Draft:Edinburgh's Southside

• Comment: Not sure why headers are boldened (along with having references and reading like they're part of an essay). Article reads more like an essay. Furthermore, please include inline citations to prove all of your claims. Setergh (talk) 12:40, 21 April 2025 (UTC)

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Edinburgh's Southside

The Southside district of Scotland's capital city, Edinburgh, although it ranks behind both the 'Old Town' and the 'New Town' areas of the city in terms of tourist interest "is one of the most fascinating districts of Edinburgh". Its designation in 1975 by the City Council, as a Conservation Area recognised it as "one of the most historically and architecturally important parts of Edinburgh with a rich mixture of stages of development and an abundance of heritage interest".

Since Edinburgh's creation as a royal burgh in 1124, its growth established new neighbourhoods and the Southside developed over 400 years until, in Victorian Edinburgh, industrial growth had attracted rural migrants and Irish and European immigrants. High density tenement housing was built where generations of close-knit family groups lived together and the Southside housed much of Edinburgh's working class for 150 years before the development of public housing in new estates on the outskirts of the city.

There were huge changes in the 20th century and following the Second World War, the area was threatened by destruction in order to expand the university and create a new road system. Owing to changes in planning ideology, the area was largely saved and rebuilt and it now houses an international student population,

"Despite the many changes to the South Side; the history, architectural heritage and mix of communities in the area make it one of the most significant parts of the city.".

'Southside' or 'South side'?

Since the 1970s, the single word variant of the area's name has replaced the two-word version. In 1998, Edinburgh Council defined Ward 33 as 'Southside', and in 2007 as the combined 'Southside/Newington' ward. The Southside Community Council, the Southside Association and the Southside Heritage Group all now use the single word. A significant remaining two-word use is the City of Edinburgh Council 'South Side Conservation Area', established in 1975. This article uses the single word in describing the area and uses the two-word variant when quoting original documents.

Where is Edinburgh's Southside?

Southside Community Council Area

The north boundary is the 'south back of Canongate', the eastern boundary is the east end of Holyrood Road (now at the Scottish Parliament), Holyrood Park and The Dumbiedykes, the west extends from Forrest Road (and, by implication, George IV Bridge) south through George Square, Buccleuch Street, Hope Park Crescent, Sciennes and the parallel Causewayside. From Causewayside, the southern boundary extends east through Salisbury Road and Holyrood Park Road to Holyrood Park, encompassing St Leonard's. These boundaries reflect the original qualifying addresses for membership to the Southside Community Centre when it opened in 1987, under the constitution of that time and the Southside Association constitution of 1972.

In her book Edinburgh's Southside - History, People, Memories, the author defines the area as "bounded on the north by the Royal Mile (but not including the Royal Mile itself); on the west by George IV Bridge, Forrest Road and Middle Meadow Walk; on the south by West Preston Street, East Preston Street and Holyrood Park Road; and on the east by the boundary with Holyrood Park to the foot of Holyrood Road".

As of 2025 City of Edinburgh Council Ward boundaries split the Southside over two council wards - Southside / Newington and City Centre. The former combines two highly contrasting housing types, populations and commercial establishments as well as extending to Liberton in the South and Morningside to the West, both of which are considerably outwith the recognised Southside boundaries. The City Centre Ward includes part of the Southside but also most of Edinburgh's New Town in the north, which is well-defined as a unique development of Edinburgh. The former South Side wards of George Square and St Leonard's broadly coincide with the definition used for this Wikipedia entry. The closest official mapping to the traditional view of Edinburgh's Southside is the map view at EH8 9 Postcode Sector

Establishment and development of the Southside

The earliest growth to the south was a result of "the Old Town having become so overcrowded and confined within its ancient boundary and defensive walls” which had been built to protect the citizens following the defeat of the Scots army at Flodden in 1513. COMMERCE!!!!!**** The South Bridge opened in 1788 improving connections to the Southside from the Old Town. The opening in 1836 of George IV Bridge to the west of South Bridge further increased commercial links with the Royal Mile and to the New Town. At its eastern boundary, Holyrood Park and, to the west, The Meadows, the Southside had large open areas within the city.

The construction of George Square in 1766, with its large terraced houses overlooking private gardens was to ease overcrowding in the Old Town. Prior to this there were few dwellings in the Southside because it was not easily accessible from the Old Town. The completion of South Bridge in 1788 brought the Southside within easy reach for vehicles and pedestrians. The following 100 years saw the establishment of factories and other workplaces and the resulting increase in population led to the rapid construction of tenements; high-density living, with multiple flats crammed into a single building.

