Edinburgh History - Granton Harbour in the 1930s

Recollections by George Smith

Vancouver Island, British Columbia

1. The Pier and Searchlights

"The recent postcards evoked memories of the harbour - a Sunday outing with my father, less frequent than I would have liked as his weekends were taken up with Territorial Army duties both at Granton and Leith.

I remember as a small boy being apprehensive about the water swirling beneath the old wooden pier through whose wide spaced timbers one could see oily looking water. The pier seemed to be populated by old men with fishing rods. Was there a small light tower at the end?

My father's company of Royal Engineers(585 Field Coy, York Place) seemed to have some responsibility for the fixed searchlights at Leith Docks; I do not know if there were any at Granton."

George Smith, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada.

1. Answer

"There were no searchlights in Granton."

Walter Hume, Scottish trawlers research, Cowes, Isle of Wight, England

2. Tube-like Vessels

"In the thirties there were two long tube like vessels moored in Granton harbour; I was told they were old submarines but I was too young to know what that meant.

Does anyone have a similar recollection of what must have been WWl vessels?"

George Smith, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada.

2. Answer

"The two tube like vessels moored off the eastern breakwater were known as camels, very similar in appearance to submarines, used to assist in the raising or salvage of ships.

These had been brought from Inverkeithing to keep a damaged Granton trawler afloat after being in collision near Inchkeith. The camels could be flooded, then emptied by using compressed air, similar to floatation air bags as used today.

The date in question was 1938, as at the same time they were moored in Granton, the old Lighthouse/Buoy tender, s.s. MAY was laid up pending disposal, sold for £1000 and scrapped at Bo'ness.

The new MAY, commissioned March 1938 had recently arrived at her station on the West Pier."

[Walter Hume, Scottish trawlers research, Cowes, Isle of Wight, England]

3. Inchkeith and Granton

At the commencement of WWll the Engineers were based on Inchkeith which also had artillery.

I have some memory of a warning shot from Inchkeith skipping on the water and ending up on the Granton waterfront.

Is this a false memory or part of Wardie folklore?"

George Smith, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada.

3. Answer

The ‘’practise’’ shell did not land on the Granton fore-shore; it landed on a tenement near Salamander Street.

[Walter Hume, Scottish trawlers research, Cowes, Isle of Wight, England]

Recollections by Alastair Berry

Vancouver Island, British Columbia

William Muir and The Pharos

"I was brought up in the 30's in Wardie and seem to remember being taken to Granton for a Trip on the paddle boat 'William Muir'

The Boat tied up in the East basin almost at the sloping slip and quite close by was a Lighthouse Supply ship 'The Pharos'. Looking back it seemed to sport a lot of YELLOW PAINT!

Alastair Berry, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada.

Middle Pier

The station on the central arm of the harbour had one of these 'PENNY' slot machines with footballers, I think.

I used to spend hours on that harbour, fascinated by the ICE FACTORY:

- watching the massive compressor fly wheel and con rod rotating about 60 rpm.

- seeing the pipes covered in frost - and deeply inhaling the ammonia fumes that permeated the area:

- watching the men with hooks sliding blocks of ice into Joe Croan's(?)

- watching the fish being unloaded from the trawlers......wonderful for an 8 yrs old kid!!

In the middle of 1939, we moved to Liberton.

Alastair Berry, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada.

Wardie Steps

As a youngster I used the Wardie Steps to get down to the breakwater and Granton beach where I used to play quite a lot.

A memory of Wardie Steps is that one house wife used to 'holy stone' her front door threshold lavender colour rather than the more common white.

Alastair Berry, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada.

Granton Breakwater

A curious memory, one year, 1937 -38 I guess, cuttlefish appeared and scooted about in the surf.

They were about 2' long- several were caught and dragged on shore for us kids to admire!!

The only other fish I remember being caught were mackerel that were taken on the wooden light house section at the distant end of the breakwater.

Alastair Berry, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada.

Recollections by Graeme Charles Munro

Adelaide, South Australia.

Thank you to Graeme Charles Munro, Adelaide, South Australia, for sending the following comments:

The Forth

I remember how bathed in the 'red' sea at Granton foreshore, as it was full of ink wastage from Fleming's Ink works there.

My wife was in the office there for years in Caroline Park House.

I remember all the stuff that got washed ashore from ships that were torpedoed in the Forth

Graeme Charles Munro, Adelaide, South Australia. 4 September 2005.

Recollections by Betty Fraser

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Thank you to Betty Fraser, nee Simpson, for adding a comments to the EdinPhoto guest book.

Betty wrote:

Granton School

"I have been looking for information on Granton School. I lived in Royston Mains Road 1936 to 41. I went to Granton School.

I remember 'helping' the first aid post (at the school) to allow them to practise their bandaging and being given a cup of tea and a pie!

Simple pleasures ... Hiding in the air raid shelters, bonfires (before the war)."

Betty Fraser: Sydney, Australia: February 10, 2006

Recollections by Alex Dow

Fife, Scotland

Thank you to Alex Dow, for the following recollections of Granton, and for his recollections of Granton in the 1940s and 1950s.

Alex wrote:

Steamer from London

"My first memory of Granton Harbour is of being aboard a coastal steamer in 1939, on which my uncle Robert Tant was a passenger, sailing back to London and his work as one of the Hawker Aircraft Company's Design Staff.

I have copies of some of his drawings of the modifications to the main wing spar of the Hurricane, to take two 20 mm cannon in place of two .303 Brownings.

After his death in 1944, I inherited his drawing instruments; and used them during my apprenticeship with Ferranti Ltd."

Alex Dow: September 10, 2006