The original harbour dates back to the 14th century, the arrival point for a host of important visitors to the Scottish shore. Perhaps the most memorable of these visitors came in 1822, alighting at a spot marked today by the King's Landing. George IV embarked on one of the most famous royal visits to Scotland. Greeted by a huge crowd and a guard of honour which included the Glengarry Highlanders and the Royal Company of Archers, George IV was the first reigning British monarch to set foot in Scotland since 1650. Stage-managed by Sir Walter Scott himself, this event set in motion another landmark. Turning up in full tartan regalia, the king ended a long-standing ban on the wearing of tartan due to its association with the Jacobite rebellions. Quickly overturned to save embarrassment, this prompted the quaintly named fashion craze "tartan frenzy."
The former Sailor's Home has now been converted into a hotel but still retains some of its original character. Built in 1883 it provided accommodation for 9 officers, 56 seamen and 50 shipwrecked seamen, the latter housed in dormitories in the attics. With many workers of the time living in overcrowded slums, this was a real innovation in social care. Sailors whose ships were in port could enjoy comfortable rooms, a canteen, low cost clothing shop, reading rooms, recreation rooms and a chapel. An angel, the emblem for the seamen's mission, can still be seen in the brickwork above the door. One of the oldest buildings in Leith is the Signal Tower, built in 1685/86. Originally a large windmill, one of three in Leith, it was crowned by a domed roof and billowing sails. It was in all probability used for milling rape seed for its oil. The battlements were an 1805 addition and it then served as a signal tower until 1820, displaying flags advising incoming ships of the depth of water in the harbour. The tower has now been incorporated into a Georgian tenement constructed on its south side.
There is so much to say about this part of Leith. For hundreds of years one of its most important industries was whaling. In 1616 James VI granted a 35 year patent to two Leith skippers to hunt for whales and the flood gates were opened. The Edinburgh Whaling Company was established in 1750, and vessels from all over Scotland would converge on Leith Roads in the Firth of Forth before heading in convoy to the whaling grounds. Safety in numbers, so to speak. Whales were also known to be seen in local waters, the last recorded catch noted in 1836. Leith slowly spread its tentacles farther afield when, in 1908, Christian Salvesen sent whaling ships into the South Atlantic where a base proudly called Leith Harbour was created on South Georgia. 1911 saw Salvesen owner of the largest whaling fleet in the world. The eventual demise of the whaling industry, led by international pressure fromconservationists and the production of synthetic substitutes for whale oil, saw the last whaling boat leave Leith in 1963. A poignant reminder of these whaling days is the harpoon mounted on the Shore.
Interesting stories are always very much an integral part of maritime history. In 1818 a stowaway was discovered aboard the "Thomas and Ann." John Sakeouse was a young eskimo boy who claimed he wanted to learn English and become a missionary! He became somewhat of a local celebrity, sat in his kayak, harpoon in hand, eventually acting as an interpreter and guide on a mission to find the northwest passage. In fact so much of a star was he that leading artist Alexander Nasymth painted his portrait, now in the safe ownership of the Scottish National Portrait Gallery. And the gentleman sitting on a bench enjoying a relaxing view of the water? Sandy Irvine Robertson OBE, one of Edinburgh's most celebrated wine merchants of the 20th century. In medieval times, trade with Bordeaux made the port famous for its wines, and this illustrious gentleman continued the trend. Commissioned by his friends and sculpted by Lucy Poett, you can sit beside him and chat. He may not answer, but who knows ....... he may well be listening.I could go on and on about the Shore ...... seems I already have. The specially built yard used to create the Mulberry Harbours, 16 pontoons and 13 pier heads to act as temporary landing points for Allied troops, heavy artillery and vehicles used in the D-Day landings ....... The Prince of Wales Dock with its hydraulic pumping station ...... the Royal Yacht Britannia ...... traditional dockyard activity ....... old and new reflected together in the water, waters that have flowed down through the centuries sending boats on their way, bringing boats home, spilling into the Firth of Forth and onwards to the ocean. The old Victoria Swing Bridge, stretching across these waters, built in 1874 and in its time the largest swing bridge in the United Kingdom. Train tracks long removed, traffic no longer crossing from one side to the other, only pedestrians treading the boards each side, it no longer swings, condemned to a life of motionless inactivity. New bridges, new roads, running alongside the old ....... and so life goes on ........ so the waters go on ... and so time leads us into the future.