	Associated With	Event
1514 - 1560	Town Wall	Flodden Wall built, after defeat by the English at the Battle of Flodden in 1513.
1582	University	Edinburgh University is founded.
1628 - 1636	Town Wall	Telfer Wall is built to extend the town walls with ports (gates) opened to The Pleasance and Buccleuch Street.
1621	Meadows	Edinburgh water originally supplied from the Boroughloch now supplied from Comiston.
1647	Development	James Gordon of Rothemay's map depicts scattered private houses and a substantial amount of development around Potterrow and The Pleasance.
1722	Meadows	Thomas Hope (Baronet) ordered greater drainage of the Boroughloch.
1734	Hermits and Termits	House built in St Leonard's for historical artist David Scott, RSA.
1746	Pear Tree House	William Reid leased ground from Lady Nicolson to build a property now known as Pear Tree House.
1750	Chapel House	Listed building in West Nicolson Street built.
1760s	Housing development	Adam, Argyll and Brown Squares developed.
1764	Connections	Nicolson Street built.
1764	Development	Academy for the deaf and dumb established. The name 'Dumbiedykes' is based on this house in St Leonard's.
1766	Housing development	George Square, the first residential group of houses in the Southside, built.
1772	Connections	North Bridge built.
1775	Industry	James Pillans started his printing business in Nicolson Street.
1780	Industry	Birth of Thomas Nelson - Publisher and Printer.
1782	Industry	Birth of Andrew Usher Sr. - Brewer.
1788	Connections	South Bridge built.
1794	Expansion	Nicolson Street extended to Clerk Street.
1800	Housing development	St Patrick Square and Montague and Rankeillor Streets built.
1804 - 1818	Housing Development	Arthur Street, Salisbury Street, Brown Street, Carnegie Street and Beaumont Place built. Forbes Street and St. Leonard's Hill were built a little later.
1813	Industry	Whisky and distillery business started by Andrew Usher.
1830	Housing Development	Development south to West Mayfield.
1831	Industry	St. Leonard's Railway Station Edinburgh and Dalkeith Railway opened.
1836	Connections	George IV Bridge completed.
1845	Industry	New Nelsons factory opened in Hope Park with 600 employees
1850-1870	Housing Development	Hope Park Terrace, Lutton Place and Bernard Terrace completed.
1850	Industry	Thomas Nelson II invents the Rotary Press and in 1851, it is exhibited at the 'Great Exhibition' in London
1853	Industry	Ushers produce and market the first ever blended whisky named 'Old Vatted Glenlivet'.
1859	Industry	Bertrams engineers move to larger premises in Sciennes which they occupied for more than a century.
1859	Industry	Ushers open the largest whisky warehouse in the world at St Leonard's.
1875	Leisure	First football match between Heart of Midlothian and Hibernian held in the East Meadows on Christmas Day.
1880	Industry	New Nelsons factory opened at Parkside Works.
1897	University	McEwan Hall handed over to Edinburgh University.
1900	Civic Gift	Usher Hall completed and handed over to the city.
1913	Civic Gift	Nelson Hall opened to the public
1919	Industry	Bernard Terrace work created as Pillans and Wilson company premises.
1939	War activity	500 allotments created in the Meadows - the last evidence of them was removed by 1966
1968	Industry	Nelsons printing and Binding works and other interests sold to Morrison and Gibb
1980	Industry	Bertrams business closed and factory demolished
1981	Industry	Ushers Park Brewery closed

Notable public buildings in the Southside

The Southside has examples of Georgian and Victorian architecture and structures from the previous 300 years. Although many historic buildings were demolished in the 20th century, there are streets and public buildings remaining which act as a reminder of its past as a bustling industrial area and its impact on Edinburgh as a cultural district. The designation of the Southside in 1975 as a conservation area was indicative of the city recognising the importance of the remaining buildings.

• Archers' Hall: Opened in 1777 in Buccleuch Parish, it is the home of the sovereign's bodyguard in Scotland.
• Bedlam Theatre: (completed in 1848 for the New North Free Church) : Closed as a church in 1941, has been a major venue for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe since 1980.
• [1]Buccleuch Free Church: Opened in 1856, it has a spire 174 feet high, getting it into the top 20 of the tallest buildings in Edinburgh
• Buccleuch Parish Church: Now St Andrew's Orthodox Church, was opened in 1756 as St Cuthbert's Chapel of Ease. In 1763, the ground around the chapel was made available for burials. One of the famous figures buried here is Deacon Brodie, respected citizen by day and housebreaker by night who was hanged at the Tolbooth in 1788.
• Buccleuch Place: As with George Square, Buccleuch Place was built by James Brown around 1766 and is reminiscent of the tall 'lands' of the Old Town. Opposite the end of Buccleuch Place was Buccleuch Pend where, in 1787, Robert Burns lodged with Willie Nicol, the High School classics master.
• Central Mosque: Stone-built on land provided by the council. Opened in 1998 after 6 years in construction .
• Chambers Street Museum: Opened in 1866 and now, after combining other buildings, is known as the National Museum of Scotland. It is today one of Edinburgh's major tourist attractions.
• Chapel House : Built around 1750 and acquired by Andrew Melrose, founder of Melrose & Co. Tea and Coffee merchants as both a family home and for his thirty apprentices. On his death in 1855, the house became the Royal Maternity and Lying-In Hospital. It was here that Professor James Young Simpson first made use of chloroform in maternity cases.
• 'Dick Vet' - Summerhall: Founded by William Dick in 1823, The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, affectionately known to all as the Dick Vet, was located at Summerhall from 1916 to 2011, moving to the new building in the Southside from Clyde Street off St Andrew Square in central Edinburgh.
• Edinburgh Festival Theatre: The former 'Empire' theatre, opened in 1892, although there has been a theatre on that site since 1830.
• George Square: Developed from 1766, the aristocracy began to look towards moving to houses in this new suburb beyond the city wall. Notable residents were Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Sir Walter Scott. Only the west side remains intact.
• Heriot-Watt University: Established in 1821,it was a College until its charter as a university in 1966. It was located in Chambers Street before a move to the outskirts of town in 1992.
• Hermits and Termits - a Georgian house in St Leonard's, built in 1734
• McEwan Hall: Gifted to Edinburgh University by brewer William McEwan in 1897. Graduation and other ceremonies are held here.
• Meadows: Originally the Burgh or South Loch, this was Edinburgh's main water supply. As the loch began to shrink, the area became a marsh and in 1722, Thomas Hope of Rankeillor took lease of the land with the intention of making a park for citizens. The Edinburgh Improvement Act of 1827 secured the site of the old loch for the citizens of Edinburgh to pursue leisure and recreational activities.

