Juniper Green is a village on the outskirts of

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

, situated about south-west of the city centre. It bridges the city bypass, and extends along the foothills of the Pentlands. It is bordered by

Colinton Colinton ( gd, Baile Cholgain) is a suburb of Edinburgh, Scotland situated south-west of the city centre. Up until the late 18th century it appears on maps as Collington. It is bordered by Dreghorn to the south and Craiglockhart to the north ...

to the east,

Baberton Baberton is a suburb of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. It is south-west of the Edinburgh City Bypass and Wester Hailes and south of the Shotts Line railway line. The village of Juniper Green is situated to the south of Baberton and Baber ...

immediately to the north, and

Currie Currie ( gd, Currach, IPA: �kʰuːᵲəx is a village and suburb on the outskirts of Edinburgh, Scotland, situated south west of the city centre. Formerly within the County of Midlothian, it now falls within the jurisdiction of the City of Edi ...

to the south-west. It centres on Lanark Road, the main route leading out south-west of Edinburgh into the

Central Borders The Scottish Borders ( sco, the Mairches, 'the Marches'; gd, Crìochan na h-Alba) is one of 32 council areas of Scotland. It borders the City of Edinburgh, Dumfries and Galloway, East Lothian, Midlothian, South Lanarkshire, West Loth ...

. The village stands on an elevated ridge above the

Water of Leith The Water of Leith (Scottish Gaelic: ''Uisge Lìte'') is the main river flowing near central Edinburgh, Scotland, and flows into the port of Leith where it flows into the sea via the Firth of Forth. Name The name ''Leith'' may be of Britto ...

to its south. Administratively, Juniper Green falls within the jurisdiction of the

City of Edinburgh Council The City of Edinburgh Council is the local government authority for the city of Edinburgh, capital of Scotland. With a population of in mid-2019, it is the second most populous local authority area in Scotland. In its current form, the counci ...

having been officially absorbed into the city in 1920.

History

Juniper Green's earliest mention is in the Kirk records of Colinton in 1707. However, it is largely called Curriemuirend up until the end of the 18th century and the area only really developed as a village from around 1810. Indeed Adair's map published in 1735 shows no sign of the village, nor does Laurie's more accurate map of 1766. Only one house in the village (Gowanlea) appears to predate 1810. Traditionally, its major industries were paper and snuff set in the river valley of the

. Only with the building of the

Balerno line The Balerno line was a short loop railway in Scotland. It was some 6 miles in length leaving the main Caledonian Edinburgh to Carstairs line at Slateford in Edinburgh. It was built by the Caledonian Railway (CR) mainly to service the many e ...

with a station serving the village did it begin to prosper and expand. The line's closure in 1955 re-distanced the village from the city centre. Juniper Green, along with the rest of Colinton

Parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or m ...

, was amalgamated into Edinburgh from 1 November 1920. The 300th anniversary of Juniper Green was celebrated throughout 2007 and the community supported many social and environmental improvement projects. The opportunity was also taken to record locals' reminiscences and collect photographs, which have been archived on the Juniper Green Village Association website. In the same year, the area was incorporated into the new

Pentland Hills The Pentland Hills are a range of hills southwest of Edinburgh, Scotland. The range is around in length, and runs southwest from Edinburgh towards Biggar and the upper Clydesdale. Etymology The name is first recorded for the farm of Pentla ...

multi-member

ward Ward may refer to: Division or unit * Hospital ward, a hospital division, floor, or room set aside for a particular class or group of patients, for example the psychiatric ward * Prison ward, a division of a penal institution such as a pris ...

of the council.

Buildings

*Juniper Green Parish Church (formerly the Free Church) built 1879, by

James Graham Fairley James Graham Fairley FRIBA MSGS (1846–1934) was a 19th/20th century Scottish architect working mainly in the West Lothian area, specialising in churches and schools. Life He was born in West Calder in West Lothian the son of William F ...

Education

Juniper Green is served by an eponymous Primary School (designed in 1910 by

John Alexander Carfrae John Alexander Carfrae (1868–1947) was a Scottish architect of particular note in the field of innovative school design. He was considered one of the best architects of his generation, but his works were rather limited as he was constrained t ...

