Morningside Street Names History: Here are the stories behind 10 of the roads in the Edinburgh neighbourhood - from Falcon Road to Nile Grove
They are road names that many Edinburgh residents are familiar with – and each has an interesting story behind it.
Edinburgh has a fascinating history dating back thousands of years, with evidence of a settlement in the Cramond area from around 8500 BC.
The city’s name comes from ‘Eidyn’, the name for the region in Cumbric – the Brittonic language spoken in the Northern England and Lowland Scotland in the Middle Ages.
At this time a stronghold on Castle Rock was called Din Eidyn, literally meaning ‘the hillfort of Eidyn’. As the Scots language evolved, the Din was replaced by ‘burh’, creating Edinburgh.
And there are plenty more clues to the Capital’s complex past in the names of the streets, roads, and lanes that make up the city, all of which come from a multitude of languages, backgrounds and people.
The name Morningside is thought to date back to the 17th century and was the name of a large estate, with the moniker simply meaning ‘morning slope’.
Here are the stories behind 10 of the road names in the neighbourhood and the surrounding areas.
Read more:
1. Springvalley Gardens
Springvalley was the name given to a villa built at the end of west end of Cuddy Street in the first half of the 19th century. Maps at the time show that there was a dip in the garden containing a water supply - or spring - hence the name.
Photo: Google Maps
2. Falcon Road
The various Morningside roads with 'Falcon' in their title are named after Falcon Hall, a mansion that used to stand in the area. It was built in the early 19th century by Andrew Falconer, a former Chief Secretary to the Governor of Madras who retired to Edinburgh in 1811. The mansion was demolished in 1909 to make away for the residential roads that still bear its name.
Photo: Google Maps
3. Stable Lanes
Stable Lane was created in 1840 to provide a news for houses to be built in Morningside Place and Dow Lane. It was named in 1980 to reflect its previous purpose as a stable for animals when the area was open ground.
Photo: Google Maps
4. Albert Terrace
Albert Terrace was the name given to a terrace of houses on the then Dow Loan to commemorate Albert, consort to Queen Victoria, who died a year before it was completed in 1862. By the late 19th century it had become used for the entire street.
Photo: Google Maps