Gorgie and Slateford Areas

Looking over the wall towards the railway bridge near the top of McLeod Street. The entrance to Springwell House is on the left.

Public Toilets at the foot of Ardmillan Terrace stand in front of Springwell House. These are essential for football fans from the nearby Heart of Midlothian stadium.

Originally a picture house, then a bingo hall, it's currently some sort of church.

The view up-river with Gorgie Road on the left.

Balgreen Road meets Gorgie Road here. Rocks are piled up to strengthen the flood defences here where the river is diverted away from its natural flood plain. Once upon a time it was used to power snuff mills in Gorgie.

Looking across the weir towards Gorgie Road. At the corner of Gorgie Road and Balgreen Road the river is diverted around the left edge of its natural flood plain until Roseburn.

After a brief meander around Ford's Road area the river runs parallel to Gorgie Road before a sudden bend to the left.

If you follow the canal route towards the city centre you'll encounter this second aqueduct over Slateford Road.

Under the aqueduct. The Water of Leith flows downstream towards the viaduct.

The Water of Leith Walkway leads straight ahead. A runner is about to pass under the railway viaduct.

September 2012. Some infrared photos of the Slateford area near the visitor centre.

Shot in June 2001 on a very early Nikon digital camera. The brand new Water of Leith Walkway is suspended here under the viaduct arch. It also has steps leading up to the canal aqueduct.

After passing the Visitor Centre the walkway continues under the Union Canal aqueduct and the railway viaduct.

The Visitor Centre. (The last few photos also in Water of Leith gallery)

There are steps down from the Slateford Road bridge leading to Wardlaw Terrace which continues to the right, parallel to the railway line. Stewart Terrace is the left branch at this corner. It leads down past houses built on the site of the old Ferranti factory.

There are some wooden buildings hugging the railway embankment across the road from the houses in the previous picture. The chimney does not belong to the establishment pictured here; it belongs to the brewery at the other side of the tracks.

At the north side of Gorgie Road there are some interesting back streets. This long wall runs along the north side of Wheatfield Place. It has Rota-Spikes on top to discourage intruders.

A closer look at the barred window and the disclaimer notice regarding those Rota-Spikes. I think the premises belong to a whisky distiller.

The entrance gate has two rows of Rota-Spikes and there are extra defences against those individuals inclined to climb lamp posts. In the background can be seen part of the Heart of Midlothian football stadium.

At the end of the street is Hearts' football ground. There is much maroon paint and even the stone chips in the tarmac have a red colour. Any green or blue colour would be perceived as alien by fans. Cairns Memorial Church sits next to the main Gorgie Road entrance.

The corrugated iron building currently housing Gorgie Mission looks rather out of place in Wheatfield Terrace. This is actually a listed building thanks in part to its rarity. Thanks to Gordon Hudson for this information and more.

Things are a bit more cheerful across the road at Gorgie Farm. This wall separates the farm from Springwell House.

Make of this what you will but it still makes me laugh Winning Defence TATTIE HEID indeed!

Infrared view of the railway bridge beside Wheatfield Road.

Not a very cheerful prospect but the area is undergoing some change with a new Tynecastle High School being built. (now completed)

At the other side of the bridge there seems to be some uncertainty as to what's going to happen next. These shops seem vacant.

Adjacent to Gorgie Farm is this establishment, nestling under the railway bridge at the top of McLeod Street. (It's now part of Gorgie Farm.)

A familiar view to those traveling west along Gorgie Road. Westfield Road on the right leads to Murrayfield Stadium and Stevenson Road. At the far end of the red sandstone city block is the former Pooles Roxy cinema.

Opposite Wheatfield Street is this trio of shops.

Back east along Gorgie Road, at the south side of Gorgie Farm. Built into the stonework supporting the rail bridge here is a gents toilet, long since disused. It contrasts with the new school at the back. It has since been demolished to smarten up the school entrance.

Roberston Avenue is behind the railway embankment on the left. Behind the locked gates (opposite the Station Tavern) the track leads to the train lines.

The track bends sharply to the left as it approaches the building.

Zooming in reveals the comparatively modern housing project called Slateford Green.

Opposite the gated track shown above is the Station Tavern and a giant Sainsburys. You can walk through it to the big car park at Westfield Road.

SECOND BEST proclaims the bright yellow lettering above this defunct establishment.

Sadly, another defunct establishment is rex Snooker.

Gorgie Road stretches eastwards towards the city centre. Robertson Avenue is up to the right.

Dave's Takeaway done in the Comic Sans font, once considered 'cool'. A bit of kerning between the T and the A wouldn't go amiss.

New flats at Westfield

Coming from Gorgie Road, Westfield Road makes a right turn towards Roseburn Street and West Approach Road. Continuing straight on takes you into Westfield Avenue. B&Q have been replaced by Wickes and the area is slowly becoming smarter in appearance.

The footpath could be a risky place after dark. I encountered some 'feral' youths on my way to Murrayfield ice rink.

