All About Edinburgh
Granton Area Edinburgh
Granton Harbour
First known as Grantaine Cragge, the present pier stands on the site that the Earls of Shrewsbury and Hertford landed with an English army before marching to Leith and burning it to the ground in 1544.
Granton Harbour was built by the Duke of Buccleuch and partly opened for the Queen's coronation in 1838 and completed in 1844. The jetty was named after the Queen the Victoria Jetty.
Granton Harbour was used for commercial haulage, and was where many ships were built, the first being launched in 1853.
A passenger ferry service was started by the Duke of Buccleuch between Granton and Burntisland in 1849 and the worlds first rail ferry started in 1850, where a passenger took the train from Canal Street Station (later to be renamed Waverley) to Dundee without getting of the train.
Granton harbour is returning to be popular harbour with sailing boats, mooring for over 120 boats.
Caroline House
Caroline House was built in 1685 for Sir George Mackenzie.
In 1683 Mackenzie bought the Barony of Royston which once boasted a castle, and quickly built what was originally known as Royston House Lord Royston sold the house in 1739 the 2nd Duke of Argyll who renamed it Caroline Park after his daughter Caroline. The house then became the residence of the Duke of Buccleuch in 1793 and remained in their ownership until 1872.
Old Granton House
Granton Castle
The house was built by the Earl of Hopetoun in 1807 on the Duke of Buccleuch’s estate which was next to
Caroline House. In 1954 the house was all but ruined by fire. A walled Garden and Do'cot are still visible.
Muir House
Granton Edinburgh
Muirhouse was built in 1832 by Captain William Davidson on the site of the first House which was built circa 1670. Which was demolished a year prior to the new house being complete
The furniture and paintings of old Muirhouse were moved into the new house and all that remained of the old house were two ivy clad turrets at each end.
Granton Lighthouse
depot for the Northern Lighthouse Board (NLB). The Board was responsible for maintaining all the lighthouses in Scotland. Supplies for the lighthouses were stored at the depot, and taken by boat to the various lighthouses by vessels which the Board owned. The lantern on top of the building, similar to a real lighthouse, was used for training and to test lights before they were put into in service.
Craigroyston House
Craigroyston House built circa 1800 on the shore of the Firth of Forth with views over to Fife.
Madelvic House
Granton Hub
The Madelvic Motor Carriage Company was opened in 1898 and was one of the first to build electric motor vehicles in Britain. The first electric commercial vehicles built at the factory were used by the General Post Office on the 14th May 1899. Madelvic is believed to be the oldest purpose-built car factory in the UK. The founder Sir William Peck was the Astronomer of the city of Edinburgh the post created after the retirement of the Astronomer Royal for Scotland Piazzi Smyth. Peck lived in Inverleith Row where he died on 8 March 1925 at the age of 63 after a long illness.
Madelvic House is now an arts and community centre the Granton Hub.
Granton Gas Works
Rail Station and Clock In
Granton Gas Works with its own branch rail line and railway station. The gasworks began production of coal gas in 1902.
The Granton Gas Works was built on land purchased from the 6th Duke of Buccleuch The area being outside both Edinburgh and Leith boundaries. When Edinburgh expanded its boundary in 1900 the lands were incorporated into Edinburgh. This red brick building was used as a train station and a place for the workers to clock on and off their work.
Granton Gas Works
Edinburgh - Leith
Coat of Arms
Granton Gas Works historic rail station has both the Edinburgh and Leith coat of arms shields on the façade.
Edinburgh - Nis Dominus Frusta (Except the Lord in Vain)
Leith - Persevere