• Nelson Hall (St Leonard's Library): Local publishers, Nelsons, left funds for working class citizens in Edinburgh for leisure and cultural pursuits There were four buildings constructed throughout Edinburgh including, in 1913, Nelson Hall. The hall is in community use as part of the City of Edinburgh Council's Community Learning and Development section and it acts as the base for the Southside Heritage Group.

• Nicolson Square Brass Founders' Pillar: Designed by Sir James Gowans for the International Exhibition of 1866 held on The Meadows.
• Nicolson Square Methodist Chapel: Built in 1815, it is a category A listed building. During his visit to Edinburgh in 1877 as part of his world tour, Ulysses S. Grant, President of the United States, attended worship here at the invitation of Lord Provost Thomas Jamieson Boyd.
• Nicolson Street Church: Originated in the Secession congregation founded at Bristo in 1741. The new church opened for worship on 19 March 1820 and the building was repurposed as a community centre in 1986.
• Old College, University of Edinburgh: Original design by Robert Adam,with building starting in 1789, using Craigleith sandstone. However, Adam died in 1792 and William Henry Playfair was commissioned to complete it in 1815. It was opened in 1827 as "the New College".
• Pear Tree House: One of the first residences established in the Southside in 1747.
• Queen's Hall: Opened in 1824 as Hope Park Chapel. It is a category A listed building and was repurposed as a performance venue in 1979.
• Reid Concert Hall: Built in 1858 by a bequest from General John Reid, it contains the Galpin collection of old musical instruments. Musical performances are given regularly including an annual concert at which a piece composed by General Reid himself is played.
• Royal Infirmary: First established in 1729. In 1741 it was moved to Infirmary Street, to new premises designed by William Adam. It remained there until moving to Lauriston in 1879, a building which now houses the University's Futures Institute.
• Rutherfords Bar (Drummond Street): There is a plaque on the north west corner of Drummond Street about Robert Louis Stevenson, the Edinburgh born author. He is known to have frequented Rutherfords as a young student at Old College; his work included characters who frequented Rutherfords.
• Surgeons' Hall: The Headquarters of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, opened in 1832. It is now a popular museum.
• Teviot Row House: Edinburgh University Students' union, built in 1889, modelled on the towers of Holyrood Palace. The Union was established in 1884, with women finally being admitted as members in 1971.

1999 Constitution of the Southside Heritage Group

Southside Heritage Group

This group was founded in 1992 and the constitution adopted in 1999 states the Objectives as being "to research, protect and preserve the heritage of the South Side area and promote education, learning and enjoyment of the area's history and culture". This Wikipedia entry is intended to provide an introduction to the history and culture of Edinburgh's Southside and will continue to be expanded and enhanced from the contribution of group members.

What is a 'Southsider'?

Because of the extensive slum clearance in Edinburgh from the late 1950s through to the end of the 1960s, generations of families from Southside tenements were moved to newly established Council Housing estates on the outskirts of Edinburgh. Many of those who 'flitted' to these new estates regarded themselves as 'displaced Southsiders' and identify with the area, which has undergone radical changes in housing and population since they left. The Southside Heritage Group defines a Southsider as "in the head and heart of any individual who wanted to feel part of the community - whether they had originated in and moved away or come in to live or work in the Southside."

Southside planning proposals and development milestones -

After 150 years of continuous building of dwellings and workplaces in the area, things started to change in the 20th century. Poor quality housing, less industry, slum clearance projects, the expansion of the University of Edinburgh and the new housing schemes being built on the edge of the city all had an impact on the Southside. From the 1920s, various proposals, plans and projects for regeneration, demolition, and redevelopment were presented. Slum clearance initiatives emerged during this time, aimed at removing substandard housing and improving living conditions but many residents were apprehensive about these projects. The execution of these plans and projects often led to the displacement of long-standing communities and a loss of local heritage but local initiatives also sprang up, led by residents determined to preserve the cultural identity of their neighbourhoods amidst the rapid changes.