No doubt the builders will tidy up after themselves. This could be a pleasant place to live beside the Water of Leith. April 2012: Footpath closed at the railway bridge for tram works. February 2013: The footpath has reopened.

Nature has colonised the drain pipe but there's a new door with a letter box. Is someone converting the former Gents toilet into a home..?

At the other end of McLeod Street at Russell Road some numpty, possibly from a rival football team to Hearts, has painted over the word McLeod.

Tenement flats with balconies quite near to Tynecastle football ground.

Tynecastle High School has a new building at the other end of McLeod Street and this one would appear to be disused, judging by the overgrown vegetation.

At the north east corner of the building looking west. Security fences and signs seem to be effective at preventing vandalism but windblown seeds can soon grow into plants and bushes.

Zoomed in for a closer look.

The building at the north west has wire mesh fencing and a security door added. Behind here is the North British Distillery Company.

A closer look at the entrance.

A contrast of different rooves. The tubular metal beams are part of the football stadium.

Gorgie Road in infrared at its junction with Balgreen Road and Hutchison Crossway.

Specialist businesses abound in Gorgie Road.

Looking up the street towards Caledonian Brewery from Gorgie Road. More pictures of the brewery further on.

A letterbox shaped picture of some of the shops.

Tyny by name and tiny by nature is this wee café near the top of McLeod Street and Tynecastle Football Stadium.

The railway bridge's colourful paint job still looks good in the spring sunshine. There is a closeup of the doorway on the left further up this page.

Nearly a year after the previous photos of the former Tynecastle High School and little has changed. Could this also be the fate of Boroughmuir High School after it relocates to Viewforth?

The gate is unlocked because several suited gentlemen were checking the premises out for some reason on the 10th of October 2013.

It's been some time since any gardening was undertaken.

The chimneys to the west of the school building belong to North British Distillery where whisky is made for blended brands. These are cheaper and not as highy regarded as single malt whisky.

Apparently e-cigarettes can be re-fuelled with e-liquid which presumably contains nicotine. It's probably best to quit smoking by going 'cold turkey' as we did in '97.

Beyond Sainsbury's flooded carpark could allegedly be the source of the Legionnaires' Disease which affected Edinburgh.

On the corner of Gorgie Road and McLeod Street is the Tynecastle Arms pub. The high school is opposite and Heart of Midlothian football stadium is just down to the right.

The previous & next few photos taken automatically according to the Autographer's algorithm and sensors.

A little art shop whose window always makes me stop for a look. It shows that Gorgie isn't all tattoo parlours and takeaways. Today (3rd April 2014) I saw lenticular images and a facsimile of the Declaration of Arbroath.

There's a uniformed policeman inside chatting to the woman behind the counter. 420 isn't the street number.

Could be a pleasant place to rest your feet and watch the world go by.

Wheatfield Road is opposite Robertson Avenue and curves round under the railway line and into a cul-de-sac. (There's pedestrian access to Sainsbury's big carpark at Westfield Road.)

I sat on a low wall on the other side of the street and failed to read the 'Photography prohibited' sign.

"the following items are prohibited and must be surrendered to Security staff before entering this site:- " (includes Bluetooth earpieces & MP3 players). Same pocket camera snap as above but cropped to make text (barely) legible.

The colourful ad for the film Rio2 conflicts with its background of a high wall with a high fence on top, topped off with razor wire.

A new shop on Gorgie Road caught my attention. Body Piercing, Tattoos and Jewellery I understand but I don't know what Custom & Flash applies to.

A closeup of the skull in the centre of the window.

It's unclear whether these are tattoos you can get done, or drawings of tattoos you can get on your face, should you be so inclined.

I said on Twitter that the human body already has ample orifices. However, if you want more then these FLESH TUNNELS will keep the hole open in the hope that it heals up.

Angle Park Terrace. Two unusual premises are on either side of Ardmillan Place. I guess you can trade themes here...

A very special paint job on the Childrens MUSIC CENTRE.

Nice to see this old fire station preserved so well and in use for funerals. A railway line used to run behind here but now it's just a footpath and track eventually leading to locked gates at railway land.

A wider view of the old fire station showing where hearses now replace fire engines.

Continuing west it's necessary to cross the top of busy Ardmillan Terrace to reach this overgrown bench at the entrance to North Merchiston Cemetery. Merchiston Townswomen's Guild provided the bench to commemorate their 21st anniversary.

Some time later I revisited this spot and photographed the ivy-covered bench in infrared.

At this rate the bench will disappear entirely...

Inside the gates of the cemetery.

The biggest notice of the four advises readers that North Merchiston Cemetery has been compulsorily acquired.

I've cropped the above image so that you can read the actual text with its bad grammar. The text on the NO DOGS notice is difficult to read for dogs or humans even although it's all in block capitals.

Inside a neglected cemetery you would expect to find old headstones leaning at dizzy angles or pushed over flat for Health & Safety reasons or as acts of malicious vandalism. Beyond the trees is St Michael's Parish Church at 1 Slateford Road.

