Edinburgh at Work - List of Companies

1992

Baker & Claremont

linotype printers

In the early 1990, there were only two hot metal printers left in Edinburgh:

- Speedspools (who used monotype equipment)

- Baker & Claremont (who used linotype equipment.

Both have since closed.

1992

Bank of Scotland

money

I took photos of both Bank of Scotland (now HBoS) and the Royal Bank of Scotland burning their old banknotes, withdrawn from circulation in the early 1990s.

Here are the Bank of Scotland photos.

1992

Brodie, Hamilton, Melrose

tea and coffee

Brodie Hamilton Melrose was, an old-established Leith company that was based at 130 Constitution Street, Leith.

Around 1994, they moved to new premises at Dock Street, Leith, trading as 'Brodies'

1994

Brodies

tea and coffee

The workforce of Drysdale and Brodie, Hamilton, Melrose came together in 1991 following a takeover.

The company moved to new premises in Dock Street, Leith, around 1994 and traded 'Brodies'.

1992

Burton's Biscuits

Burton's Biscuits have a modern factory at Sighthill.

They are the largest manufacturer of Rich Tea Biscuits in Europe.

1990 to 1993

Bruce Lindsay Waldie

Coal Merchants

In the early 1990s, Bruce Lindsay Waldie had an old coal yard immediately to the west of Haymarket station.

They then moved to larger premises with more modern equipment beside the railway, off Sir Harry Lauder road at Portobello.

1993

Cafe Royal

Inside the main bar of the Cafe Royal there are some attractive murals of industries, made from tiles.

I believe that these were created for one of the early exhibitions in Edinburgh, possibly 1886.

1993

Caledonian Brewery

Caledonian is a prize-winning brewery making traditional ale beside the railway at Slateford.

1996

Central Demolition

Based at Bonnybridge, Stirlingshire, but frequently found in Edinburgh.

1991

Chapman Inveresk

envelope manufacturers

Chapman Inveresk works in McDonald Road produced envelopes until the works closed on December 18, 1991.

At the time of my visit in November 1991, some of the machinery had already been moved to new premises in Lanarkshire.

1993 to 1994

Chancelot Mill

flour milling

[Leith Docks]

Chancelot Mill was once a prominent landmark at Bonnington with a tower and large clock faces.

Around 1970, the mill moved to Western Harbour, Leith, now part of the Edinburgh Waterfront development area.

1991 to 1996

Christmas Tree Warehouse

(Canonmills)

When Clarks Stonemasons moved from Canonmills to West Shore Road in 1991, this left the premises vacant for the next four years.

They were used each December until 1995 to sell Christmas trees.

In 1996, the building was demolished and Christmas trees were sold from the yard.

1991 to 1996

George Christie Building Supplies

(Easter Road)

George Christie's, in 1991, had a large yard of building supplies and two floors of metal workshops and storage.

The premises had been used previously by Cowans as a transport yard and stables.

The area has now been redeveloped as housing.

1991

Clarks

(Stonecraft) stonemasons at Canonmills

Clarks Stonemasons were based at Canonmills until 1991, when they moved to West Shore Road, Granton, leaving their Canonmills premises to be used for selling Christmas trees for the next couple of years, before being demolished.

1995

Clark

stonemasons
at Granton

After leaving Canonmills, Clark stonemasons moved to West Shore Road at Granton - now part of the Edinburgh Waterfront.

David Lindsay Formerly with Clark stonemasons ( I believe) set up his own stonemasons business beside Clarke at Granton.

1992 and 1993

Crabbies

Green Ginger wine

Crabbies Green Ginger wine was made at Great Junction Street, Leith for many decades until it closed in the 1990s.

I believe that the Crabbies building has now been converted to housing.

1991 and 1992

Craig & Rose

Paint manufacture

Craig & Rose had a factory making paint, on the west side of Leith Walk, between Leith and Pilrig.

Their greatest claim to fame was that they manufactured the paint used for the Forth Bridge for over 100 years.

In the mid-1990s, the company moved to Fife.

1991 to 1994

Croan & Sons

Kippers

Newhaven

Croan & Sons had a large low kipper factory, close to Newhaven Fishmarket, where they smoked kippers over a fire of oak sawdust.