	Proposal / Milestone	Event	Impact	Outcome
1927	Plan for rehousing the population between the Pleasance and Richmond Place.	Plan prepared by the City architect’s department. Work commenced in 1931, completed by 1938.	Demolition of housing in part of the Pleasance, East Crosscauseway, Buccleuch Street, Simon Square, Gifford Park and St Patrick Square.	Considerable amount of new housing built in the early 1930s
1931	Plan for Central Edinburgh	In the 1920s the Corporation commissioned Sir Frank Mears to prepare a plan for Central Edinburgh.	Proposals published in 1931.	Proposals shelved with the outbreak of war in 1939.
1947	Town & Country Planning Act	Introduced the construct of a 'Comprehensive Development Area' being declared.	Local authority could submit a development / redevelopment plan which was to be taken over a period of 20 years to the Secretary of State for Scotland for approval.	Established a framework for Edinburgh Corporation planning to operate within.
1949	Abercrombie Civic Survey and Plan	Proposals to establish 'Industrial Zones', new roads and housing redevelopment.	Major road development, redevelopment of George Square for University expansion and housing redevelopment to address multiple deficiencies.	Set in motion the move towards demolition of many historic buildings over the next two decades and introduced a major road development which was only abandoned in 1977.
1957	Comprehensive Development Area declared	The southern part of the area was to remain residential. Nicolson Street, West Nicolson Street and West Richmond Street were to be completely demolished.	George Square and the area to the North were zoned for 'educational and cultural use'.	Established the vocabulary used by Edinburgh Corporation, Planners and residents for future development proposals.
1958 - November	'Penny Tenement' collapse	Part of the 'Penny Tenement' collapses with no injuries.	The owner had offered to sell the tenement for a penny in 1953 to demonstrate the burden of having to maintain derelict property but there were no takers.	Rapid evacuation of families from Beaumont Place and Dalrymple Street
1959	Carnegie Street 'Clearance Area'.	Edinburgh Corporation declared it a Clearance Area due to 'substandard housing'.	419 homes in the area of Carnegie Street demolished.	Viability of shops in St Leonard's was threatened as a result.
1961 - February	Comprehensive Development Area declared	Edinburgh St Leonard's (Arthur Street etc) included in a CDA	Compulsory Purchase Order used as an instrument for large scale redevelopment of the area.	Arthur Street, Prospect Street (including St Margaret's Church) , Prospect Terrace, demolished.
1961 - March to 1964 - December	George Square demolition	Gradual demolition of homes in George Square to create space for University development	Construction of the University Library and other buildings.	Destruction of 50% of what was later declared a Unesco World Heritage site.
1962 - June	Edinburgh University Comprehensive Development Area proposed	Proposed to the city Planning Committee, including the redevelopment of Nicolson Street as a Commercial Area	Approved in 1963, Nicolson Street Clearance Order implemented because properties were deemed 'substandard'	Approved in 1963, ~500 residents removed from parts of Nicolson Street. University proceeded with their development but the council did not.
1963	Buchanan Plan	Development of an Inner city ring road. Revised proposals continued into the 1970s.	Dumbiedykes Road demolition. Plans for the Royal Mile section were finally shelved in the early 1980s.	Edinburgh City Bypass constructed instead, between 1981 and 1990.
1965 - December	Clearance Area declared	Davie Street, West Richmond Street and 78-140 Nicolson Street.	212 houses in total, dated from around 1770. 500 people were removed.	Compulsory Purchase Order confirmed in January 1968 but the houses gained a reprieve after objections.
1966	Population decrease	Since 1951, the population declined by 62%	In the early 1960s, 1,030 houses were demolished in the St Leonard's area.	An estimated 1,977 people were displaced.
1966	Quinquennial Review of 1957 Development Plan	Southside declared Action area for comprehensive development.	Review not formally approved until 1974.	Increased uncertainty over the future of the Southside.
1967	Civic Amenities Act 1967	Provision for protection and improvement of buildings of architectural or historic interest and of the character of areas of such interest.	Introduced a statutory requirement for planners to consider improvement of buildings as opposed to demolition as the sole instrument for redevelopment.	First proposals for a Southside Conservation Area in mid 1970s
1967	Public Enquiry over road proposals	Six week public enquiry on the proposal for a 'Bridges Relief Road' - a six lane road with a branch off west along the line of Hill Place.	Recommendation by the Secretary of State for Scotland that Transport and Planning consultants should be employed to advise on a traffic policy.	The study was completed in November 1972 , delaying or disrupting any development or improvement in the Southside during that time.
1968 - January	Southside Action Area removed and Clearance Order approved.	Secretary of State instructed that the 1966 Action Area proposal be deleted and the 1957 zonings restored to 'eliminate the substandard houses in the area'.	Large scale demolition in place of redevelopment. Edinburgh Corporation increased the annual target for houses to be demolished from 700 to 1,000.	Council went ahead with acquiring and clearing Nicolson Street and adjacent areas under Housing Act. Highlighted by the Nicolson Street Traders' Association.
1968 - January	Hill Place declared unfit	Georgian homes built in 1809	Hill Square remained as the properties had been better maintained.	96 people displaced
1968 - March	Clearance Area declared around the corner from Hill Place	East and West Adam Street, Richmond Place, Drummond Street (part), Ingliston Street and North Richmond Street .	A complete community of 276 200 year-old three to six-storey houses with shops and pubs demolished.	675 people displaced.
1968	Forbes Street and St Leonard's Lane designated a Clearance Area	Unusual construction for the Southside - squat buildings and narrower streets.	Some of St Leonard's Lane had round towers housing the staircases hedged in by the red sandstone on the Holyrood Park boundary.	310 houses cleared and 675 people displaced.
