| Leith Building: Photos, Housing,
Property, Images, History, Docks, River, News Contemporary Developments in Leith, Edinburgh, Scotland
Areas incl. The Shore, Western Harbour, Victoria Dock & The Water of Leith 
 ;photos © Adrian Welch 26 May 2008 Leith History New Leith building: 'Love Leith' housing development, Salamander Street:  image © adrian welch 2006 Dr Bell’s Centre by Smith Scott Mullan Architects - Leith building:  Photograph: Michael Wolchover / Paul Zanre |
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Granton's buildings see base of page To reach Leith from the City Centre there are numerous buses, but to reach The Shore use No.1, 16 or 22. On foot it is quite a trek down Leith Walk but if you attempt it don't miss the famous and original Valvona & Crolla restaurant and delicatessen extraordinaire (new Valvona & Crolla restaurant in the New Town). Top of the Walk Further down Elm Row (the top of Leith Walk) is a theatre: |
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Margaret University Gateway Theatre 2000 Law & Dunbar-Nasmith Gateway Theatre - now closed Hypostyle Architects' Royal Mail building is on Brunswick Road, off Leith Walk. On the other side of the road is the former LRT bus garage - Shrub Place |
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Architects'
Studio, 378 Leith Walk |
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Property Centre, Leith Walk 2003 Smith Scot Mullan Associates |
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New
Kirkgate Shopping Centre, Foot of the Walk |
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| As most Scots
will know Leith used to be a rough quarter of town, actually a separate
city from 1827 until 1921: cabbies are fond of telling the story about the
Boundary Bar half way down Leith Walk (still there, opposite Pilton St.)
where punters would cross to the Leith side of the bar after the earlier
closing time in the Edinburgh end), but despite the continued presence of
the red light district, the area is now teeming with trendy loft apartments
and expensive restaurants. Aerial Map of Leith's centre - The Shore (right): Leith Map |
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| Leith is fortunate to have kept a sizeable proportion of old buildings and the area around the Shore is fascinating, helped by good refurbishments. Queen Mary (of Guise) had her base here, Charles I was fond of playing golf on Leith Links (1640s) and George IV chose to alight here (plaque on wall opposite grey ship) in 1822. |  |
| However, as you progress around the former industrial areas of the dock towards Newhaven via Victoria Dock there are appearing many new additions of questionable architectural quality. | |
| If you are
peckish Leith has a good array of quality restaurants: some, such as Fishers
Restaurant and Skippers
Restaurant need prior booking. I recommend Michelin-starred Restaurant
Martin Wishart,
54 The Shore, for sumptuous food in calm surroundings. If you look West along the Shore towards the Raj Restaurant you can see Coalhill: |
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Coalhill Housing, Coalhill 2001 Allan Murray Architects This Buredi housing project sits on the wharf side in a prominent position looking down the Water of Leith. The crisp white style is typical of Allan Murray Architects Phase II continues the barrel-shaped river frontage into the area of parkland to the West with a semi-enclosed raised podium to the south. |
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| Ronaldson's
Wharf Housing 2003 Dignan Read Dewar with Fraser Brown Mackenna The scheme is four to six storeys high, consists of 120 flats, with retail along the Water of Leith walkway. Close by is Gregor Shore's Crescent By The Shore 62 two & three-bed apartments, on Coburg St / Dock St corner |
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St
Ninian's Leith - resoration, Quayside Street |
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| Walk back down The Shore and cross the bridge; on the right is the former Customs House, Commercial Street, 1812 by architect Robert Reid (sadly closed to the public, used by the National Museum of Scotland as a store - see small black & white image to right, from McKean's guidebook), interior remodelled by William Burn, |  |
| Further
along is the massive form of Rennie & Patterson's Warehouses (for wine and
whisky, colour image to right) dating from 1810 and renovated in late 90's
to residential and restaurants. Commercial Street marks where the Leith
seashore used to be - Leith
dock buildings: take a right here Commercial Quay (pool with fountain; restaurants with attractive canopies) which used to be a Dock and latterly a cable storage area. If you continue up to the old Quay (the old shoreline) you find: Infinity, 108 Commercial Quay 2000 Arcade Architects Fresh insertion by Arcade into the old Leith Naval College; now moved 50m to West (below), amended entry for new owners Infinity. |
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142 Commercial Street Arcade Architects Commercial Quay Leith To the East is the beige block of the Scottish Executive: |
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Scottish Executive,
Victoria Quay 1995 RMJM Scotland Ltd Solid building in symmetrical three-storey shape possibly to recall warehouse that existed previously on the site. Scottish Executive Leith Head North through car park |
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Ocean
Terminal, Western Harbour 2001 Conran & Partners Ocean Terminal Shopping Centre |
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Britannia Visitor
