11 Edinburgh remnants from back when Leith was an independent burgh
More than a century has passed since the burgh of Leith was amalgamated with the city of Edinburgh – but sharp-eyed locals can still find plenty of clues that the old port was once independent of the Capital.
The passing of the controversial 1920 Edinburgh Boundaries Extension and Tramways Act saw Auld Reekie fuse together with the old port and four Midlothian parishes to the south.
Leithers were passionate about the sovereignty of their town and voted overwhelmingly in favour of remaining separate from Edinburgh in two plebiscites held over the course of 1920.
Nevertheless, the boundaries act went through.
Here, we look at 11 remnants that serve as a reminder of the days when Leith was an independent burgh in its own right.
1. Leith Town Hall
Carved into the stonework above the police station at Constitution Street are the words "TOWN HALL". Built in 1828 (Leith became an independent burgh in 1833) this was the original Leith Town Hall. The building still contains the old Victorian debating chamber within. Photo: Contributed
2. Boundary markers
The old boundary between Edinburgh and Leith was well-defined and we can still see evidence of this on many buildings. This plaque, fixed to a tenement frontage in Albion Road, bears the letters E and L to mark the frontier betwixt the two burghs. Photo: Contributed
3. Leith Corn Exchange
Edinburgh originally had its corn exchange at the Grass Market, but, prior to amalgamation, Leith had its very own. The former corn exchange building is situated at the corner of Constitution Street and Baltic Street. Photo: Danny Lawson
4. South Leith Parish Church
Nowadays Leith is vast, but it once came to an end at what is now the Foot of Leith Walk. Consecrated in the 15th century, South Leith Parish Church is named as such because it really was at the south end of Leith and a full two miles from central Edinburgh. Today, we might consider it to be in north Leith. Photo: JON SAVAGE