1969	Housing Act	UK Legislation - established the concept of General Improvement Areas to allow for regeneration as opposed to demolition.	Local authorities could more easily implement 'improvement' rather than demolition.	Some areas previously declared for 'clearance' survived and were improved.
1969 - August	Proposal to demolish blocks of historic houses.	Areas along the Pleasance and West Nicolson Street declared unfit, impacting 83 houses and 157 people.	Public enquiry called in 1972 - see below.	Houses purchased by Edinburgh Corporation as part of an area improvement scheme.
1970	Eastern Link Road proposed by Edinburgh Corporation	Six lane road as part of the planned 'Inner Ring Road'	Large scale demolition in the Pleasance	Finally abandoned in 1977 - see below
1971	'Parkers Triangle' demolished	Tenements in the triangle of Bristo Street, Charles Street and Crichton Street declared unfit in November 1966.	University plan of 1963 proposed this.	270 people were displaced. A car park was created in the space created by the demolition.
1972	South Side Association formed to represent the interests of people who live and work in the area on planning proposals	Two main aims:- 1) Retain the existing population in improved housing conditions 2) Bring about the rehabilitation of streets and buildings of architectural and historical interest.	Challenge to wholesale demolition as a remedy. First act was to promote the September 1972 public enquiry into the proposed demolition of houses in West Nicolson Street and to mount an exhibition on the Southside importance.	Although the enquiry found against the objectors, the plans were placed under review and the area and subsequent other similar areas were saved from demolition.
1973	South Side Local Plan	It was decided that renewal work in the South Side should proceed on the basis of a Local Plan rather than a Comprehensive Development Plan.	Removal of the constraints of and the requirement for UK Government approval of a Comprehensive Development Plan.	Change of focus for planners, residents and traders.
1973 - September	Buccleuch Street demolition order reversed	Proposed demolition of some houses	South Side Association opposed the demolition.	Buccleuch Street secured from demolition.
1974	Edinburgh Corporation 1974/78 Housing Programme	Establishment of a rehabilitation Policy	Of the 5,821 substandard properties, 41% were to be demolished and 59% by improvement.	Properties in Howden Street, Drummond Street, East Crosscauseway and High School Yards recommended for improvement.
1974 - October	The Bridges Relief Road Report	6-lane highway from Leith Walk up through the Pleasance	Across the old Dumbiedykes	28/10/1974 - Dumbiedykes Residents Association meeting, the City Engineer advised that current thinking was to change it to a two-tier road with 4 lanes on each tier. Supported by Councillors George Foulkes and Peter Wilson
1974 - November 6	Dumbiedykes Residents' Association	Meeting to oppose the 'planned Eastern Link Road'	Follow-up intention was to garner support from 'other associations in the South Side' .	The council indicated that "the wishes of everyone in the south side are being taken into consideration" and "it is difficult to give any firm answers on this until the South Side local plan is formulated and put before the corporation".
1974 - November 6	Nicolson Street Traders' Association	Request to remove the Compulsory Purchase Orders on shops and any acquired by Edinburgh Corporation should be offered back to their original owners.	The 'South Side Advisory Panel' of Edinburgh University drew up a 'policy package' on the future development of the area.	The council estates surveyor stated "We will be looking into the proposals for the traders. I am sure the corporation will want to try to treat as sympathetically as possible the existing traders in the area".
1975 - May	South Side Conservation Area designated	Conservation Area designated, later extended in 1986 and adjusted in 1996 to move an area to the Old Town Conservation Area.	Changed the redevelopment solution to improvement from two decades of demolition.	Regeneration of much of the remainder of the Southside area and the retention of its remaining historic identity.
1976 - September	South Side local Plan - Davie Street / West Richmond Street Pilot Scheme	Pilot study was to assess the costing, timescale and feasibility of rehabilitating other housing areas in the Southside.	Report to the Corporation Housing Committee and then to the Policy and Resources Committee for 'thorough discussion'.	Rehabilitation in place of demolition proven.
1977	Eastern Link Road plan abandoned	Eastern Link Road was the final attempt to build a major road through the Southside	For 30 years, proposals had been made to build major roads and this one was planned to be 0.9 miles long, linking St Leonard's with Leith Walk via Calton Hill.	Major threat to the future of the Southside as a neighbourhood eradicated but much of Leith Street / Greenside was demolished for the planned route.
1978 - December	Pilot Block project work started	Work from the 1976 study started.	Work completed by February 1983	Creation of 69 flats, a supermarket, 24 shops and a pub.
2002	South Side conservation area - Conservation Area Character Appraisals	Scottish Ministers required Character Appraisals for areas before approving any new Article 4 Direction Orders.	Character appraisals were to define the special qualities and architectural and historic interest which warranted the conservation area designation.	Approved on 08/08/2002. Conservation Area status means:- Development rights are restricted: Demolition of buildings requires conservation area consent Special attention must be paid to the character and appearance of the conservation area.
2019 - March	South Side Conservation Area updated.	Addition of a group of category A listed buildings, with special architectural and historic importance. Newer buildings removed.	The Royal Commonwealth Pool, the Scottish Widows building and the first phases of Pollock Halls added. The flats at Forbes Street and the St Leonard’s Police Station were removed .	Described as having distinct character and significant value and were cited as good examples of their architectural styles.