The factory moved in the mid-1990s, further west along the coast to West Shore Road, Granton.

1991

Duncan's

chocolate factory

Duncan's chocolate factory moved from Edinburgh to Bellshill, Lanarkshire, around 1994. I believe that Duncans is now owned by a company based somewhere around Cumbria.

Jeanette Campbell tells me that she won a competition in her local newspaper to open the Duncan's factory at Bellshill, by pressing a button to start the machinery. She is now looking for a photo of the occasion. If you know such a photo, please email me, then I'll pass on the news to Jeanette.

1991

Drysdale

tea and coffee

Drysdale was founded in 1878.

When I took these photos in 1991, the company was based at Grove Street, Fountainbridge - but not for much longer!

1993

Harry Ramsden

Fish Restaurant

Newhaven Fishmarket, beside the harbour was converted in the early 1990s to become:

- a smaller fishmarket.

- a Newhaven heritage museum

- a Harry Ramsden restaurant

The restaurant closed after a few years, and has now become a Loch Fyne restaurant.

1992 and 2006

J Hewit & Sons

Tannery

J Hewit & Sons tannery is at Currie, about 5 miles SW of the centre of Edinburgh.

It originated at the City Tan Works around 1850 on North Greys and Morrison Closes between John Knox's house and North Bridge.

This web page gives a potted history of the company.

1991 to 2006

Charles Laing & Sons

foundry

This Foundry is one of the few remaining small industries still operating in the Powderhall district of Edinburgh.

The company, still a family owned business, was founded in the 1920s.

Much of the company's work, street furniture and railings, can be found in the streets of Edinburgh.

1989 to 1992

Leith Docks

Dock Cranes
Dry Docks
Ferries
Royal Navy

There is now less commercial shipping activity in Leith Docks than there was a century ago.

Recent increased security measures have made photography more difficult.

Now, several major new housing developments are underway around Leith's Western Harbour.

1991 to 2005

David Lindsay

stonemasons

David Lindsay was based at West Shore Road, from 1991 but moved out of the area, probably in the late 1990s, to make way for the Edinburgh Waterfront developments.

He still works in the stone industry, in Livingston (2006) but is no longer carving stone.

1991 to 2007

Lonsdale & Dutch

tinsmiths

Lonsdale & Dutch is a small tinsmith in a basement in Edinburgh's New Town.

The company has worked for the National Trust and has produced a wide range of lanterns.

1991

Lothian Region Drainage Dept

laying drains

Here, Lothian Region Water & Drainage Dept was installing new drainage deep underground close to where the Edinburgh International Conference Centre now stands in Morrison Street.

The tunnels were being blasted, drilled then dug out. They extended for 300 meters underground.

1990 to 1996

L R T

Lothian Regional Transport

now

Lothian Buses

Edinburgh Corporation became LRT (Lothian Regional Transport). It is now 'Lothian Buses PLC'.

Several of these 1990s photos were taken at the LRT workshops at Shrubhill, now closed. The site is soon to be used for housing.

1993 to 2002

Lothian & Borders
Fire Brigade

Lothian and Borders Fire Brigade now has new fire stations at Tollcross and Newcraighall in Edinburgh, a far cry from the very small stations in the Edinburgh suburbs of the early-1900s

1991 to 2006

George Mackay

bowling green bowl maker

George Mackay's workshop is at the foot of Blackfriars Street, near the Cowgate, in the Old Town of Edinburgh.

It is now run as a 'one-man' business by Ronnie, who has worked for the company for many years.

So far as I know, it is the only surviving old workshop in the area. It is one of the few remaining bowls makers in the world.

2004

Alexander McLennan

blacksmith

Alexander McLennan is still in business in 2004, at Powderhall.

Most of the other industries have now left the area.

1993

Monktonhall Colliery

coal mine

My first tour of the mine was in the 1960s, soon after the mine opened, employing almost 2,000 workers.

In June 1992, operation of the mine passed to Monktonhall Mineworkers Ltd.

I returned to the mine in 1993 to take some photos. There were 187 workers. The mine had a 100,000 contract with SSEB that year, but the mine later encountered problems underground and had to close permanently.

