|
Newhaven Road
Leading
to the south from
Newhaven |
|
Old Postcards |
|
|
Early-1900s |
A new electric tram |
|
Recent photos |
|
Early Photos |
|
|
Early-1920s |
1909 |
|
Whale Brae The northern end of Newhaven Road |
|
The steep slope at the northern end of Newhaven Road is known as Whale Brae. Origin of the Name In his book 'Newhaven-on-Forth: Port of Grace' Tom McGowran writes: "Arctic whaling, which for centuries had drawn recruits from Scottish villages, took its quota of oarsmen from Newhaven. They had learnt their skills closer to home for whales had been stranding themselves around the Fife and Lothian shores from pre-historic times and there is a tradition that the Whale Brae got its name from a school of seventeen whales which grounded itself there." I believe there may also be other explanations of how Whale Brae might have got its name. |
|
New Housing At its northern end, at the foot of the brae, Newhaven Road meets Main Street, Newhaven. Main Street used to be close to the Firth of Forth, but Leith Western Harbour was built to the north of Main Street in the mid-20th century. Part of the Leith Western Harbour has now been reclaimed to create land for new housing, as can be seen from the photo below, which looks down Whale Brae towards Main Street and beyond.
|
