrants William Burke and William Hare, who sold the corpses of their 17 victims to provide material for dissection...
were so named as many of the victims were tempted back to Hare's lodgings in Tanner's Close, off the West Port, to be murdered. - The "West Port Experiment" was a model for parochial engagement, conceived by Thomas ChalmersThomas ChalmersThomas Chalmers , Scottish mathematician, political economist, divine and a leader of the Free Church of Scotland, was born at Anstruther in Fife.-Overview:...
, with a church/school built on the south side of the street to facilitate this.
Buildings built in the 21st Century buildings and before
The Art NouveauArt Nouveau
Art Nouveau is an international philosophy and style of art, architecture and applied art—especially the decorative arts—that were most popular during 1890–1910. The name "Art Nouveau" is French for "new art"...
Salvation Army
Salvation Army
The Salvation Army is a Protestant Christian church known for its thrift stores and charity work. It is an international movement that currently works in over a hundred countries....
Women's Hostel at the corner of the Grassmarket, The Vennel
Vennel
A vennel is a passageway between the gables of two buildings which could in effect be a minor street in Scotland, particularly in Royal Burghs created in the twelfth century,...
and the West Port was built in 1910 and is C Listed. Edinburgh College of Art
Edinburgh College of Art
Edinburgh College of Art is an art school in Edinburgh, Scotland, providing tertiary education in art and design disciplines for over two thousand students....
, purchased and used the Hostel, in addition to the next-door Portsburgh Church, entered via the Vennel. Planning permission was granted in October 2007 for the two buildings to be changed to serviced apartments.
Portsburgh Square is on the North side of West Port, close to the Grassmarket and still bears reference to the old 'Portsburgh' and 'Western Portsburgh' names of the area.
21st Century developments
Dominating the northern side of West Port at its junction with Lady Lawson Street is Argyle House, built in 1968 to designs by Michael Laird and Partners. Long used as local and national government offices, it is now largely vacant. Cited as one of Edinburgh's 'ugliest buildings', but with an impressive prospect of Edinburgh CastleEdinburgh Castle
Edinburgh Castle is a fortress which dominates the skyline of the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, from its position atop the volcanic Castle Rock. Human habitation of the site is dated back as far as the 9th century BC, although the nature of early settlement is unclear...
rock, the site has been earmarked for redevelopment.
Evolution House, the newest building of the Edinburgh College of Art
Edinburgh College of Art
Edinburgh College of Art is an art school in Edinburgh, Scotland, providing tertiary education in art and design disciplines for over two thousand students....
is on the south east corner of West Port and Lady Lawson Street.
Plans have been unveiled for a new building to be constructed on the West Port side of the block between Lady Lawson Street and Lauriston Street, to be called Westport 102. This would be built on the same site as the old Post Office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
headquarters, which famously collapsed during demolition, leading to several roads being closed in the area for an extended period of time.
Edinburgh's Soho
The road is also notable for the large number of second hand book shops (seven) which line the street. These shops have recently clubbed together to celebrate this sometimes neglected street by launching a new book festival, called the West Port Book FestivalWest Port Book Festival
The West Port Book Festival is a book festival which is held in Edinburgh. It was run during the busy Edinburgh Festival season for its first years, but it now takes place in June. This year's festival runs from 24th - 27th June....
. Acknowledging the mix of bookshops and strip clubs, they have christened the area as Edinburgh's Soho.