Easter Road is a main road in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. It links Leith with Abbeyhill. It is so called as it was originally the 'Easter Road to Leith', ie the road from Edinburgh to Leith which was furthest East. There is no connection to Easter the Christian festival. It is best explained in maps of the late 18th century, when it has a counterpart "Wester Road" (now Bonnington Road).[1]
Until the creation of Leith Walk in the mid-17th century this was the main road from Leith to Edinburgh.
It was the last major road in Scotland to be setted (similar to cobbling) with granite setts replacing tarmac in 1955. A fatality on the road in the late 1990s was used as an excuse to retarmac the road and save the costly expense of repairing the cobbles.
The southward view along the road dramatically focusses upon Salisbury Crags on the edge of Arthur's Seat.
Easter Road is the name of the Hibernian football stadium. Supporters of the Scottish National team from the area have created their own "Tartan Army" simply named the Easter Road Tartan Army.
The area between Easter Road and Leith Walk to the west is Edinburgh's most densely populated area.