Ardmillan (, IPA:
�aËɾʲtʲˈaˈvɯËɫ̪ɪn is a mainly residential suburb of
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...
,
Scotland
Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...
. The area developed during the mid to late
Victorian era
In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the reign of Queen Victoria, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. Slightly different definitions are sometimes used. The era followed the ...
as Edinburgh expanded and many of the present tenement flats and houses date from this era. The area is bisected by the
A70 road and its north-west edge is marked by the
Shotts railway line. The area has several pubs, small shops, churches and a cemetery.
Location
The boundary north of Ardmillan is bordered by the area of
Dalry. To the west is the area of
Gorgie
Gorgie ( ) is a densely populated area of Edinburgh, Scotland. It is located to the west of the city centre, and borders Murrayfield, Ardmillan and Dalry, Edinburgh, Dalry.
Name
The name is thought to be British language (Celtic), Brythonic in ...
, and to the east is the area of
Fountainbridge
Fountainbridge is a former industrial district in Edinburgh, Scotland, a short distance west of the Old Town. It is built around the street of the same name, which begins at the West Port and continues (as Dundee Street) towards Gorgie and Da ...
.
Shandon,
Polwarth and North Merchiston are to the south of Ardmillan.
Name
The name is from the
Court of Session
The Court of Session is the highest national court of Scotland in relation to Civil law (common law), civil cases. The court was established in 1532 to take on the judicial functions of the royal council. Its jurisdiction overlapped with othe ...
judge,
James Craufurd, Lord Ardmillan, who took his name from
Ardmillan Castle near
Girvan
Girvan (, "mouth of the River Girvan") is a burgh and harbour town in Carrick, South Ayrshire, Scotland. Girvan is situated on the east coast of the Firth of Clyde, with a population of about 6,450. It lies south of Ayr, and north of St ...
. The name means the "high bare place" in
Scottish Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic (, ; Endonym and exonym, endonym: ), also known as Scots Gaelic or simply Gaelic, is a Celtic language native to the Gaels of Scotland. As a member of the Goidelic language, Goidelic branch of Celtic, Scottish Gaelic, alongs ...
(''Aird a' Mhaolain'').
History and architecture
The area contains many tenements as well as "Diggers" pub, so called because the gravediggers from the large graveyard in the Ardmillan-Dalry area would go in there after work. Another pub in the area, the Caledonian Sample Room, is often mistakenly assumed to be owned by the nearby
Caledonian Brewery
Caledonian Brewery was a Scottish brewery founded in 1869 in the Shandon, Edinburgh, Shandon area of Edinburgh, Scotland.
History Early years
When it was founded in 1869, the brewery was named the Lorimer and Clark Caledonian Brewery, after it ...
(actually it is owned by
Punch Taverns
Punch Pubs & Co is a pub and bar operator in the United Kingdom, with around 1,300 leased pubs. It is headquartered in the traditional brewing centre of Burton upon Trent in Staffordshire. It was listed on the London Stock Exchange as a consti ...
).
Ardmillan has two churches. The first is St Michael's Parish Church, which is an
ecumenical
Ecumenism ( ; alternatively spelled oecumenism)also called interdenominationalism, or ecumenicalismis the concept and principle that Christians who belong to different Christian denominations should work together to develop closer relationships ...
church. Building of the church began in 1879 and was completed for services in 1883.
There is also an old congregation of
Wesleyan Methodists in the area.
Ardmillan is also home to a large, modern health centre called Ardmillan House. The health centre is the location of the South East Scotland Breast Screening Centre.
On the southern boundary with North Merchiston is a large
public park
An urban park or metropolitan park, also known as a city park, municipal park (North America), public park, public open space, or municipal gardens (United Kingdom, UK), is a park or botanical garden in cities, densely populated suburbia and oth ...
- Harrison Park. The origins of the park lie with a public purchase of land by
Edinburgh City Council
The City of Edinburgh Council (Scottish Gaelic: ''Comhairle Baile Dhùn Èideann'') is the local government authority covering the City of Edinburgh council area. Almost half of the council area is the built-up area of Edinburgh, capital of Sco ...
in 1886, with additional land expanding the park being bought in 1930.
North Merchiston Cemetery
North Merchiston Cemetery is a garden cemetery that is located in the western part of Ardmillan, west of Ardmillan Terrace and north of Slateford Road.
The cemetery was laid out in 1881 and primarily contains late 19th century and early 20th century burials, including over 120
war graves of
Armed Forces
A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. Militaries are typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with their members identifiable by a ...
personnel.
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious decoration of the Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom, British decorations system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British ...
, and footballers Walter Fairgrieve, Bobby Walker and Alex Walker.
References
{{Areas of Edinburgh
Areas of Edinburgh