Colinton

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Colinton
Colinton village.jpg
Bridge Street, Colinton in 2005
Edinburgh UK location map.svg
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Colinton
Location within the City of Edinburgh council area
Scotland location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Colinton
Location within Scotland
OS grid reference NT214689
Council area
Country Scotland
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town EDINBURGH
Postcode district EH13
Dialling code 0131
Police Scotland
Fire Scottish
Ambulance Scottish
UK Parliament
Scottish Parliament
List of places
UK
Scotland
55°54′30″N3°15′00″W / 55.90833°N 3.25000°W / 55.90833; -3.25000
The same street in the 1980s Bridge Street, Colinton (c.1980).JPG
The same street in the 1980s

Colinton is a suburb of Edinburgh, Scotland situated 3+12 miles (5.5 kilometres) southwest of the city centre. Up until the late 18th century it appears on maps as Collington. It is bordered by Dreghorn to the south and Craiglockhart to the north-east. To the north-west it extends to Lanark Road (the A70) and to the south-west to the City Bypass. Bonaly is a subsection of the area on its southern side.

Contents

Colinton is a designated conservation area.

History

Colinton in the 19th century 19thC Colinton.jpg
Colinton in the 19th century
Grave of Olaf Vennesland, Colinton Kirkyard Norwegian war grave, Colinton Village.jpg
Grave of Olaf Vennesland, Colinton Kirkyard

Originally sited within a steep-sided glen on a convenient fording point on the Water of Leith, and expanding from there, Colinton's history dates back to before the 11th century.

Close to the Water of Leith is Colinton Parish Church, correctly called St Cuthbert's Parish Church, which was founded as the Church of Halis (Hailes) around 1095 by Elthelred, third son of Malcolm III and Queen Margaret. The current exterior largely dates from 1907 but the structure dates from 1650. [1] The entrance is marked by a lych gate, rare in Scotland and more common in southern England. The cemetery (on the lower slopes to the south) contains the village war memorial. [2] One notable grave within the cemetery is that of a Norwegian soldier, Olaf Vennesland. [3]

The name of the village is first recorded in 1296 as Colgyntoun, meaning the farm of someone with the Celtic name "Colgan". [4] By the 14th century, it had become known as Colbanestoun. According to the Colinton Local History Society, it was named after a "notable resident" named Colban. The name was eventually contracted to Colinton. [5]

In May 1599 an English adventurer Edmund Ashfield came to Colinton and met James VI, [6] and in September another English visitor Henry Lee with David Foulis watched James VI hunting from the tower of the castle, then he stopped there for a meal. [7]

The village was occupied by ten companies of General Monk's Regiment (now known as the Coldstream Guards) on 18 August 1650 prior to their attack on Colinton Castle and Redhall during the English Civil War. [8]

The nearby 15th-century Colinton Castle, in the grounds of what is now Merchiston Castle School, was destroyed by Oliver Cromwell during his invasion of Scotland. Following repair, the castle was subsequently partially demolished by the artist Alexander Nasmyth in order to create a picturesque ruin.

Other notable figures with connections to Colinton include: Robert Louis Stevenson who spent the summers of his childhood at the manse when his grandfather was the village's Parish Minister; the philanthropist James Gillespie; and architects Sir Robert Rowand Anderson and John James Burnet, [9] who all lived in the village.

Redford Barracks Redford Barracks, Colinton Road Edinburgh.jpg
Redford Barracks

A number of innovative Arts and Crafts style cottages were also constructed in the village in the early 1900s by the architect Sir Robert Lorimer. Between 1909 and 1915, the War Office constructed Redford Barracks to the east of the village. The barracks represent the largest military installation built in Scotland since Fort George in the Highlands and they provide military accommodation, together with offices and training facilities. As part of the UK government's defence spending review, Redford and Dreghorn Barracks are deemed surplus to requirements and earmarked for disposal. [10]

The village was the location for mills producing textiles, snuff, and paper. The Caledonian Railway Company constructed a spur line connecting Slateford and Balerno in 1874, with a station at Colinton. This line continued to carry passengers until 1943, but closed altogether when the carriage of freight was discontinued in 1967.

Colinton Parish was amalgamated into Edinburgh on 1 November 1920. [11] As of 2007, it forms a core part of the Colinton/Fairmilehead multi-member ward for the City of Edinburgh Council.

Colinton today

Although now a well-established suburb of Edinburgh, the original heart of Colinton is still referred to as "Colinton Village", with small speciality shops and many original buildings remaining intact.

The Water of Leith in Colinton Dell. Water of Leith at Colinton Dell.jpg
The Water of Leith in Colinton Dell.

The Dell extends along the Water of Leith Walkway from Colinton Parish Church towards Slateford, and contains a mixture of mature and ancient woodland. It is a natural habitat for wildlife. The walkway and cycle path pass by original mill buildings and an old tunnel that dates back to when the path was part of the local railway line. Spylaw Park is situated within the area.