Planning decisions and their impact - a video summary

A summary of the impact of planning decisions on the Southside and the efforts made to halt the demolition and begin regeneration is contained in the 35 minute video made in 1997 by the South Side Association 'Pull It Doon' which is available here.

Southside schooling

The Southside was a densely populated area with many large families and this necessitated many schools to educate its children. With the exception of James Clark School, these were all primary schools, because, until 1918, there were no state-funded secondary schools. With a school leaving age of 14, children stayed at the primary schools from the age of 5 until they left school, with there being what was known as vocational supplementary teaching to prepare them for the world of work. Schools were denominational and the Catholic schools were generally run by religious organisations until they were eventually taken over by the city council.

James Clark Secondary School : A category B listed building designed by James Carfrae and constructed between 1913 and 1919. It was originally planned as a primary school, to be called King's Park School. The building was completed 1915, but it was taken over as a military garrison, so didn't open as a school until 1918. It functioned as a Junior Secondary until 1972 at which time the remaining 300-400 pupils transferred to Boroughmuir High School. From 1974 to 1975, it was used as an annexe for 200 First Year pupils of Castlebrae Secondary School. The building was zoned to be demolished for the proposed Eastern Link Road, which was never built, so the building survived and was converted to housing.

Bristo Primary School: The school was built in 1877, replacing the old Potterrow School. The school occupied the site of the house in which Clarinda, Robert Burns' lover lived. It closed in 1934 and the pupils moved to South Bridge School and Sciennes School. The building was used as a Technical College until it was demolished along with the homes and shops in the 'Parkers Triangle'.

Buccleuch Parish School Built on North Meadow Walk, Hope Park Square in 1839 and designed by architect George Smith. The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland (RCAHMS) added it to the Buildings at Risk register in 200I. It was then purchased (as Hope Park Halls) and occupied by St. Andrew's Orthodox Church from 2003-2013.

Davie Street Primary School : Constructed in 1875 by The Heriot Trust, it was taken over by Edinburgh School Board in 1885. When it closed as a school it became an annexe for James Clark School. In 1969, it was converted to use as a resource centre. The council later sold the property which was then developed for private housing.

Drummond Street Primary School: Built in 1906 and used as the Infants' department for South Bridge Primary School. It closed as a school in 1968 but the building was used by St Patrick's School until June 1984, when St Pat's closed. Now converted to flats, the building still rests on, and contains, a section of The Flodden Wall.

Newington Academy : Was a private school at 8 Newington Road (formerly Arniston Place) attended by a young Arthur Conan Doyle between the ages of seven and nine, 1866 and 1868.

Preston Street Primary School : Designed by James Carfrae, and constructed between 1896 and 1897. The school roll was 682 in 1944/45 and 304 in 1974/75. In 1985, owing to the school roll continuing to fall, the school was threatened with closure, but parent action and the concurrent 'regeneration' of the Southside ensured that it remained open. In 1987, the council refurbished the exterior of the school with the building being upgraded two years later.

Robertson's Academy: A private school located in East Preston Street.

Sciennes Primary School: Built in 1892, it served children from the Southside until Preston Street School opened five years later. It continues to be known as a school with high standards.

South Bridge Primary School: Built in 1880 in Infirmary Street, on the site of the former Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, with a section of the Flodden Wall as a back playground wall. It opened in 1886. The school roll was 1,047 in 1944/45, dropping to 125 in 1974/75, at which time the capacity was 225 at 30 pupils per class. The school closed in 1983, but the building has been actively used since then as a resource centre, a community centre for the local Canongate Youth Project and for Adult Education. In February 2025, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society moved into the building to create a new 'Hub' with Canongate Youth and Adult Education continuing in the same building.

St Ann's Primary School: Located in South Grays Close in the Cowgate, at the bottom of Blackfriars Street. It opened in 1903 and was run by the Sisters of Mercy. Boys transferred to St Patrick's at age 7 with the girls staying on until they went to secondary school. Although St Ann's stopped being a separate school in 1949 with the amalgamation with St Patrick's, the building continued for many years as the St. Ann's Community Centre.

St Columba's Primary School: Moved into the Southside in 1897 at 41/43 Newington Road, from Strathern Road in Marchmont. In 1924 it moved again to Causewayside where it became a Primary and Secondary school. The school closed in 1941 as the roll fell.

St Leonard's Primary School: Built in 1876 in Forbes Street. It closed as a school in 1931 and became an annexe for James Clark School. The building was demolished with the rest of Forbes Street in the 1980s.

St Patrick's Primary School: Established in Lothian Street in 1845, in the basement of the church of the same name. In 1873, the school moved to the Cowgate and expanded into the St Mary's Street Halls. It moved to the former Industrial School in St John's Hill in 1921, where it remained until 1968 when St John's Hill was to be demolished. Pupils moved to the former Drummond Street School building until the school closed in June 1984.

St Mary's Primary School: Originally established in the early 1870s at 55 Lothian Street, in the former St Patrick's building, it was later combined with St Ann's in the Cowgate.

Workplaces in the Southside

Well within living memory, the Southside was home to many industries and trades, as well as having hundreds of shops, the majority of which were small businesses owned and staffed by local people. This meant that for many Southsiders the journey to work was a short one, either on foot or by bus or tram. This has changed hugely over the last few decades, with printers, brewers, manufacturing and other types of business having either closed down or moved out of the city centre.

Bertrams Sciennes - An engineering company, founded in 1821 by brothers George and William Bertram (and later brother James in Leith) who manufactured paper making machinery for worldwide export, were a major employer of Southside residents. In 1859, they moved into the major St Katherine's Works site at Sciennes, also maintaining the manufacturing capability in Leith and in 1920 they acquired an iron foundry in Gorgie. The firm was known for its 'family culture' and provided sporting, family and social facilities for its staff. By 1985, all the company manufacturing had closed after the company went into liquidation.

Boroughloch Brewery - Alexander Melvin & Co - Boroughloch Lane It was set up around 1798 by James Anderson and, after acquisition by Melvin in 1850, by the 1860s was the fifth largest brewers in Scotland. McEwans took over Boroughloch and by 1907 brewing at the site had stopped. Within ten years, it was turned into housing.

Alexander Cowan & Sons at Cragside Works located on Dumbiedykes Road, at the foot of Arthur Street. They did die stamping and produced envelopes and boxes. The company was established in Penicuik in 1770 when Charles Cowan bought an existing paper mill which had been in place since 1708 and he renamed it Valleyfield Mill . As well as at Cragside, they opened manufacturing capability for envelope and commercial stationery in London, Melbourne and Sydney, Australia, and Wellington and Christchurch, New Zealand. The company continued at the Valleyfield site and at Cragside until 1966 when the Reed Paper Group bought the company and the Cragside works was closed down.

