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Edinburgh Transport - Railways
Scotland Street
Coal Yard |
Coal Yard
when?
© Reproduced
with acknowledgement to Douglas Yuill
Photographer not known
Children's
Playground
2011
© Becky
Taylor
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Comparison of early photo and 2011 photo
Scotland Street Playground
The two photos above both look to the north over
the open ground at the foot of Scotland Street. The building in the
background with the gable roof is Canonmills School, recently converted to
housing.
Heriothill Tunnel (hidden behind the trees in the
second photo) leading under Rodney Street and Broughton Road, was closed
for many years but opened again as a footpath and cycle track around 2009.
The long slide, resting on the sloping ground at
the southern end of the playground can be seen in the lower-right corner
of the 2011 photo. |
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Scotland Street Coal Yard |
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Between
the Tunnels
This stretch of line passing
through the coal yard in the photograph above lies between the tunnels
under Scotland Street (to the south) and Rodney Street (to the north).
The Rodney Street tunnel
entrance can be seen in the centre of this picture. |
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The line to Granton
The Edinburgh Leith & Granton
Railway company operated trains through these tunnels from 1842 until
1868.
The line, with its rope
haulage through Scotland Street tunnel was then replaced by a steam-hauled
route through Abbeyhill, Easter Road, Leith Walk and Powderhall, to
Trinity and Granton |
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Further Developments
In later years, Scotland Street tunnel was used as an air raid shelter
during World War 2, for growing mushrooms, and for storing new cars.
Part of the coal yard in the photograph above has now
(2007) been converted to a children's playground,
and work is being carried out to re-open the tunnel under Rodney Street
(in 2008) to become part of the network of
footpaths and cycle routes through North Edinburgh. |
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Recollections
1.
Danny Callaghan
Falkirk, Stirlingshire, Scotland |
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Thank you to Danny
Callaghan for writing with details of the various buildings in the
background on this photo of the Scotland Street coal yard:
©
Danny wrote
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Timber Merchants
"The coal yard was
still operating in 1960. At that time I worked for Souness &
Spiers, timber merchants, and their sawmill and yards where at the
other end of the Rodney Street tunnel alongside the Water of Leith
at Warriston Road."
©
"At that time we had the
occasional delivery of timber by rail. The Sawmill had flats
built on it Boat Green and my mum and dad moved into one of
these. The original cottage for the sawmill and probably the
rail yard is still in Warriston Road and was being used, last time
I passed, by a designer and photographer."
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Ritz Cinema
"On the coal yard picture
the building to the left is the back of Ritz cinema. Many a
film I have seen there. The bay windows at the back of the Ritz
look a bit out of place. I cannot remember them."
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Joiners' Workshop
"The wooden building in
front of the school was a joiners' workshop in Cornwallis Street."
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Chapel and Church Hall
"The roof to the right of
the school is Bellevue Chapel. The building to the left of the
school was a church hall now the British Legion that is where I
went to the Coronation Party"
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Danny Callaghan, Falkirk,
Stirlingshire, Scotland: February 2, 2011 |
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Recollections
2.
Dave Smith
Point Cook, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
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Thank you to David
Smith who wrote:
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Ritz Cinema
"Danny Callaghan, in
'Recollections 1 above' mentioned the
olden bay window at the rear of the Ritz Cinema in the top-left
corner of this photo:
©
This bay window is,
in fact, a left-over part of Canonmills House, a very old mansion
and sat on the site of the now demolished Ritz cinema.
This can be verified by
scanning C19 maps of Edinburgh.
David Smith, Point Cook, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia,: November 22, 2011 |
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