Colinton is served by Colinton Primary School, Bonaly Primary School, Firrhill High School. Merchiston Castle School, east of the village, is an independent all-boys boarding school.

The major route to the city centre, Colinton Road, runs from Colinton through Craiglockhart to Holy Corner, a part of Burghmuirhead between Morningside and Bruntsfield. Along the road are a number of significant Victorian and Edwardian villas, some of which were designed by Edward Calvert.

Publications

"Colinton Magazine", published by Colinton Amenity Association, is a full-colour A4-sized glossy publication which includes articles about the past, present and future of the village and surrounding area. Currently, copies are hand-delivered to most households within the area, twice a year. [12]

Monthly A5-sized title "The Dell Directory" is a sister publication of the various editions of "Konect" magazine distributed in West Lothian and south-west Edinburgh. Copies are delivered to 5,500 households across Colinton and neighbouring Craiglockhart and Kingsknowe. [13]

Since 2014, copies of “C&B News” have been distributed through a small number of outlets in central Colinton. Originally launched in 1976 as "Currie & Balerno News", this monthly, glossy A4-magazine also covers neighbouring Juniper Green, Baberton Mains, Currie, and Balerno along the Water of Leith. [14]

Congregational-focused church magazines in the area include “The Sign” (St Cuthbert’s Scottish Episcopal Church) and “The Parish Publication” (Edinburgh Pentlands Parish Church of Scotland, formed from the union of the former Colinton and Juniper Green churches in 2024).

Demographics

EthnicityColinton/Fairmilehead WardEdinburgh [15]
White90.1%84.9%
Asian5.1%8.6%
Black1.4%2.1%
Mixed1.4%2.5%
Other2.0%1.9%

Transport

See also Transport in Edinburgh

The following bus routes, operated by Lothian Buses pass through Colinton village and the surrounding roads: [16]

Famous residents

See also

These areas are sometimes taken to be parts of Colinton, or to be neighbouring areas in their own right:

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Rowand Anderson</span> Scottish architect

Sir Robert Rowand Anderson, was a Scottish Victorian architect. Anderson trained in the office of George Gilbert Scott in London before setting up his own practice in Edinburgh in 1860. During the 1860s his main work was small churches in the 'First Pointed' style that is characteristic of Scott's former assistants. By 1880 his practice was designing some of the most prestigious public and private buildings in Scotland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edinburgh Pentlands (UK Parliament constituency)</span> Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1950–2005

Edinburgh Pentlands was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, first used in the general election of 1950, and abolished prior to the general election of 2005. It elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Craiglockhart</span>

Craiglockhart is a suburb in the south west of Edinburgh, Scotland, lying between Colinton to the south, Morningside to the east Merchiston to the north east, and Longstone and Kingsknowe to the west. The Water of Leith is also to the west.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Water of Leith Walkway</span> Footpath in City of Edinburgh, Scotland

The Water of Leith Walkway is a public footpath and cycleway that runs alongside the river of the same name through Edinburgh, Scotland, from Balerno to Leith.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Redford Barracks</span> Barracks in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK

Redford Cavalry and Infantry Barracks is a military installation located on Colinton Road, near the Edinburgh City Bypass, east of the suburb of Colinton in Edinburgh, Scotland. The barracks are set to close in 2029.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Balerno</span> Human settlement in Scotland

Balerno is a village on the outskirts of Edinburgh, Scotland situated 8 miles south-west of the city centre, next to Currie and then Juniper Green. Traditionally in the county of Midlothian it now administratively falls within the jurisdiction of the City of Edinburgh Council. The village lies at the confluence of the Water of Leith and the Bavelaw Burn. In the 18th and 19th century, the area was home to several mills using waterpower. In the 20th century, the mills closed and the village now forms a residential suburb of Edinburgh.

Merchiston is a residential area around Merchiston Avenue in the south-west of Edinburgh, Scotland.

Bonaly is an area on the south-western outskirts of Edinburgh and the northern slopes of the Pentland Hills, lying within the Parish of Colinton. It is a mix of mainly post-war housing, woodland, pasture-land and heather moorland. Bonaly Burn has its sources in the hills above Bonaly and flows towards Oxgangs, where it becomes the Braid Burn. The Edinburgh City Bypass passes through Bonaly.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Juniper Green</span> Human settlement in Scotland

Juniper Green is a village on the outskirts of Edinburgh, Scotland, situated about 5.5 miles (8.9 km) south-west of the city centre. It bridges the city bypass, and extends along the foothills of the Pentlands. It is bordered by Colinton to the east, Baberton immediately to the north, and Currie to the south-west. It centres on Lanark Road, the main route leading out south-west of Edinburgh into the Central Borders. The village stands on an elevated ridge above the Water of Leith to its south.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Longstone, Edinburgh</span> Human settlement in Scotland

