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Inverleith

Coordinates:55°58′0″N3°12′50″W/ 55.96667°N 3.21389°W/55.96667; -3.21389
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Inverleith
Edinburgh from Inverleith Park
Inverleith is located in the City of Edinburgh council area
Inverleith
Inverleith
Inverleith is located in Scotland
Inverleith
Inverleith
Location withinScotland
OS grid referenceNT244754
Council area
CountryScotland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townEdinburgh
Postcode districtEH3
Dialling code0131
PoliceScotland
FireScottish
AmbulanceScottish
UK Parliament
Scottish Parliament
List of places
UK
Scotland
55°58′0″N3°12′50″W/ 55.96667°N 3.21389°W/55.96667; -3.21389

Inverleith(Scottish Gaelic:Inbhir Lìte) is an inner suburb in the north ofEdinburgh,Scotland, on the fringes of the central region of the city. Its neighbours includeTrinityto the north and theNew Townto the south, withCanonmillsat the south-east andStockbridgeat the south-west.

Like many places in and aroundLothian and Edinburgh,the name comes fromScottish Gaelic–Inbhir Lìte,meaning "Mouth ofLeith",as with Inverness, meaning mouth of the River Ness. Some documents refer to the area as" Inner Leith ".

It is characterised by its wealth of open green space. TheRoyal Botanic Garden Edinburghand Inverleith Park, in addition to the numerous playing fields owned and used by theindependent schoolsEdinburgh Academy,Fettes College,Stewart's Melville CollegeandGeorge Heriot's.The Royal Botanic Gardens' nursery garden, for growing and cultivating plants, is also located here. Within Inverleith there are very few shops and offices, and it is almost entirely residential and recreational in character.

Today Inverleith is home to houses often being sold considerably in excess of one million pounds sterling.[1]These include Scotland's most expensive penthouses, selling for £1.5m, and a recently renovated villa, which sold for over two million pounds sterling.[2]The houses are generally handsome and spaciousVictorianorGeorgianvillas with two or three floors, garages and quite large gardens. The residents tend to be employed in professions in central Edinburgh. It is convenient for such workers, as it lies only a mile and a half from the centre. Being on grounds slightly higher than the centre, it commands views of the Edinburgh skyline, includingEdinburgh CastleandArthur's Seat.It has one of the lowest crime rates in the city[3]and is a designatedconservation area.[4]

Within the area areFettes College,an independent boarding school, and thestate-runBroughton High School.Edinburgh Academy,an independent day school, is nearby in the north of the New Town.

The area gives its name to theInverleithwardunder theCity of Edinburgh Councilcreated in 2007, but this encompasses a larger territory including Stockbridge,Comely Bankand more westerly neighbourhoods such asBlackhall,CraigleithandDrylaw.[5]

Early proprietors

[edit]
Union House, on Inverleith Terrace, was built as aChristian Sciencechurch in 1911, but is now offices[6]

Inverleith was for over two centuries owned by theRocheid(sometimes spelt Rochead) family. It changed hands when a co-heiress, Mary (d. 1749) marriedSir Francis Kinloch, 3rd Baronet,of Gilmerton (1676–1747).[7]Their son Alexander (d. 1755) inherited the entire Inverleith estates, and changed his surname to become Alexander Rocheid of Inverleith. Alexander and his descendants spent most of their time in Germany, and the Inverleith estate was leased. In 1774,Inverleith Housewas built, to designs by the architect David Henderson.[8]Alexander's son James Rocheid of Inverleith leased Inverleith Mains at the beginning of the 19th century to George Lauder (1776–1824), Comptroller of the City of Edinburgh's Tolls, and the great-grandfather of SirHarry Lauder.[9]

Parks and gardens

[edit]
The Palm House in the Royal Botanic Gardens

In late 1823, George Lauder, described as the tenant farmer of Inverleith Mains,[10]agreed with James Rocheid of Inverleith to a reversion of part of his leasehold lands, 11.5Scots acres,for the site of theRoyal Botanic Garden,which had formerly been located onLeith Walk.Commonly known as "The Botanics", the new site was opened in May 1824, comprising a large and varied set of gardens or parks with a wide range of plants, from around the world, in the open and in greenhouses. There is a Chinese-themed garden, an extensive landscaped rock garden, a large palm house, and since its opening in July 2006, an official memorial ofQueen Elizabeth The Queen Mother,opened byQueen Elizabeth.It is maintained as a very popular tourist attraction, local leisure amenity, and scientific research centre.

