The Southside is an area of Scotland's capital city, Edinburgh, located between its historic Old Town, Holyrood Park and the neighbourhood of Newington. The Southside housed much of Edinburgh's working class through the 150 years from 1800 to the early 1960s before planning decisions led to large-scale demolition to accommodate the expansion of the university and creation of new road systems, and resulted in the movement of families to public housing in new estates on the outskirts of the city. Demolition was halted due to changes in planning ideology which promoted redevelopment in its place.
In 1975 the Southside was designated by the City of Edinburgh Council as a conservation area, and in 1995 part of the Southside was included in the UNESCO World Heritage site of the Old Town.
Geography The north boundary is Holyrood Road and the eastern boundary is largely Holyrood Park. The longer western boundary extends from George IV Bridge, through Forrest Road and Middle Meadow Walk, south through George Square, Buccleuch Street, Hope Park Crescent and Causewayside. The southern boundary extends east from Causewayside through Salisbury Place, Salisbury Road and Holyrood Park Road; to Holyrood Park, encompassing St Leonard's. The Southside Community Council boundaries align closely with the City of Edinburgh Council Southside Conservation Area.
History Edinburgh was created as a royal burgh in 1124. The Old Town of Edinburgh began as a collection of dwellings that developed along the Royal Mile. At this time, south of the Canongate was not significantly populated. City Walls were built following the defeat of the Scots army at Flodden in 1513. Changes in the need to live within the town wall of Edinburgh, in order to trade, were lifted in 1752 in order to permit the building of the New Town to the north of the established city and this encouraged growth south of the Royal Mile. There were already a small number of small rural properties along these routes but unlike the north, where streets were formally planned, on the south this happened on an ad hoc basis, centred on existing roads leading out of the city to neighbouring towns such as Dalkeith and Peebles.
In 1766, the first planned housing development was George Square; terraced houses with private gardens. Further development included the New Town (1767) and construction of the South Bridge (1788), improving connection to the Southside. In 1836 the opening of George IV Bridge increased commercial links with the Royal Mile and the New Town.
In Victorian Edinburgh, industrial growth attracted rural Irish and European immigrants. Housing, industry, education, worship and recreation were in close proximity. Consequently, high density tenement housing such as the Dumbiedykes and St. Leonard's were constructed. These were multiple flats in a single building, housing large, multi-generational families, and later destined to be condemned as slums. Timeline of historic events which shaped the Southside1621UtilitiesEdinburgh water originally supplied from the Boroughloch now supplied from Comiston.1628 - 1636ExpansionTelfer Wall is built to extend the Edinburgh Town Walls with ports (gates) opened to The Pleasance and Buccleuch Street in the south.1647Housing developmentThe 'Bird's eye view of Edinburgh in 1647' depicts, south of the city walls, scattered private houses and a substantial amount of development around Potterrow and The Pleasance.1722DevelopmentThomas Hope of Rankeillor (Baronet) ordered greater drainage of the Boroughloch, taking lease of the land with the intention of making a park for citizens. The Edinburgh Improvement Act of 1827 secured the site of the old loch for the citizens of Edinburgh to pursue leisure and recreational activities. It became 'The Meadows'.1734Housing developmentHermits and Termits - a house built in St Leonard's for historical artist David Scott, RSA.1746Housing developmentWilliam Reid leased the ground from Lady Nicolson to build a home now known as Pear Tree House.1750Housing developmentChapel House built as a family home by Robert Frame on Sir James Nicolson's land.1760Housing developmentStart of development of Adam, Argyll and Brown Squares.1762 - 1764ConnectionsNicolson Street built, linking the early housing developments and providing further development opportunities as Lady Nicolson released her land.1764DevelopmentAcademy for the deaf and dumb established in 'Dumbie House'.The name 'Dumbiedykes' is based on this house in St Leonard's.1766Housing developmentGeorge Square built, the first residential group of houses in the Southside.1772ConnectionsNorth Bridge opened.1775IndustryJames Pillans started his printing business in Nicolson Street.1788ConnectionsSouth Bridge opened, spanning "the ravine of the Cowgate".1790Housing developmentFirst tenements built on Nicolson Street following the construction of the South Bridge.1794ExpansionNicolson Street extended to Clerk Street.1800Housing developmentSt Patrick Square and Montague and Rankeillor Street built.1814 - 1833Housing DevelopmentMain housing development in 'The Dumbiedykes' and 'St Leonards' - Brown Street, Arthur Street, Salisbury Street, Carnegie Street, Beaumont Place, Forbes Street and St. Leonard's Hill.1821IndustryBertrams, a major employer in the Southside, founded by brothers George and William Bertram, manufacturing paper-making machinery for worldwide export.1831IndustryUsher's brewery