Inverleith

Coordinates: 55°58′0″N 3°12′50″W / 55.96667°N 3.21389°W / 55.96667; -3.21389

Union House, on Inverleith Terrace, was built as a Christian Science church in 1911, but is now offices ^[1]

Inverleith is an inner suburb in the northern part of Edinburgh, Scotland, on the fringes of the central region of the city. It is an affluent suburb. Its neighbours include Trinity to the north and the New Town to the south, with Canonmills at the south-east and Stockbridge at the south-west. The name is said^{[citation needed]} to come from Scottish Gaelic Inbhir Lìte, meaning "Mouth of Leith".^{[clarification needed]}

It is characterised by its wealth of open green space. The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh and Inverleith Park, in addition to the numerous playing fields owned and used by the independent schools Edinburgh Academy, Fettes College, Stewart's Melville College and George Heriot's. The Royal Botanic Gardens' nursery garden, for growing and cultivating plants, is also located here. Within Inverleith, there are very few shops and offices, and it is almost entirely a residential and recreational area.

Today Inverleith is home to some of Edinburgh's wealthiest residents, with houses often being sold considerably in excess of one million pounds sterling.^{[citation needed]} These include Scotland's most expensive penthouses, selling for £1.5m, and a recently renovated villa, which sold for over two million pounds sterling.^{[citation needed]} The houses are generally handsome and spacious Victorian or Edwardian villas with two or three floors, garages and quite large gardens. The residents tend to be employed in professions in central Edinburgh. It is convenient for such workers, as it lies only a mile and a half from the centre. Being on grounds slightly higher than the centre, it commands great views of the Edinburgh skyline, including Edinburgh Castle and Arthur's Seat. It has one of the lowest crime rates in the city.^{[citation needed]}

Within the area are Fettes College, an independent boarding school where former British Prime Minister Tony Blair was educated, and the state-run Broughton High School. Edinburgh Academy, an independent day school where the previous British Lord Chancellor Lord Falconer was educated, is located nearby in the north of the New Town.

Early proprietors

Inverleith was for over two centuries owned by the Rocheid (sometimes spelt Rochead) family. It changed hands when a co-heiress, Mary (d. 1749) married Sir Francis Kinloch, 3rd Baronet, of Gilmerton (1676-1747). Their son Alexander (d. 1755) inherited the entire Inverleith estates, and changed his surname to become Alexander Rocheid of Inverleith. Alexander and his descendants spent most of their time in Germany, and the Inverleith estate was leased. In 1774, Inverleith House was built, to designs by the architect David Henderson.^[2] Alexander's son James Rocheid of Inverleith leased Inverleith Mains at the beginning of the 19th century to George Lauder (1776-1824), Comptroller of the City of Edinburgh's Tolls, and the great-grandfather of Sir Harry Lauder.

Parks and gardens

The Palm House in the Royal Botanic Gardens

In late 1823, George Lauder, described as a "farmer of Inverleith Mains",^{[citation needed]} agreed with James Rocheid of Inverleith to a reversion of part of his leasehold lands, 11.5 Scots acres, for the site of the Royal Botanic Garden, which had formerly been located on Leith Walk. Commonly known as "The Botanics", the new site was opened in May 1824, comprising a large and varied set of gardens or parks with a wide range of plants, from around the world, in the open and in greenhouses. There is a Chinese themed garden, an extensive landscaped rock garden, a large palm house, and since its opening in July 2006, home to the official memorial of the life and legacy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II. It is maintained as a very popular tourist attraction, local leisure amenity, and scientific research centre.

Edinburgh Castle from Inverleith Park, with the pond in the foreground

Inverleith Park, also once part of Inverleith Mains and adjacent to the Botanic Garden, is large and includes allotments and a pond popular for use with model boats. It is also the proposed location for a new Edinburgh Skate Park. Local community group, Friends of Inverleith Park, objected to this in 2004. Plans for a slightly redesigned park are to be considered.

Rugby

In 1897 land at Inverleith was purchased by the Scottish Rugby Union (then the Scottish Football Union). Thus the organisation became the first of the "Home Unions" to own its own ground.^{[citation needed]} The first visitors were Ireland, on 18 February 1899 when the score was Scotland 3 — Ireland 9. International rugby was played at Inverleith until 1925 when it was transferred to Murrayfield Stadium. The land at Inverleith is now owned by Stewart's Melville College, and is used as playing fields for rugby in the winter and cricket/athletics in the summer.

References

• Index to Genealogies, Birthbriefs, and Funeral Escutcheons, recorded in the Lyon Office, by Francis J. Grant, W.S., Lyon Clerk and Keeper of the Records, Edinburgh, 1908, p. 46.
• The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, by Harold R Fletcher and William H Brown, HMSO, Edinburgh, 1970, ISBN 11-490425-1
• The Ancestry of Sir Harry Lauder, in The Scottish Genealogist, vol. LIII, No.2, Edinburgh, June 2006, pps: 74 - 87. ISSN 0300-337X

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