Stockbridge, Edinburgh

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Stockbridge Market

Stockbridge is an area of Edinburgh, Scotland. It is located towards the north of the city, bordering on the New Town.

Stockbridge was originally a small village but was incorporated into the City of Edinburgh as it expanded. The actual "Stock Bridge" was built in 1801 and spans the Water of Leith.

A main thoroughfare, Raeburn Place, contains many various shops and restaurants. Stockbridge is also noted for its numerous speciality shops including a cheese shop as well as multiple charity shops (some of which are among the highest grossing in the UK). In the 1960s one Stockbridge street, St. Stephen Street, was the hub of the bohemian hippy district of the city.^{[citation needed]} It is now a highly sought after area of town with corresponding house prices; it is also characterised by several specialist and boutique shops, and leads to the William Henry Playfair-designed St. Stephen's Church. Because of the proximity to Broughton High School, Edinburgh Academy and Fettes College, the area is often busy with schoolchildren during the afternoons.

Raeburn Place is the location of the Edinburgh Academy sports ground which was the site of the first ever international rugby match on March 27, 1871. The Grange, home turf of the Scottish cricket team, can also be found there. The venue hosted two fixtures of the 1999 Cricket World Cup.

To the north of the area, between Glenogle Road and the Water of Leith, are eleven parallel streets collectively known as the "Stockbridge Colonies". Built between 1861 and 1911, with the aim of providing low-cost housing for working people, the colony houses are now considered prime real estate, due in part, to their location near the Royal Botanic Gardens and Inverleith Park. The colonies are often considered to be almost a village in their own right.

Each year Stockbridge hosts a community festival, normally lasting 9 days at the end of June. Since 1988, the festival has held The Stockbridge Duck Race to raise money for local charities. 1000 rubber ducks are released into the Water of Leith. Each has a number written on its head and the first ducks past the winning line win prizes for their sponsors. "Duck Wardens" follow the ducks to keep them out of the reeds and to stop watching children falling into the river. Hundreds of people turn out every year to cheer for their duck.

Notable past Stockbridge residents include: