Morningside, Edinburgh

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Morningside is a famously genteel area in the south-west of Edinburgh, Scotland. It is south of the areas of Bruntsfield, Burghmuirhead (including Holy Corner and Church Hill); south-west of Marchmont, and south-east of Merchiston. It is to the north of Comiston and the Braid Hills.

Morningside is popular with students, being near Napier University's Merchiston and Craighouse campuses (in addition to other Napier University buildings, including the former Morningside Parish Church on the corner of Newbattle Terrace).

Morningside landmarks include the Morningside Clock, originally in the middle of the roadway as the clock for Morningside Station (part of the suburban railway line); the elaborately decorated Canny Man's pub (formerly The Volunteer) on the corner of Canaan Lane; and the Bore Stane, an ancient monument adjacent to the former Parish Church.

It is commonly thought of as the Edinburgh home of the author J. K. Rowling, writer of the Harry Potter series of books — though by some definitions her house is within the Merchiston area. In fiction, Morningside is the home of Muriel Spark's Miss Jean Brodie, and in children's literature it is the home of "Maisie from Morningside", a kitten in books by Aileen Paterson. Prior to his death, the Labour leader John Smith lived locally and his funeral, attended by much of the British Establishment, was held at Morningside Parish Church, which has the longest aisle of any parish church in the UK.

Civic amenities include South Morningside Primary School, Saint Peter's Roman Catholic Primary School, and Morningside Cemetery. There are a wide range of small, traditional shops, as well as some more mainstream shops and supermarkets; there are also a number of bars and eating establishments, plus a coffee house.

Churches in the area include Morningside Parish Church (Church of Scotland) in Cluny Gardens; Morningside Baptist Church (Baptist Union of Scotland); and the Old Schoolhouse Christian Fellowship (independent).

Most of the housing on Morningside Road is of tenement style, with surrounding streets housing mostly Victorian villas, plus a number of notable older buildings. Exceptions are the streets around Falcon Avenue and Falcon Road West which are tenemented. The names of these streets recall one of the largest local mansion houses, Falcon Hall, now demolished.

The names of several streets in the area follow an Egyptian theme, such as Nile Grove and Canaan Lane. Jordan Lane is named for the small but persistent Jordan Burn which trickles out of sight under Morningside Road. Several theories exist for the origins of these names, and Charles Smith, in his noted history of the area, indicates that the historical evidence does not support a favourite theory. Theories include the presence of a large number of Gypsies at the time the land was feud out; the immigration shortly afterwards of a number of notable Jewish people; a connection to the army of Oliver Cromwell and simply the presence of Egypt Farm, nearby.

[edit] References

Smith, Charles J., "Morningside", John Donald Publishers Ltd., Edinburgh, 1992. ISBN 0-85976-354-4
Cant, Michael, "Villages of Edinburgh" volumes 1 & 2, John Donald Publishers Ltd., Edinburgh, 1986-1987. ISBN 0-85976-131-2 & ISBN 0-85976-186-X
Grant, James, "Old and new Edinburgh" volumes 1-3 (or 1-6, edition dependent), Cassell, 1880s (published as a periodical): Online edition