This evening, I am presenting some panoramic images of Leith. This is an industrial town and port which sits on Edinburgh's northern shore and is often overlooked by the vast bulk of tourist visitors to Edinburgh.

The two images were taken from Edinburgh Castle and show the towers of Leith in the middle distance then the Firth of Forth then, in the distance, the Fife Coast which ultimately winds its way round to St. Andrews.

For several centuries Leith was an important shipping terminal and played an important role in Edinburgh's growth and prosperity. Leith's decline has, to an extent, been halted by the arrival of the Royal Yacht Britannia which is now an established tourist attraction, albeit one I would not feature in my 'A' list of "must sees".

Other important places to visit in Leith include:

• Leith Links, one of the world's earliest golf courses dating from the 15th century.
• Trinity House dating from 1816.
• South Leith Parish Church which dates from the 15th century.
• The now fashionable dockland with many upscale restaurants.
• Royal Yacht Britannia
• Nearby fishing village of Newhaven.

It should not be forgotten that it was from Leith that the ill-fated Darien Scheme was launched in the late 17th century. The failure of this venture virtually bankrupted Scotland and resulted in a deal with England which led to the creation of the United Kingdom in 1707.




Apart from the possibility of a visit to the Royal Yacht, Leith is a perhaps somewhere for the more seasoned traveler looking to dig deeper in to the area's history and architecture.

Labels: Edinburgh

posted by Nigel Cole @ 12:13 PM