For reference purposes a look back at the cemetery entrance. The lodge house is behind the hedge on this side of Ardmillan Terrace. Angle Park Terrace is across the junction which includes Slateford Road and Harrison Road (not visible in this picture).

The north boundary wall which separates the burial ground from Gorgie Farm. The name North Merchiston seems wrong somehow as it's sandwiched between Slateford and Gorgie and separated from Merchiston proper.

Peering over the wall gives this view of Gorgie Farm. Beyond is Gorgie Road and the former Tivoli Cinema to the left of which can be seen the railway separating McLeod Street from Murieston. The 3 arches carry the West Approach Road over Russell Road.

This view over the wall shows the western end of Gorgie Farm.

Another look back towards the cemetery entrance.

Looking over Gorgie Farm's east end toward Springwell House.

Another view of Gorgie Farm. A double decker bus is passing the former Tivoli Cinema and approaching the Ardmill junction.

The Caledonian Brewery lies over the wall. There's no access and it's necessary to go back to the east end to exit the cemetery grounds.

Low winter sunshine in February lights up the bare trees.

More flattened tombstones.

Visitors approaching from the west are directed to City Centre Attractions as they pass by St Michael's Parish Church.

Opposite the cemetery entrance. This is the view east along Angle Park Terrace.

To the left of the yellow painted shop in the previous picture is this quaint window display of chimney pots and old objects including cigarette packets.

A vertical shot of the window reveals that the premises are those of Auld Reekie chimney sweepers. With the advent of smokeless zones and the decline of coal fires, it's true to say that lums don't reek much any more. Auld Reekie was a nickname for Edinburgh when it was smokier.

Small shops have been converted into ground floor flats for a few years now since shoppers started going to supermarkets and minimarkets. These houses in Slateford Road are a good example of this trend.

On the south side of the main road, opposite the cemetery and west of the church there are some colony type houses with floral names. Violet Terrace and Laurel Terrace are to the left of this car park. At the back is the former railway line behind Harrison Gardens.

Primrose Terrace has this interesting brick building, complete with bricked-up windows. This was Weston's Biscuits factory until it changed to a 'cash and carry'. Thanks for the information to James McDougall from Australia who lived in this area until 1964.

Myrtle Terrace is where I spent some time as a young baby, my mother told me. Other local streets are Ivy Terrace and Daisy Terrace.

Good beer comes from here. I'm getting thirsty just thinking about it...

One of our surviving breweries. The beer is highly recommended.

'Caledonian Brewery Est.1869' says the metalwork.

Another view of the gate with the stone fronted cottage on Slateford Road.

Further along Slateford Road there's this view back to the brewery, with the railway lines heading north west to the city centre. Cars are parked in Wardlaw Terrace.

Slateford Road revisited May 2012. India Pale Ale (IPA) and other fine beers are brewed here.

From the bridge a long lens view north towards the city centre.

A wide angle view of the same scene shows the brewery.

Zoomed in on the brickwork and metalwork.

This attractive stone building stands on the north side of Slateford Road on the east side of the suburban railway line.

Just west of the train lines is a more recent housing development called Slateford Green.

This is the interior car-free area of Slateford Green. From the other (Gorgie Road) end it's circular in appearance as the two straight sections can't be seen.

This old gate is padlocked and also secured with cable ties because whatever used to be behind it is gone and there's an unpleasant drop to the former railway line below.

Moving slightly left from the gate above reveals this stack of portacabins.

The footpath to the left of the portacabins continues west to nowhere in particular. Once the path passes below Ashley Terrace it ends at a gate leading to railway sidings behind Matalan.

Looking down to the path from the other (east) side of the Harrison Road bridge. Infrared photo.

The Union Canal photographed in infrared from the bridge at the top end of Harrison Road.

Another shot from the footpath that runs parallel to Angle Park Terrace before passing below Harrison Road.

The path is really now a private road leading to the railway yard between Meggetland and Slateford Road at the Hutchison area. This is the view up to the bridge at Shandon Place / Ashley Terrace.

Cycling under some of the canal bridges has an element of risk, most cyclists ping their bells to warn other cyclists and pedestrians of their approach.

On the south east side of the train tracks there's a tarmac lane running parallel. A notice on this gate informs readers of its open or closed status. Another gate blocks public access to points beyond, next to a cellphone mast. A nearby path leads off to Meggetland and the canal.

A long lens view towards the city centre with Edinburgh Castle partly obscured by the electrical hardware.

Facing south across Slateford Road towards the colony houses and the Pentland Hills.

Three infrared views from the south side of the bridge. Shandon Crescent runs parallel to the railway on the left.

Zoomed in a little. Hermand Crescent is on the right.

In the distance is White Hill which overlooks the Bonaly area,

The Maltings housing development at Slateford Road.

The Maltings from the other side, facing south west.

Further north west, nearer the city centre.

Previously photographed bridge view - but I did it again because of a more interesting sky, and also because I've since had the same camera professionally modified to do only infrared.

From the corner of Ashley Terrace, a view of the Caledonian Brewery.