business started in Chambers Street.1831IndustrySt. Leonard's Railway Station Edinburgh and Dalkeith Railway opened.1827 - 1836ConnectionsGeorge IV Bridge built, spanning the Cowgate.1845IndustryNew Nelsons factory opened in Hope Park with 600 employees. Page 2011850 - 1870Housing DevelopmentHope Park Terrace, Lutton Place and Bernard Terrace completed.1850IndustryThomas Nelson II develops the Rotary Press, and in 1851 it is exhibited at the 'Great Exhibition' in London.1853IndustryUshers produce and market the first ever blended whisky named 'Old Vatted Glenlivet (OVG)'.1859IndustryBertrams engineers move to larger premises in St Katherine's Works site at Sciennes which they occupied for more than a century.1860IndustryUshers open Park Brewery and the largest whisky warehouse in the world at St Leonard's.1875LeisureFirst football match between Heart of Midlothian and Hibernian held in the East Meadows on Christmas Day.1878IndustryIn April 1878, the Hope Park company headquarters of Thomas Nelson and Sons, printers, was devastated by fire.1880IndustryNew Nelsons factory opened at Parkside Works.1897UniversityMcEwan Hall handed over to Edinburgh University.1900IndustryUsher Hall completed and handed over to the city.1919IndustryBernard Terrace works created as Pillans and Wilson company premises.1939War activity500 allotments created in the East Meadows - the last evidence of them was removed by 1966.1968IndustryNelsons printing and binding works and other interests sold to Morrison and Gibb, Parkside Printing Works in Dalkeith Road was closed and later demolished.1980IndustryBertrams business closed and the St Katherine's Works factory demolished.1981IndustryUshers Park Brewery closed.
Southside industrial heritage Well within living memory, the Southside was home to many industries and trades many of which were small businesses owned and staffed by local people. This meant that for many Southsiders the journey to work was a short one, either on foot or by bus or tram. This has changed hugely over the last few decades, with printers, brewers, manufacturing and other types of business having either closed down or moved out of the city centre.
Bertram Limited founded in 1821 in Edinburgh was a major manufacturer of paper making machinery. Founded by George and William Bertram. Around 1859 they moved to larger premises, St. Katherine’s Works in Sciennes. Other products included steam engines, rubber mill and plantation machinery. It had a reputation as a family orientated company and acquired the Meggetland sports ground. The factory closed in 1985. Boroughloch Brewery, in Buccleuch Street was established prior to 1805 by James Anderson. By 1850 it was acquired by Alexander Melvin and by the 1860s it was the fifth largest brewery business in Scotland. By the 1880s it was exporting beer to Australia, India, West Indies, South Africa and the USA. It ceased to brew in January 1907 and its trade and goodwill was acquired by William McEwan & Co Ltd. The site was converted into housing. Alexander Cowan & Sons was established in 1770 in Penicuik and grew to become one of the world’s largest paper mills. Cragside Stationery Works was located on Dumbiedykes Road. They did die stamping and produced envelopes and boxes. They also had manufacturing capability in London, Australia and New Zealand. In 1966 the Reed Paper Group bought the company and Cragside was closed. Duncan, Flockhart & Co were wholesale druggists, manufacturing chemists and aerated water manufacturers. They opened a factory in Holyrood Road in 1876 supplying vaccines, anaesthetics and domestic medicines. Flockhart had a surgery at No. 52 North Bridge. They manufactured drugs, most notably morphine and chloroform supplied to James Young Simpson and large quantities of chloroform to Florence Nightingale. After being absorbed in Glaxo Group in 1963, the factory was closed. Ferguson's Rock was founded by Alexander Ferguson who established his business in 1837. They specialised in wholesale confectionery, the manufacture of boiled sweets, lozenges and Edinburgh Rock. Manufacturing and Sales were located in Melbourne Place, near George IV Bridge until 1959 when it was demolished and council official built on the site. The company then relocated to East Crosscauseway.
George Mackay & Co. Ltd was founded in 1867. St. Leonard's Brewery was in St. Leonard’s Street and was a partnership of brewers and malt masters. The firm used a steeple engine to pump water from underground for brewing purposes; now on display at the National Museum of Scotland. London based distillers Seager, Evans & Co Ltd, purchased the St. Leonard's Brewery and 34 public houses in 1960, and re-sold it to London brewers Watney Mann Ltd in 1961. Brewing ceased in 1963 and the buildings were replaced with flats. Middlemass Biscuits was established in 1853 originally on South Clerk Street. The company built a new factory on the corner of Salisbury Place and relocated in 1869. Middlemass was famous for the production of the Albert Biscuit, named after Prince Albert and the first digestive biscuit. The factory closed in 1974 and was demolished for a development by the National Library of Scotland which has occupied the site with its Maps Reading Room since 1985. John Millar & Sons was a bakery in Leith founded in 1844. It re-located to Causewayside and expanded to sell boiled sweets and confectionery. They merged with McCowans in 2006.