Longstone is a suburb of Edinburgh in Scotland. The area is primarily residential in nature, although the area includes several small shops, eateries and supermarkets, as well as one of the main bus depots for the city's buses. The population of Longstone was 4,678 in 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Currie</span> Human settlement in Scotland

Currie is a village and suburb on the outskirts of Edinburgh, Scotland, situated 7 miles south west of the city centre. Formerly within the County of Midlothian, it now falls within the jurisdiction of the City of Edinburgh Council. It is situated between Juniper Green to the northeast and Balerno to the southwest. It gives its name to a civil parish.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oxgangs</span> Human settlement in Scotland

Oxgangs is a suburb in the south-west of Edinburgh, Scotland. Surrounding districts include Caiystane, Dreghorn, Redford, Fairmilehead, Colinton and Swanston and Colinton Mains. The post code area for Oxgangs is EH13.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Slateford</span> Human settlement in Scotland

Slateford is an area of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. It is east of the Water of Leith.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dreghorn Barracks</span>

Dreghorn Barracks are located in Edinburgh, Scotland. The barracks are situated at the southern edge of the city, south of Colinton, and adjacent to the Edinburgh City Bypass.

James Foulis of Colinton, Lord Retfurd or Redford, was a Scottish judge and politician. He was one of the main investors in the Company of Scotland and their Darien Expedition.

Alexander Lorne Campbell (1871–1944) was a Scottish architect, who practised across Scotland. He was founder of the successful firm of Scott & Campbell.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Juniper Green railway station</span> Former railway station in Scotland

Juniper Green railway station was opened in 1874 and served the area of the then village of Juniper Green that now forms part of the city of Edinburgh. Although primarily built as a goods line to serve the many mills on the Water of Leith, a passenger service was provided by the Caledonian Railway using the Balerno Loop and after grouping by the London, Midland and Scottish Railway, seeing formal closure to passenger traffic shortly after nationalisation. The station lay in rural surroundings despite being only a short distance from the centre of Edinburgh and had been popular with families having a day out in the country.

References

  1. Buildings of Edinburgh, by Colin McWilliam
  2. "Colinton". War Memorials Register. Imperial War Museums. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
  3. Veum, Eirik (2019). De døde for Norge (in Norwegian). Kagge forlag as. ISBN   978-8248925033.
    • Harris, Stuart (2002). The Place Names of Edinburgh: Their Origins and History. Steve Savage Publishers. p. 172. ISBN   1-904246-06-0.
  4. "Origins". Colinton Local History Society. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
  5. John Duncan Mackie, Calendar of State Papers Scotland, 13:2 (Edinburgh, 1969), nos. 499, 1128.
  6. Joseph Bain, Calendar of Border Papers, vol. 2 (Edinburgh, 1894), pp. 562
  7. Cassell's Old and New Edinburgh; vol. 9, ch. 38
  8. JJ Burnet retired to 55 Woodhall Road where he died in 1938 "Three cottages, Woodhall Road". Dictionary of Scottish Architects. Retrieved 21 November 2008.
  9. House of Commons Library: Standard Note:SN06038
  10. ReDrawing Edinburgh: The Edinburgh Boundary Extension Centennial 1920 Project Archived 3 March 2021 at the Wayback Machine , City of Edinburgh Council
  11. "Colinton Amenity Association" . Retrieved 2 June 2023.
  12. "The Dell Directory" . Retrieved 7 July 2023.
  13. "C&B News – The volunteer-led magazine reporting Currie, Balerno, Juniper Green, Baberton Mains, and Colinton". C&B News. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
  14. "Colinton / Fairmilehead". citypopulation.de. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
  15. "Timetables". Lothian Buses. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
  16. Courtney, W.P. (3 January 2008). "Allen, John" . In Matthew, H. C. G. (ed.). Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/383 . Retrieved 3 June 2023.(Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  17. "302 COLINTON ROAD WITH BOUNDARY WALL AND RAILINGS (LB28580)". Historic Environment Scotland. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
  18. "Biography of Henry Cockburn". The Cockburn Association. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  19. McWhirter, John (23 September 2004). "MacWhirter [McWhirter], John" . Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/34826 . Retrieved 3 June 2023.(Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  20. "Spylaw House, 25 Spylaw Street, Colinton, Edinburgh, Edinburgh". British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
  21. MacDonald, Stuart (12 September 2015). "Cut down your hedge, Fred Goodwin is ordered". The Scotsman. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
  22. Cumming, Elizabeth (2004). "Traquair [née Moss], Phoebe Anna". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/38949.(Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  23. Paton, Roberta (2004). "Traquair, Ramsay Heatley". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/48896.(Subscription or UK public library membership required.)