Centre, Western Harbour 1998 Conran & Partners This building due to become the Cruise Line Terminal |
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| Guggenheim proposed 2002 Frank Gehry with Farningham Macreadie Partnership Scottish Guggenheim |
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Western Harbour
Flour mill (right) & newly-formed land: this area is being developed by Forth Ports plc |
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| The
Element Cooper Cromar Architects |
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Britannia Quay
- Lindsay Road 2004 Hackland + Dore Architects |
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Ocean
Heights, Western Harbour 2002- Holmes Partnership After Stewart Milne Builders discontinued their involvement, the new developer, Cala Homes, issued revised images 2001: Skyliner |
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Office Development,
Ocean Drive 2001- Terry Farrell & Partners Ocean Point, adj. Ocean Terminal, Leith Docks - only one half of scheme built |
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| You can return by the listed John Leckie Bridge - formerly a revolving bridge to allow boats entry - then right past the harpoon gun (interesting historical text, also horses used to race here along the Links) - and past the former Seaman's Mission, now a hotel: | |
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Malmaison
Hotel Leith An interior refurbishment for the Malmaison Edinburgh has been designed by Jestico + Whiles; Ferrier Crawford were executive architects with the original refurbishment being by Rob Hunter Architects in 1992-94. More images at Edinburgh Restaurants |
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| Adjacent
to the Hotel is Fishers
- darkly atmospheric pub with celebrated food - under the former Signal
Tower (1685, Mylne), a windmill then a defensive position in the Napoleonic
Wars (right). Leith was a walled town in the 16th century and the remains of Cromwell's Citadel can be seen half way along Commercial Street on the left (1560). |
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Proposed Scottish
Parliament, Victoria Dock 1998 Benson & Forsyth One of three sites initially proposed for the new Scottish Parliament: |
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Port of Leith Housing Association,
Constitution St 2002 Lee Boyd Port of Leith Housing Association HQ |
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| Telectra
House, North Junction St demolished late 2003 despite campaign by Cockburn Association |
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| a
full description of Granton is found at Edinburgh Buildings + Granton Harbour Granton Waterfront interview |
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Contemporary Buildings Edinburgh : back to index Leith Houses News Excerpts re Leith Architecture & Buildings: Leith Theatre Design revealed for tower at Leith Theatre complex, part of £9m scheme to refurbish/redevelop six historic Leith buildings incl. Leith Victoria Boxing Club, Lambs House, Citadel Youth Club, St James Church & the Hindu Temple Apr 06 Ciao Leith  CiAO won an invited competition from a shortlist of 5 practices, to design Leith Creative Arts & Education Centre for Out of The Blue Trust. The site is within a listed, former TA drill hall on Dalmeny Street. The proposals include flexible studio accommodation, performance & exhibition spaces, creche, cafe & a sculpture court. The design is inspired by monastic & souk patterns. Phase 1 is 500K and subject to Arts lottery funding. A proposed landscaped community park links to the adjacent building. 'It will fulfill vital cultural needs for the city'. Feb 04 Crescent By The Shore, Leith by Gregor Shore  Crescent Housing, Leith image © Adrian Welch Leith Community Treatment Centre Leith Community Treatment Centre: designed for Lothian Primary Care NHS Trust. The £;5.5m building by designlab went on site Jul 2002 with Gleesons as contractor, to complete in Oct 2003 Leith Bingo A Former bingo hall and cinema in Leith is to reopen as a massive Egyptian-themed nightspot. More than £3 m is being spent turning the historic building in Leith’s Great Junction Street into a luxurious haven for clubbers. Jan 02 Leith Skyhouse David Marks, who designed the London Eye, is expected to visit Leith later this week to investigate whether the area is suitable for his new affordable Skyhouse plans. David hosts a lecture on the London Eye in Edinburgh on Thursday. Councillor Elizabeth Maginnis, chairman of Waterfront Edinburgh Ltd, the company responsible for the regeneration project in Granton in the north of Edinburgh, welcomed Mr Marks’ interest in Leith. May 03 Leith Docks – The Future Forth Ports Ltd has submitted an outline planning application for a £19m development of 480 flats and offices on Ocean Drive, Leith - CALA Homes  Albert Dock, Leith image © Adrian Welch Up to 18,000 new homes - 5,400 family homes and 4,500 affordable properties - could be created at Leith Docks. The proposals are part of a draft framework, produced by Forth Ports in conjunction with Edinburgh City Council, which has set out a 15-year vision for Leith Docks. Also proposed is a new cruise liner terminal, an extension to the Ocean Terminal shopping centre, a major new civic space around the Imperial Dry Dock, and a marine windfarm. Leith - Assembly St  Sutherland Hussey Architects Building: Assembly Street Leith Views around Leith: Constitution St  photo © frazer hay Seafield Sewage Works  image © frazer hay Edinburgh Church Buildings Edinburgh Houses More Leith Buildings welcome: info@edinburgharchitecture.co.uk Leith : restaurants |
