'Leisure moments at the foot of Leith Walk'

Category

Library Item

Item no

4716

Title

'Leisure moments at the foot of Leith Walk', Edinburgh

Description

A boy wearing shorts sits on the railings at the bottom of a large stone monument blowing bubbles. A group of three men stand on one side of him in conversation, whilst another older man wearing a flat cap leans on the railings and watches.

Artist / maker

Grant, Richard

Date

1953

Size

20.9 x 16.4 cm

Type

Photograph

Location

Edinburgh and Scottish Collection

Item is dated 29th August 1953

Leith Walk in Edinburgh is a notably wide street running from the west side of Calton Hill down to Great Junction Street in Leith. It follows the line of a raised pedestrian walkway which ran along the top of an earthen rampart constructed to defend the city against Cromwell's army in 1650. In 1776 this walkway and the road immediately to its west were combined as a single, modern road. This road, along with North Bridge and Leith Street, provided greatly improved access to Leith from Edinburgh.

Leith is situated in the north of Edinburgh where the Water of Leith joins the Firth of Forth. It has acted as Edinburgh's maritime connection for many centuries, and continues to be one of the UK's busiest ports. It was incorporated into Edinburgh in 1920 having previously been a separate burgh. It is now home to the Scottish Executive's main offices, Edinburgh's Sikh temple, the Royal Yacht Britannia and Ocean Terminal, a large shopping and entertainment complex.

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Related subjects

Architecture > Monuments > Statues

People > Adults > Women

People > Children > Boys

Places > Edinburgh areas > Leith Walk

Places > Scotland > Edinburgh

Transport > Infrastructure > Streets