Counties > Midlothian (Edinburghshire) > 1870-71 - Edinburgh county directory

24 THE EDINBURGH COUNTY DIRECTORY.
being thinly peopled ; but there is a large hotel for the accommodation of
strangers arriving by rail or steamer, a post-office at the harbour, and a branch
of the Royal Bank. Driving along the road by the shore, the suburbs of Warclie
and Trinity are seen on the elevated ground to the right ; and the Chain Pier,
the resort of swimmers, is opposite the Trinity Railway Station. A little
farther on the Visitor reaches
Newhaven (37), a well-known fishing village, whose inhabitants may be
regarded as one large family, in many cases bearing the same name, and seldom
marrying out of their own class. There are . two hotels in the village, noted
for their "fish-dinners," several good houses for summer visitors, and two
churches and schools. The nearest Railway Stations are. Trinity and Bonning-
ton, each about half a mile from the village, and omnibuses run to and from
Edinburgh every half-hour. A short distance to the east is the busy seaport
town of
Leith (12), now almost an integral part of the metropolis, though an inde-
pendent town, divided into the two parishes of North and South Leith, and
containing 34,000 inhabitants. Leith Fort, where a detachment of Royal
Artillery is stationed, is at the west entrance ; and a little farther on, past the
goods station of the Caledonian Railway, to the left, are a series of extensive
docks, stretching to the harbour, in the centre of the town, from which two
piers of great length extend into the Firth. To the east of the harbour is a
large graving-dock, and another extensive wet dock (the Albert) formally
opened on the 24th August 1869. Leith is supported principally by its ship-
ping ; but there are extensive florrr mills, sugar refineries, distilleries, and
other works, which give employment to a large number of people. The
revenue of the Dock Commissioners for 1869 was £58,869, 16s. Id. Passing out
of Leith by St Bernard Street, the more interesting route is by Constitution
Street, Charlotte Street, and the Links, to Seafield, where there are salt-water
baths, from which it is but a short drive to
Portobello (40), a fashionable watering-place, three miles from Edinburgh,
greatly resorted to in summer by visitors from different parts of the country.
There are a number of handsome crescents at the south and east parts of the
town, and, skirting the Promenade, now being greatly extended, are several
elegant villas. The beach is one of the largest, finest, and safest in the king-
dom, and bathing is extensively indulged in. A handsome pier is at present
in course of erection ; and when the Promenade is completed, Portobello .
will have attractions of a superior kind for visitors to the sea-side. With
the exception of a large brick-work at the west of the town, there are no
manufactories. Portobello is built on part of the estate of Ducldingston,
which lies fully a mile to the south-west, in the valley of Arthur's Seat. It is
governed by a Provost, two Bailies, and eight Councillors, and unites with
Musselburgh and Leith in returning a member to the House of Commons. At
the east of the town is the little village of
Joppa, a railway station and suburb of Portobello, on the road to Fisherrow ;
and farther east is the burgh of
Musselburgh, six miles from Edinburgh, at the mouth of the river Esk,
which divides it from the fishing village of Fisherrow. The Edinburgh races
are held annually, in July, on Musselburgh Links, also used as a golfing
ground, and which was the meeting place of the Covenanters with the repre-