As long ago as 1795 newspaper adverts were promoting Portobello as the perfect coastal getaway, with bathing machines for hire with “steady horses and careful drivers, bathing sands perfectly free from stones and danders, the water clear and the beach very retired”.
From 1846 and 1964 a railway station made it easy for visitors to visit th e resort, which was also home to a lido, an outdoor pool, a pier and a permanent funfair.
Portobello's popularity peaked in the late 19th century, but thousands continued to visit for much of the 20th century, particular from Glasgow during the two-week Fair Trade Holiday.
By the 1960s, the beach was perhaps best known for the amusement arcades and funfair attractions that ran along the length of the Promenade – with only Tower Amusements remaning today.
Here are 20 pictures to take you back to those times in the 1950s and 1960s.
Read more:
Edinburgh's Morningside: These 28 pictures from the 1950s and 1960s show the fascinating past of the residential neighbourhood
. Fun in the sun
Crowds of holidaymakers on Portobello Beach in May 1952 with the rollercoaster and funfair in the background. Photo: Unknown
. Summer holiday
Trades holidaymakers taking to the water at Portobello Beach in July 1958. Photo: Unknown
1. Summer holiday
Trades holidaymakers taking to the water at Portobello Beach in July 1958. Photo: Unknown
4. A dog's life
A family with a dog on Portobello Beach in May 1956 with the open air pool and rollercoaster from the funfair in the background. Photo: Unknown