While the buildings on Edinburgh's premier shopping street have remained mostly the same over the years, the shops at street level have changed a lot, with this block between Frederick Street and Castle Street seeing recent store closures including Debenhams and Next. The street itself has changed also since the photo of the old street lighting on Princes Street was taken in November 1968. placeholder image
While the buildings on Edinburgh's premier shopping street have remained mostly the same over the years, the shops at street level have changed a lot, with this block between Frederick Street and Castle Street seeing recent store closures including Debenhams and Next. The street itself has changed also since the photo of the old street lighting on Princes Street was taken in November 1968. | TSPL

Edinburgh then and now: See the changes to these six major Edinburgh roads over the years

Kevin Quinn
By Kevin Quinn

Reporter

Published 23rd Nov 2024, 04:45 GMT

In the latest instalment of our Edinburgh then and now series, we take a look at the city’s major roads.

Some of Edinburgh’s busiest roads have seen major changes over the years, so we took a look into our photo archive to see how much they have changed.

While some of the city’s roads like Princes Street and St John’s Road in Corstorphine have remained almost unchanged in terms of the surrounding architecture for generations, others such as Lothian Road and Gorgie Road have seen big changes.

While we also take a look back at the site of the start of the West Approach Road just before it was built, linking the city centre with Gorgie and Roseburn, despite the dual carriageway being originally proposed to reach as far as the M8 on the western edge of Edinburgh.

This section of Gorgie Road just west of Westfield Road, pictured in 2002, has seen major changes in recent years, with St Nicholas School and Willowpark School making way for new flats, with a new school, Gorgie Mills built at the back of the flats and the McDonald's restaurant.

5. Gorgie Road then

This section of Gorgie Road just west of Westfield Road, pictured in 2002, has seen major changes in recent years, with St Nicholas School and Willowpark School making way for new flats, with a new school, Gorgie Mills built at the back of the flats and the McDonald's restaurant. | TSPL Photo: National World

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The new flats now dominate this section of Gorgie Road, while an Aldi supermarket just east of where this photo was taken now occupying the site of the former Gorgie School which was demolished in the 1990s. It spent its latter years named Pentland Annex and acted as an annex/feeder for a number of other schools in the district, including nearby Tynecastle. It closed for good in 1989.

6. Gorgie Road now

The new flats now dominate this section of Gorgie Road, while an Aldi supermarket just east of where this photo was taken now occupying the site of the former Gorgie School which was demolished in the 1990s. It spent its latter years named Pentland Annex and acted as an annex/feeder for a number of other schools in the district, including nearby Tynecastle. It closed for good in 1989. | Google Maps

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St John's Road was named after the medieval chapel of St John the Baptist in the old part of Corstorphine village. This photo was taken outside Boots the chemists at St John's Road in September, 1980, Little has changed on this street since then in terms of the buildings and the general streetscape. And although the Boots store remains in the same spot, it is now surrounded by many different shops.

7. St John's Road then

St John's Road was named after the medieval chapel of St John the Baptist in the old part of Corstorphine village. This photo was taken outside Boots the chemists at St John's Road in September, 1980, Little has changed on this street since then in terms of the buildings and the general streetscape. And although the Boots store remains in the same spot, it is now surrounded by many different shops. | TSPL Photo: National World

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Boots the Chemists is still operational at St John's Road, although most of the shops around it have changed over the years, with this Boots store now neighbours with a Subway takeaway and the recently moved Corstorphine Post Office among others.

8. St John's Road now

Boots the Chemists is still operational at St John's Road, although most of the shops around it have changed over the years, with this Boots store now neighbours with a Subway takeaway and the recently moved Corstorphine Post Office among others. | Google Maps

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