Leith Local History Society

© Leith Local History Society, 2009
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Leith Local History Society

Leith is located to the north of Edinburgh on the south side of Firth of Forth

Leith is located to the north of Edinburgh on the south side of Firth of Forth.  Following the loss of Berwick to the English it became Scotland’s premier port and remained so for several centuries.

 

In the early centuries Leith’s trade was with the Hanseatic League and the Low Countries.    The main imports at this time were wine and claret from Bordeaux with timber from the Baltic and linen, lace and fancy goods from the Low Countries.  The principal exports were whisky, wool and hides.  This trade is evident from many of the Leith street names such as Baltic Street, Elbe Street, etc.  In later centuries the main exports were coal and dry and salted fish. 

 

The history of Leith is in many ways the history of Scotland in miniature, Leith’s fortunes or misfortunes reflecting those of Scotland.  Because of its importance to Edinburgh, as the capital of Scotland, it was the gateway for kings, queens and princesses entering Scotland from Margaret who became wife of Malcolm III to Mary Queen of Scots, mother of James VI and his wife Anne of Denmark and to George IV, the first monarch to return to Scotland since Charles II.

 

Until 1833 Edinburgh had the superiority over Leith but the Burghs Act of 1833 gave Leith its independence which it retained until it became part of the City of Edinburgh in 1920.

 

Leith’s history is not, however, all about kings and queens.  It is also about the “ordinary” people who lived and worked in Leith – the docks, shipbuilding and heavy industries as well as the many shipping companies with headquarters in Leith employed the majority of Leith men.  

 

The history of Leith is about its people, it has always had cultural and religious tolerance and accepted many from different cultures into the fold.   It has much to offer people interested in social, maritime and industrial history of the port.

 

  

 

 

 

 


 

Leith Local History Society welcomes new members. Find out about membership here.

We meet every month and you are welcome to attend. Find out where we meet.

Learn about Leith's history, read our articles, see our gallery of images and contribute to our research.