A History of the Craigleith Hill District

(Edinburgh) Scotland

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Home > History of Craigleith Hill >

Barnton Terrace/Craigleith Road

The present Craigleith Road extends from the Comely Bank roundabout at its East end to the junction with Queensferry Road, Groathill Road South and the entrance to the Craigleith Retail Park now known as THE QUARRY, at its West End.

This roadway has an interesting history. As mentioned above at its West end is the entrance to THE QUARRY the recently renamed Craigleith Retail Park. It is upon the old infilled Craigleith Quarry, now aptly named THE QUARRY, that the Retail Park sits.
From as early as the 1700 1870s, and 80s out of the quarry and along this roadway, would have travelled horses pulling carts laden with the famous Craigleith sandstone used to build many parts of Edinburgh.

The North side of the now Craigleith Road has some of the oldest recorded buildings.

The South side of Craigleith Road was open fields and building of houses on them did not start until the early 1900's.

Commencing at the East end of Craigleith Road was Comely Bank Nursery.

Immediately next to it on its west side was Craigleith Estate.

Further West along this road there was a path up to very large house named Craigleith Hill which was a pig farm. This pathway became Craigleith Hill Crescent around 1930's when the Craigleith Hill estate was built.

The terraced houses on the North side between Craigleith Hill Crescent and the garage were first built in the 1800's and were known as Barnton Terrace

The only other building along this road was the "Craigleith Quarry quarrymaster's" house named Ramsay Cottage built pre 1800.

Then there was a gap with a market garden which then made way for the present Shell Garage surrounded by the Craigleith Hill houses with only a walkway connecting these houses to the rest of the Craigleith Hill estate.

Finally travelling further West was a row of terraced houses built in 1902 by Adam Currie and Sons and named West Barnton Terrace. This row of houses terminated with a single terraced villa before a row of shops which were demolished to make way for the entrance into the THE QUARRY retail park.