N
© 1991 to 1992	Newhaven Fishmarket	Newhaven Fishmarket, beside Newhaven Harbour, is still open but only a third the size it was in the early 1990s.
© 1991	North British Distillery	The NB Distillery is near Hearts' football ground at Gorgie. Their maltings are at Slateford Road Their cooperage and bonded warehouses are at Muirhall, West Calder, West Lothian.
© 1991 to 2001	Northern Lighthouse Board	Northern Lighthouse Board occupied premises in West Harbour Road, Granton, with a lighthouse frontage, until around 2002. At the back of the site were workshops and a yard.

1991

Rank Hovis

Caledonia
Flour Mill
Leith Docks

Caledonia Mill (owned by Rank Hovis) was an old mill situated immediately to the north of Chancelot Mill at Leith Western Harbour.

Caledonia Mill closed on February 8, 1991. The mill has now been demolished.

1991 to 1996

James Ritchie & Son

Clock Makers

In Edinburgh, James Ritchie & Son had a shop and watch repair operation at Broughton Street. This has now moved to Howe Street.

The company also held the contract for winding and repairing Edinburgh's public clocks.

Repairs of large public clocks were carried out at the company's works in Livingston, now moved Broxburn, West Lothian.

2002

Roadworks

Workers seen in the streets of Edinburgh.

1991 to 1993

Royal Bank of Scotland

Burning £1 million of used banknotes in the furnace at the St Andrew Square Office, Edinburgh.

This practice has now ended!

Edinburgh at Work - Scottish Agricultural Industries (SAI ) fertiliser plant at Leith Docks

1991

SAI

fertiliser manufacturers

Scottish Agricultural Industries (SAI) is a subsidiary of ICI.

In the 1990s, it had a chemical plant at Leith Docks, along the northern edge of the docks beside the Firth of Forth, to the east of the harbour entrance, manufacturing fertilisers.

The plant has now closed and the site has been cleared.

Read more:

SAI background

1991

Saxe Shaw

Artist, tapestry, stained glass worker

Saxe Shaw studied art in Edinburgh. He exhibited his paintings in Paris in 1948.

He was probably in his 70s when we met, as he worked at his home and studio at Howe Street in 1991, shortly before he died.

He told me that he has done some drawing or painting every day since he was aged 15.

1985

Scotmid

milk deliveries

St Cuthbert's Co-op (later Scotmid, from 1981, following a merger) delivered milk around Edinburgh by horse-drawn milk float for 125 years until 1985.

Their dairy was at Fountainbridge and stables were in Grove Street.

When the horse-drawn deliveries came to an end, the co-op had 12 Irish gelding horses. 8 went to good homes and 4 were kept for weddings and other events.

1991 to 1994

Scotmid

coachworks

Scotmid maintained their own coaches, coaches for a few individuals, and also the Queen's coaches, the work being done at the rate of one coach per year, until the work was completed around 1990. The coachworks closed in the mid-1990s

1992 to 1993

Scottish & Newcastle

brewery

Scottish & Newcastle's Edinburgh brewery was at Fountainbridge, beside the canal.

First, the plant for filling kegs closed around the late 1990s.

Then, the brewery and plant for filling cans on the south side of Fountainbridge closed in 2005.

1991 to 1994

Speedspools

monotype printers

In the early 1990, there were only two hot metal printers left in Edinburgh:

- Speedspools (who used monotype equipment)

- Baker & Claremont (who used linotype equipment.

Both have since closed.

2002

Street Views

Workers seen around the streets of Edinburgh.

1993

Standard Life
Assurance Co

Window cleaners cleaning one of the three domes on the roof of Tanfield House, a new administrative office for Standard Life Assurance Company

Tanfield House is close to the Water of Leith at Canonmills. It was built in 1991.

Edinburgh at Work - Stevenson & Cheyne, Bonnington, Edinburgh

1992 to 1993

Stevenson & Cheyne (1983) Ltd

Formed as a Management Buy-Out in 1983

I visited Stevenson & Cheyne in the winters of 1991-92 and 1992-93.

The company was then based in an old engineering works at Bonnington, Edinburgh, close to the Water of Leith. It was the last remaining large industrial company in an area that was once a hive of industry.