Leith Nautical College

Commercial Street, Leith

September 2007

Looking to the north across Commercial Street to Leith Nautical College

At the extreme right is the tower of The Scottish Government Offices at Victoria Quay, Leith Docks

Leith Nautical College, Commercial Street, Leith

©  Copyright: For permission to reproduce, please contact peter.stubbs@edinphoto.org.uk          Photograph taken September 14, 2007

 

Enlarge this picture

   Leith Nautical College, Commercial Street, Leith ©

Another view of the building

Commercial Street, Leith  -  View to the east towards Berard Street.  Leith Nautical College is in the foreground ©

  

Leith Nautical College

Commercial Street, Leith

This view looks to the east towards old bonded warehouses, now apartments, and on to Bernard Street, Leith

The  large building in the foreground, opened 1903, was Leith Nautical College Engineering Dept.

 

Recollections

Thank you to Bob Henderson, Burdiehouse, Edinburgh who wrote:

"It's good to see the shore side of Commercial Street, looking not to different from my memories of it.

I studied at the old Nautical College for a year of night classes to get my Amateur Radio Licence 36 years ago, and worked in the Leith area for about 17 years with NT Aitken, builders."

Bob Henderson, Burdiehouse, Edinburgh:  December 21, 2007

Thank you to David Malcolm, New Zealand, for sending me these photographs of Leith Nautical College students, taken in 1951.

Students - 1951

    Students at Leith Nautical Collect in 1951 ©    Students at Leith Nautical Collect in 1951 ©

 

 

A brief History of

Leith Nautical College

Founded 1855

Leith Nautical College was originally founded as Leith Navigation School in 1855.  It was based in several buildings in Leith in the 19th century.

In 1903, it changed its name to Leith Nautical College and moved to new premises in Commercial Street Leith in 1903.

Leith Nautical College, Commercial Street, Leith ©

By 1974, the college had over 2000 students, but it came under threat as Britain's merchant fleet reduced in the 1980s.  It eventually closed in 1987.

Acknowledgement

The historical details above are taken from a fuller history of the college that can be found on the Archives Hub web site.

 

 

 

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