Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Leith
Bus #16 or #22 eastbound from Princes St
Although
LEITH
is generally known as the port of Edinburgh, it developed
independently of the city up the hill, its history bound up in the hard graft of fishing,
shipbuilding and trade. he presence of sailors, merchants and continental traders also
gave the place a cosmopolitan - if slightly rough - edge, which is still obvious today.
While specific attractions are few, Leith is an intriguing place to explore, worth visiting
not just for the contrasts to central Edinburgh, but also for its nautical air and the
excellent eating and drinking scene, which majors on seafood but includes haute
cuisine and well-worn, friendly pubs.
Leith's initial revival from down-and-out port to des-res waterfront began in the
1980s around the area known as he Shore, the old harbour at the mouth of the
Water of Leith. Until recently, the massive dock areas beyond were being
transformed at a rate of knots, with landmark developments including a vast
building housing civil servants from the Scottish Executive, and Ocean Terminal, a
shopping and entertainment complex, beside which the former royal yacht
Britannia
has settled into her retirement.
1
The Shore
he best way to absorb Leith's history and seafaring connections is to take a stroll
along
The
Shore
, a tenement-lined road running alongside the Water of Leith.
Until the mid-nineteenth century this was a bustling and cosmopolitan
harbour
,
visited by ships from all over the world, but as vessels became increasingly large,
they moored up at custom-built docks built beyond the original quays; these days,
only a handful of boats are permanently moored here. Instead, the focus is on the
numerous
pubs and restaurants
that line the street, many of which spill tables and
chairs out onto the cobbled pavement on sunny days. And the dining here is good;
within a few hundred yards of each other Leith has two Michelin-starred restaurants
in
he Kitchin
(see p.95) and
Martin Wishart
(see p.95). he historic buildings along
this stretch include the imposing Neoclassical
Custom House
, still used as o
ces by
the harbour authority (and not open to the public); the round
signal tower
above
Fishers
restaurant (see p.95), which was originally constructed as a windmill; and
the turrets and towers of the
Sailors' Home
, built in Scots Baronial style in the 1880s
as a dosshouse for seafarers.
Royal Yacht Britannia
Ocean Terminal • Daily: April-June & Oct 10am-4pm; July-Sept 9.30am-4.30pm; Nov-March 10am-3.30pm • £12 •
T
0131 555
5566,
W
royalyachtbritannia.co.uk • Bus #11, #22 or #34 from Princes St; oherwise jump on one of the tour buses that leave from
Waverley Bridge
A little to the west of he Shore, moored alongside
Ocean Terminal
, a huge shopping
and entertainment centre designed by Terence Conran, is one of the world's most
famous ships, the
Royal Yacht
Britannia
. Launched in 1953 at John Brown's shipyard on
Clydeside,
Britannia
was used by the royal family for 44 years for state visits,
diplomatic functions and royal holidays. Leith acquired the vessel following
decommission in 1997, against the wishes of many of the royal family, who felt that
scuttling would have been a more dignified end. Alongside
Britannia
, the sleek former
royal sailing yacht,
Bloodhound
, is also on view (Sept-June).
Visits to
Britannia
begin in the
visitor
centre
, on the second floor of Ocean Terminal,
where royal holiday snaps and video clips of the ship's most famous moments, which
included the 1983 evacuation of Aden and the British handover of Hong Kong in
1997, are shown. An audio handset is then handed out and you're allowed to roam
around the yacht: the
bridge
, the
engine room
, the
o
cers' mess
and a large part of the
state
apartments
, including the cabins used by the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh.
he ship has been kept largely as it was when in service, with a well-preserved 1950s