Duncan Flockharts - Opened a factory in Holyrood Road in 1876, supplying vaccines, anaesthetics and domestic medicines, soaps and cleaning products. Flockhart was a surgeon apothecary and had a practice at 52 North Bridge which later became a chemist shop. Together, they began manufacturing drugs, most notably Morphine and Chloroform, from the time of its discovery and this continued through both World Wars. The Glaxo group bought them in the 1960s and the factory was closed.

Ferguson's Rock Founded by Alexander Ferguson from Doune, Perthshire who moved to Edinburgh where he set up on his own specialising in Edinburgh Rock. Manufacturing and Sales were located in Melbourne Place, at the end of George IV Bridge until 1959 when the corner was demolished to allow council offices to be built on the site. The company then moved its operation to East Crosscauseway in the Southside.

Mackay's Brewery - George Mackay & Co. Ltd, St Leonard's Brewery, at the corner of East Crosscauseway and The Pleasance, established in 1867, a partnership of brewers and malt masters. Between 1868 and 1931, the firm used a steeple engine to pump water from underground for brewing purposes and the steeple engine is now on display at the National Museum of Scotland. The company acquired Gordon & Blair (1923) Ltd, Craigwell Brewery, Edinburgh, in 1954. Seager, Evans & Co Ltd, distillers and wine merchants, London, England, purchased the St Leonard's Brewery and 34 public houses from Mackay's in 1960 and re–sold it in 1961 to Watney Mann Ltd, brewers, London, England. Brewing ceased in 1963 and the buildings were replaced with flats.

Middlemass Biscuits - Established in 1853 and located at the corner of South Clerk Street and West Preston Street. The company built a new larger factory on the corner of Salisbury Place and Causewayside and moved to it in 1869. Middlemass were famous for the production of the Albert Biscuit, named after Prince Albert and the first Digestive biscuit. The factory closed in 1974 and was demolished for a development by the National Library of Scotland which has occupied the site with its Maps Reading Room since 1985.

John Millar & Sons in Causewayside were founded in 1844 as a bakery in Leith, subsequently expanding to sell sweets, Millars became widely known for its Pan Drops, Chocolate Eclairs, Chocolate Limes, Blackcurrant & Liquorice and other types of panned or boiled confectionery. They merged with McCowans in 2006 and the brand disappeared.

Thomas Nelson - Publisher and Printer - Hope Park and Dalkeith Road sites. For many years, one of the Southside's largest employers with 400 at the Dalkeith Road printing site, having once employed 600 at the former site at Hope Park. The printworks at Dalkeith Road produced books at inexpensive prices which emulated the original Nelson's shops in West Bow and the High Street, set up by Thomas Nelson Sr in 1798 which printed, published and sold out of copyright and classic books cheaply. In the 1840s, under the leadership of Thomas Nelson Jr, the company built the Hope Park factory where they were able to carry out the whole manufacturing of books within its walls including producing the inks and varnishes required. When the factory burned down in 1878, the City assisted by providing temporary accommodation adjacent to the destroyed building and to recognise this assistance, Nelsons erected the two pillars surmounted by the Unicorn and Lion at the entrance to Melville Drive in 1881.

By the end of that decade, Nelsons had built and moved its operations to a building at Parkside where, with better equipment, including the Rotary Press they improved on, they were able to print, bind and ship 200,000 books per week and by the early 20th century, Nelsons had become the most successful publishing company in the world. Nelsons was in family ownership until it was bought by the Thomson Organization in 1962, the printing division was sold to the Edinburgh company Morrison and Gibb in 1968 and the Parkside Works were demolished. Like Bertrams at Sciennes, Nelsons encouraged a family culture and provided sports and social facilities for employees. They also built Nelson Hall as a reading room and this is where the Southside Heritage Group meets today.

North British Rubber Company - Fountainbridge (Castle Mills). Although not located in the Southside, the factory, as one of Edinburgh's largest employers (9,000 during the second world war) , employed many unskilled, semi-skilled and skilled workers from the Southside, a short bus-ride or half hour walk away. They produced tyres, wellington boots, golf balls, hot water bottles, hose and many more rubber items. Uniroyal bought the business in 1966, gradually moved production to a new facility at Newbridge and closed 'the mill' (as Edinburgh residents called it) in Fountainbridge down in 1973. Although demolished decades ago, the majority of the former factory site is still derelict.

Pillans and Wilson - Printers - Bernard Terrace. The firm was started by James Pillans in 1775 and moved around the Southside and the Old Town until moving into the Bernard Street premises in 1919. W Scott Wilson had joined in about 1890 to form the final version of the company name which was closed in 1987 after being acquired by Colorgraphic PLC in England.

Scottish Widows - building in Dalkeith Road built from 1972 - 1976, designed by Basil Spence and occupied by 2,200 employees as the Edinburgh institution 'Widows' Headquarters from 1976. They moved from their former St Andrew Square offices, also designed by Basil Spence and opened in 1962, having previously occupied offices on the same site. Scottish Widows was set up in 1815 to take care of families who had lost their fathers, brothers and husbands in the Napoleonic Wars. The deregulation of the UK Financial Services sector led to big changes in traditional Edinburgh Insurance companies and 'The Widows' was demutualised in 2000 and became part of Lloyds TSB in January 2009. Lloyds closed the Dalkeith Road offices in 2020, the building has remained empty since and there have been numerous efforts made to preserve and demolish the 'A-Listed' building since.