Inverleith Park

In 1889 the city acquired South Inverleith Mains Farm from the Rocheid family to create Inverleith Park, adjacent to the Royal Botanic Gardens.[4][11]This includesallotmentsand a well maintained pond, popular for use by model boat enthusiasts and well populated with water birds and occasionally kingfishers. The park also the site of French boule (pétanque) competitions.Cricket,rugby unionandfootballmatches are played there as well. There are alsotennisandvolleyballcourts maintained by Edinburgh Council and a safe play area for toddlers.

The park has hosted the Edinburgh International Science Festival, and is also used as a viewing area for fireworks set off over central Edinburgh. Inverleith Park also plays host to an annual Foodies Festival.

In early 2018, the Kinloch Anderson Sundial that was originally gifted to the City of Edinburgh in 1890, was restored as the result of an approach from the Friends of Inverleith Park to Kinloch Anderson. The company restored the sundial to mark its 150th anniversary.[12]

The park has also played host as a shooting location for feature films such asChariots of FireandDark Sense.[13]

Sport

[edit]

A former home of theScotland national rugby union team,theInverleith Sports Ground(hosting international matches from 1899 until 1925 when they moved toMurrayfield Stadium)[14]is located off Ferry Road and is today used byStewarts Melville RFC.[15]

In addition to some public facilities in Inverleith Park itself, the wider area contains a large expanse of separate but almost contiguous sports grounds, most of which are associated to local, historic fee-paying schools like theEdinburgh Academy,Fettes CollegeandStewart's Melville College(plus those of modernBroughton High School), including the home grounds ofEdinburgh Accies(atRaeburn Place),Edinburgh Northern RFCandInverleith RFC,as well asThe Grange Club,home of theScotland national cricket team.

Notable residents

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^"House prices in Inverleith Place, Edinburgh EH3 stand at £1,049,244 on average - Zoopla".
  2. ^"The No.1 Penthouse at Pavilion, Inverleith".Archived fromthe originalon 19 February 2014.Retrieved23 April2013.
  3. ^"The Strategy for Justice in Scotland: Evidence Paper".21 September 2012.
  4. ^abInverleith | Conservation Area Character Appraisal,City of Edinburgh Council
  5. ^"United Kingdom: Scotland | Council Areas and Electoral Wards".City Population.30 June 2019.Retrieved8 November2021.
  6. ^"Edinburgh, 18 Inverleith Terrace, Site Number NT27NW 146".CANMORE.RCAHMS.Retrieved1 April2009.
  7. ^Index to Genealogies, Birthbriefs, and Funeral Escutcheons,recorded in the Lyon Office, by Francis J. Grant, W.S.,Lyon Clerk and Keeper of the Records,Edinburgh, 1908, p. 46
  8. ^"Inverleith House, Site Number NT27NW 27".CANMORE.RCAHMS.Retrieved1 April2009.
  9. ^The Ancestry of Sir Harry Lauder,inThe Scottish Genealogist,vol. LIII, No.2, Edinburgh, June 2006, pps: 74 - 87.ISSN0300-337X
  10. ^"Biographical Notes on Sir Harry Lauder".
  11. ^A window on sporting history: the first rugby match, Scotland v England in 1871,Andy Mitchell, Scottish Sport History, 10 August 2019
  12. ^"Firm celebrates 150 years by restoring park's sundial - Scottish Field".Scottish Field.21 June 2018.Retrieved22 June2018.
  13. ^"Edinburgh Film Map - This is Edinburgh".edinburgh.org.Retrieved22 June2018.
  14. ^"Scotland | Inverleith: the first purpose-built international rugby ground".Rugbyfootballhistory.Retrieved7 November2021.
  15. ^Stewart's Melville | Inverleith Sports Field,Tim's 92

Bibliography

[edit]
  • The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh,by Harold R Fletcher and William H Brown,HMSO,Edinburgh, 1970,ISBN0-11-490425-1
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