Edinburgh Railways - Granton Road Station

Unfortunately this is a poor quality photocopy that I made from an original photograph about 25 years ago.
I cannot now find the original photograph and do not know who took this photograph or when it was taken.

Granton Road Station

The photograph above may have been taken around 1930. Thank you to Douglas Beath, Tasmania (formerly Edinburgh) for the following comments.

Douglas wrote:

Sunday School Picnic?

"This photograph is of the UP platform (for trains travelling towards Edinburgh) as shown by the footpath up to Granton Road starting near the shelter. The paths to Wardie Road started near the platforms' east ends.

Next, the children aren't wearing schoolbags and aren't all in uniform. I suggest the event was an Inverleith Church Sunday School Picnic, probably to Davidson's Mains Park.

Also again clues from clothing : not my subject but note girls' hats. By the late 1930s school hats were a practical compact soft boxy shape. Boys' could be described as skull cap with front peak"

Douglas Beath, Tasmania

Thank you to Donald Grant, Penicuik, Midlothian, Scotland for the following further comments on the photograph above.

Donald wrote

School Outing to Edinburgh?

"Whilst I agree with some of the comments from your previous correspondent, I feel that the children on the platform would not have been going on a Sunday School picnic.

Right up to the 1960s it was normally the case that almost entire families attended the picnics. There are very few adults to be seen in the photo and the majority of the children are in uniform.

It's my guess that it is in fact a group from Wardie Primary School (which opened in 1931) perhaps going on a trip to the city centre for some reason.

It appears to be summer as the boys seem to be wearing white short trousers as opposed to the boy on the far left who is wearing flannels or similar.

As for the girls hats, wide brimmed hats were commonplace for fee paying schools in Edinburgh (of which Wardie was one) and at some schools these hats were worn up to the 1960s.

I can say with certainty that by the time I started attending Wardie in the late 1950s girls did not wear hats but instead wore berets, and that was infrequently."

Donald Grant, Penicuik, Midlothian, Scotland: January 22, 2006

Thank you to Kenneth G Williamson, Silverknowes, Edinburgh, who wrote:

Granton School - Trips to the Trosscahs

"I was interested in your picture of the school kids at Granton Road Station and the comments that the children must have come from Wardie school.

When I was at Granton school we were often taken up to this station for trips to the likes of the Trossachs etc, great fun."

Kenneth G Williamson, Silverknowes, Edinburgh: April 25, 2006

Granton Road Station

Granton Road Station was on the railway line that ran from Princes Street Station to Craigleith, East Pilton, Granton Road, Newhaven and North Leith.

It is now one of many lines in North Edinburgh that have been converted into a cycle track and walkway.

The building on the bridge in the first two photographs above is on the eastern side of Granton Road. For many years after the line closed, this building was used as offices for R Bruce, Builders. They then moved to West Shore Road, beside Granton Gas Works.

The second photo above shows a wooden shelter and hut on the platform. The hut has old advertisements for Oxo and Tylers' Boots, giving a 'period feel' to the photo. It was taken in 1934.

The railway line crosses Granton Road about half a mile to the south of the point where Granton Road turns in a north-westerly direction and slopes down hill towards Granton Harbour.