Leith Area History
Leith area Edinburgh or originally inverlet ‘the mouth of the Water of Leith’ which was two villages one on each side of the river estuary North and South Leith which were first joined by a bridge in 1493 and the oldest building that remains is
St Ninian’s at the shore. Leith was chartered to Edinburgh by Robert the Bruce in 1329 giving the powers of Edinburgh control of Leith. In 1920 Leith became a part of Edinburgh.​
​The Leith Area Timeline
The first recorded mention of Leith was in 1143, when the area near the river estuary was granted to the Holyrood monks by David I. Known by the name Inverlet. Edward II mentions Leith in 1313 before the Battle of Bannockburn.
The incorporation of institution of the Mariners’ happened in Leith 1380. Leith became a ship building area circa 1520.
The French invaded Leith in 1548 for 12 years they took control. Finally in 1560 after many battles and a siege the French left Leith in the wake of destroying what they could.
Mary Queen of Scots returned to Scotland from France in 1560 at the shore in Leith.
The final outbreak of the black death or bubonic plague, (a acquired from the bite of an infected flea) took hold in Edinburgh and Leith, 1645. With circa 2,600 deaths of people living in South Leith (75% of the population). Huts were built on Leith Links where whole families were isolate to reduce the spread of infection.
​Leith Area 17th Century On
The Bank of Leith opened in 1806 with its own Leith currency.
King George IV set foot on Scottish soil at the Shore invited by
Sir Walter Scott in 1822. The “Leith Act” was passed by Parliament in 1827.
James Simpson (1830–1894) was a highly influential 19th-century Scottish architect who served as the
Burgh Assessor and Town Architect of Leith. He designed Leith and its important buildings.
Leith Nautical College was opened in 1855 the building resembling a ship. The Leith Improvement Act was passed in 1880.
A free home for retired Sailors’ was built in 1883 at the Shore. Now the building is a Hotel. The first trains arrived in Leith when Leith Central station opened at the junction of Leith Walk and Duke Street in 1903.
Finally Leith became a part of Edinburgh in 1920.
​Leith Town Hall and Sheriff Court
The Town Hall and Sheriff Court on the corner of Constitution Street and Queens Charlotte Street was built in 1828.
A New Town Hall was open in 1929 after Leith joined Edinburgh but was nearly destroyed by bombings in 1941 during
World War II. The Town Hall was Converted to police and burgh offices in 1868, becoming the Leith Police headquarters. Merging with Edinburgh Police in 1920 when Leith became part of Edinburgh.
Leith Whisky Area
In Leith S. M. J. & Co (established 1840, incorporated 1899) was a historic cooperage and warehousing company of Leith, 5-6 Maritime Street, which served as their headquarters and bonded warehouse.
They were a coopers, making wooden barrels for the whisky and wine industry in Leith.
Robertson Sanderson & Co 11-14 Maritime Street (previously Quality Street until 1967) Original building 11 and 12 was built 1892 as a warehouse in 1900 13 + 14 were added for a wine and spirit merchant Robertson Sanderson & Co.
The Renaissance-style architecture, of 13 – 14 features a dome, ashlar frontage. Acanthus leaves and grapes, and the head of Bacchus, the Roman god of wine.
Two shields one with (R.S. & Co Ltd). And the other (EST’D 1846).
In May 1863 William Sanderson after obtaining licences made his first recipe.
A whisky mixture of Glenlivet, Pitlochry and grain whiskies. In 1822 he put samples of almost one hundred of his blends in separate small numbered vats and invited experts to choose which they liked the best. All chose the vat numbered 69.
Sanderson’s VAT69 became the premier grade blend of Sanderson’s.
North British Distillery in Gorgie Edinburgh Grain Whisky producer which is still open and working today was Established in 1885 by William Sanderson​
Golf on Leith Links
The first International golf match took place in 1682, between Scotland and England on Leith Links, more of the match can be read on The Royal Mile Golfers’ land. Scotland won the match.
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The Honourable Golfers members would meet in Luckie Clephan's Tavern using it as a club house.
In 1768, the Hon Company built a clubhouse called 'the Golf House', which they used along with the Leith Thistle Golf Club. The Club House was on the land the Leith Academy building stands. The clubhouse closed and was sold due to lack of funds in 1833 to pay the debts. In 1836 the Honourable Company of Gentlemen Golfers moved to Musselburgh in 1836.
Leith Links Edinburgh
The Rules of Golf Were First Written and played
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The beginning of golf to rules was when John Rattray wrote the 13 rules in a book and signed them. Not discovered until 1937 when a member of the Company of Gentlemen Golfers at Edinburgh, on looking through old minutes of previous club meetings found rules written at the back of a book. The book contained now to be known as the original rules of golf signed by John Rattray the club captain at that time 7th March 1744.