Leith has played a long and prominent role in Scottish history. As the major port serving Edinburgh, it has been the stage on which many significant events in the nation’s past have taken place, from housing the Scottish court to witnessing civil war, acting as the port of call for royal arrivals and becoming its own burgh until the amalgamation with Edinburgh in 1920. The 1950s brought the final days of the old and ancient thoroughfares in the heart of Leith: the Kirkgate, St Andrew Street, Tolbooth Wynd, Bridge Street and many more would disappear in the coming decade. However, the town retains a passionate sense of individuality and its people a proud sense of identity. Leith has seen it all. In Secret Leith, local author and historian Jack Gillon delves into the town’s past and offers an insight into some of the lesser-known aspects of its long and distinguished history.
