If there’s one thing you can say about Edinburgh, it’s certainly historic. Steeped in history, the city is the place of legend, myth and folklore. Some gruesome, some romantic, some just a bit more functional. All fascinating.
As you wander through the Grassmarket, Canonmills, the Pleasance or Holyrood… did you ever stop to think how the areas got their names?
Factotum has put together a short history of how some of our favourite Edinburgh neighbourhoods ended up with their names.
Canonmills
Up until the 18th Century, Canonmills was deep under a loch. The water was used to power a mill that was run by the Augustinian Canons of Holyrood Abbey. Literally, the Canon’s Mill.
Dean Village
The Dean Village name comes from ‘dene’, meaning ‘deep valley’. Originally known as the Water of Leith Village, it was the centre of a successful grain milling area for more than 800 years. It was a separate village from the city of Edinburgh until the 19th century.
Stockbridge
Stock Brig literally translates as Timber Bridge. The original Stock Brig was built in 1801 to join the village with the city of Edinburgh, although it was not officially part of the city until later in the 19th Century.
The Grassmarket
Dating from the 1300s, the Grassmarket was originally built as one of Edinburgh’s main market places, hence the name. However, the Grassmarket has a much more gruesome history. A traditional site of public executions, the square has also seen riots. Although don’t let this put you off – there hasn’t been one since the 1700s.
The Pleasance
The original city border at the end of the Royal Mile, the area’s name comes from the old Scots word ‘plesance’, meaning a park or garden. Right next to Holyrood Park, The Pleasance is now home to one of the Festival’s most famous venues.
Holyrood
Legend has it that David I had a vision of the cross on the site of the (now ruined) Holyrood Abbey in 1128. The Holy Rood, or Holy Cross, is a relic of the True Cross which Jesus was believed to have been crucified on and was owned by Queen Margaret, David’s mother.
Leith Walk
Leith Walk was originally a picturesque gravel walkway between the town of Leith and Edinburgh city. Forbidden to wheeled traffic or horses, this is where it gained its name. The site of the first Royal Botanic Garden before it moved to Inverleith, Leith Walk did not become a residential or commercial area until the 1870s.
Portobello
From the Spanish ‘Puerto Bello’, or ‘Beautiful Port’, the area did not always have such a pretty name. Originally known as ‘Figgate Muir’ (roughly translated as Cow’s Ditch), it was used as pasture land by the monks of Holyrood Abbey. By the 18th century, it had become synonymous with seamen and smugglers. The area quickly turned into a hub of industry, until its beautiful setting transformed it into a fashionable bathing resort by the completion of salt-water baths in 1807. The facilities once extended into a large open-air swimming pool. Sean Connery worked there as a lifeguard!
For more area histories and to see properties to rent, visit Factotum’s Area Insights.
