Powderhall is an area lying between Broughton Road and Warriston Road in the north 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 ...

, the

Scottish Scottish usually refers to something of, from, or related to Scotland, including: *Scottish Gaelic, a Celtic Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family native to Scotland *Scottish English *Scottish national identity, the Scottish ide ...

capital. Until recently it was best known for Powderhall Stadium, a

greyhound racing Greyhound racing is an organized, competitive sport in which greyhounds are raced around an oval track. The sport originates from Hare coursing, coursing. Track racing uses an artificial lure (usually a form of windsock) that travels ahead of th ...

track, which has now closed. The stadium also played host to

motorcycle speedway Motorcycle speedway, usually referred to simply as speedway, is a motorcycle sport involving four and sometimes up to six riders competing over four clockwise, anti-clockwise laps of an oval circuit. The motorcycles are specialist machines that ...

racing from 1977 to 1995, as home to the

Edinburgh Monarchs The Edinburgh Monarchs are a Scottish speedway team based in Armadale. They compete in the SGB Championship, racing on Friday nights during the speedway season. The club is run by a board of directors, chaired by Alex Harkess and also runs a ...

, who have since relocated to Armadale. The ''Powderhall Sprint'', first held in 1870, was a professional footrace with handicapping of the runners. It continues, since 1999, as the New Year Sprint and is now held at

Musselburgh Racecourse Musselburgh Racecourse is a horse racing venue located in the Millhill area of Musselburgh, East Lothian, Scotland, UK, close to the River Esk, Lothian, River Esk. It is the second biggest racecourse in Scotland (the first being Ayr Racecourse, A ...

. The name derives from a gunpowder factory and associated buildings on the edge of the

Water of Leith The Water of Leith (Scottish Gaelic: ''Uisge Lìte'') is the main river flowing through central Edinburgh, Scotland, that starts in the Pentlands Hills and flows into the port of Leith and then into the sea via the Firth of Forth. Name The ...

set up by the Balfour family of

Pilrig Pilrig is an area of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. The name probably derives from the long field (rig) on which a peel tower (pil/peel) stood. There is evidence of a peel tower situated on an area of higher ground above the Water of ...

as one of their several enterprises in the early 18th century. The site has been redeveloped for housing and business purposes, with the area having become casually (and for marketing purposes) known by the names “Powderhall Village” and, alternatively, “Canonmills Gardens”. This draws attention to its mixed identity as both a desirable village inofitself, and as a natural part of the Canonmills area. Most residents use the Warriston Path, through trees and over disused railway tracks (and a bridge), to get to central Canonmills, George V Park (through a tunnel),the Royal Botanic Garden or, further along, Stockbridge. Following the path downriver through Bonnington ends up at the Shore, Leith. East Powderhall was once the location of the city's main

waste management Waste management or waste disposal includes the processes and actions required to manage waste from its inception to its final disposal. This includes the collection, transport, treatment, and disposal of waste, together with monitor ...

depots. Originally built as an

incinerator Incineration is a list of solid waste treatment technologies, waste treatment process that involves the combustion of substances contained in waste materials. Industrial plants for waste incineration are commonly referred to as waste-to-ene ...

, a new chimney on the plant was condemned in the 1990s and removed. Construction is now underway to convert the pand into mixed-use housing, green spaces, and art studios. In this way, Powderhall is an increasingly successful example of an area that unites reclaimed land, post-industrial aesthetics, ongoing industrial processed, relatively unaltered green spaces, and ultra-modern urban housing.

External links

Residents turn noses up at waste depot plansPictures of PowderhallBrief History
of the New Year Sprint {{Areas of Edinburgh Areas of Edinburgh