J&G Stewart - Distillers at St Leonard's next to Holyrood Park and later at West Nicolson Street in Pear Tree House. Founded in 1779 as a rum importer, the company started blending, bottling and exporting Scotch Whisky to a world market, including their signature brand Cream of The Barley. At their peak, they were bottling 40 brands at St Leonard's including spirits other than whisky. In 1976, the final Stewart's Whisky Bond in Edinburgh was closed down and in 1986, Whyte & Mackay acquired the brand. The bottling plant building at St Leonard's is now flats.

Summerhall Brewery - At its height in the 19th century, 120 employees worked at Summerhall where beer had been brewed from 1704. Robert McClellan was the first brewer and the father and son team of Thomas and Peter Bryson took over from 1733 and ran the brewery until 1795. Robert Clunie was the next brewer, remaining until 1815, when Robert Fleming took over. William Robertson was brewer from 1826 for the next 35 years and he kept the operation small. From 1862 to 1889, Robin McMillan Ltd owned it and combined four small breweries into 'Edinburgh United Breweries'. Brewing at Summerhall closed in 1908, the Dick Vet was then built on the site but brewing returned to the recognised heritage site in 2012 when Barney's Beer moved in.

Usher's - Andrew Usher and Thomas Usher and Son- Park Brewery, St Leonard's Street James Usher had a large family of twelve children and in 1813, his son Andrew founded Andrew Usher & Co, Whisky Distilling and Blending in Edinburgh. Amongst other brands, the company secured the rights to bottle and distribute all the output of the Glenlivet Distillery for over 100 years The company headquarters remained Pear Tree House, Andrew's house, for many years after his death and the warehouses in St Leonard's were the largest in the world with the railway connection on their doorstep. Andrew left a legacy to the city to fund the Usher Hall.

Andrew had set up his sons James and Thomas as Brewers in 1831 and this business became Thomas Usher and Co. Park Brewery in St Leonard’s Street, was built in 1860 to replace production in Chambers Street. Beer was delivered to pubs in Edinburgh by horse and cart for over 100 years and the Ushers horses were a familiar site in Edinburgh into the 1970s, including participation in the many civic parades in the city. In 1959, the family business and its 170 pubs was bought by Vaux and for a while the beer was marketed as Usher Vaux. In the 1970s, the brewery still employed 2,500 people. Lorimers then took over the brewery and the Park Brewery finally stopped production in 1981 after it went into liquidation.

Youngers Brewery - Holyrood Road - The Younger family were brewers in Edinburgh for over 200 years with Archibald Younger starting up in Holyrood at St Ann's Brewery located in Croft-an' Righ in 1778. His brother, William Younger, started his own brewery in the area and after Archibald died, William expanded and established the Abbey Brewery in the Canongate. Thirty years later, in 1858, the next generation of Younger Brothers took over the 18th century buildings and established the Holyrood Brewery in Holyrood Road which operated until 1987, being demolished in 1995. The Abbey Brewery had closed in 1956 and is now the site of the Scottish Parliament building and St Ann's brewery closed in 1961 and was demolished in 1987 for a housing development. .

Further reading

• David Fisher and Keith Smith (editors), Memories of Preston Street School and The Southside, 1988 - Reminiscences of the surviving Southside school and the contemporary living conditions.
• Jack Gillon, Sixties Southside, self-published, 2023. Detailed neighbourhood and architecture pictures with supporting text.
• Jack Gillon & Fraser Parkinson, Edinburgh South Side Through Time, Amberley Publishing, Stroud, 2017. A unique picture collection with descriptive text covering 100 years of development and redevelopment.
• John G Gray (compiler), The South Side Story – An Anthology of the South Side of Edinburgh, W F Knox & Co Ltd, Glasgow, 1962. Historic focus on the early routes, significant buildings and the events which shaped the Southside, plus local newspaper adverts, black and white photos and plans.
• Neil Palmer (editor), Memories of Nicolson Street Church, the Community Centre & the South Side, South Side Community Centre, 2007 - A good introduction to attempts made to save and revitalise the Southside.
• Lisa Sibbald, Edinburgh’s Southside – History, People, Memories, self-published, 2020. Excellent introduction to the Southside in a book which combines history, key buildings, workplaces, leisure, memories and up to date pictures.
• Lisa Sibbald & Tom King, Edinburgh’s Southside – 1920s & 1930s, self-published, 2022. A photographic record of housing and living conditions with contemporary newspaper reports and articles covering many streets and buildings which were demolished as part of redevelopment.
• Charles J Smith, Historic South Edinburgh, Birlinn 2023 (Originally published in 1980). An historical record of the development of the city to the south of the city walls, the book covers a much greater area than the Southside which is the subject of this article but provides context.
• Keith Smith and Dorothy Finlay (editors), More Memories of Our South Side, The South Side Association, 1997 - Covers lost buildings, communities and activities impacted by redevelopment.
• John Wishart, The Story of Nicolson Street Church of Scotland, 1953. Development of the main street in the Southside and key buildings.

External links

• edinphoto.org is a key 'peoples' resource' for Southside pictures showing living conditions and recording events and memories.
• National Library of Scotland A unique collection of 138 photographs of the Southside in 1929 by Alfred Henry Rushbrook, on behalf of the City of Edinburgh Improvement Trust.