), and nearby

Currie High School Currie Community High School is a six-year comprehensive school serving the south-west of the City of Edinburgh, Scotland. The school roll currently stands at 727 of whom 20% attend as a result of parental placing requests. The school's feeder ...

Culture and attractions

Today Juniper Green is primarily a dormitory suburb of Edinburgh with its own shops, including, a bike repair centre, an opticians, a chemist, two pubs, a fish and chip shop, an Italian restaurant, as well as a large selection of hairdressers. Leisure facilities include a golf course, bowling club and tennis club. The area is served by Juniper Green parish church.

Local newspaper

''C&B News'' (originally Currie & Balerno News) is the community news magazine covering Juniper Green, as well as nearby Currie, Balerno, Baberton Mains and Colinton. Published 10 times a year, the publication features local news, reports from local groups/organisations, political representatives, and Community Councils, plus regular coverage of local planning applications and developments.

Transport

The A70 runs through the area and Juniper Green is served by the 44, 45 and 44N bus routes, which are operated by

Lothian Buses Lothian Buses is a major bus operator based in Edinburgh, Scotland. It is the largest municipal bus company in the United Kingdom: the City of Edinburgh Council (through Transport for Edinburgh) owns 91%, Midlothian Council 5%, East Lothian ...

. It also has access to Livingston through Blue Bus service 24 funded by West Lothian Council. The 33 bus service is also available via a connecting footpath to

Baberton Mains Baberton is a suburb of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. It is south-west of the Edinburgh City Bypass and Wester Hailes and south of the Shotts Line railway line. The village of Juniper Green is situated to the south of Baberton and Baberton ...

Community Council

The Juniper Green Community Council was inaugurated in November 2009.

Conservation Area

Juniper Green Conservation Area is situated to the west of Edinburgh around the main Lanark Road. The conservation area is centred on the historic core of Juniper Green, one of a number of villages which were absorbed into the

City of Edinburgh The City of Edinburgh Council is the local government authority for the city of Edinburgh, capital of Scotland. With a population of in mid-2019, it is the second most populous local authority area in Scotland. In its current form, the counci ...

. A recognisable village character still remains and the conservation area status was originally designated on 19 November 1993 to protect that character. The boundary was extended in March 2007.Conservation Appraisal
/ref>

Famous residents

Thomas Carlyle Thomas Carlyle (4 December 17955 February 1881) was a Scottish essayist, historian and philosopher. A leading writer of the Victorian era, he exerted a profound influence on 19th-century art, literature and philosophy. Born in Ecclefechan, Dum ...

(1795–1881) and his wife

Jane Welsh Carlyle Jane Baillie Carlyle ( Welsh; 14 July 1801 – 21 April 1866) was a Scottish writer and the wife of Thomas Carlyle. She did not publish any work in her lifetime, but she was widely seen as an extraordinary letter writer. Virginia Woolf ca ...

- rented the house "Mount Pleasant" at 502, Lanark Road * David Henry (1888–1963) - New Zealand industrialist and philanthropist was born here *

Edwin G Lucas Edwin G Lucas (30 March 1911 – 9 December 1990) was a Scottish Modernist artist. He was an amateur, self-taught apart from evening classes at Edinburgh College of Art, but during the period 1939-1952 he produced Surrealist works that are said ...

(1911-1990) - surrealist artist * Willie Merrilees (1898–1984) - at one time Scotland's most famous policeman * James Murray (d.1634) - one of the first men in Scotland to be called an architect * Berrick Saul (1924-2016) - Professor of

Economic History Economic history is the academic learning of economies or economic events of the past. Research is conducted using a combination of historical methods, statistical methods and the application of economic theory to historical situations and ins ...

and later

Vice Chancellor A chancellor is a leader of a college or university, usually either the executive or ceremonial head of the university or of a university campus within a university system. In most Commonwealth and former Commonwealth nations, the chancellor is ...

of the

University of York , mottoeng = On the threshold of wisdom , established = , type = Public research university , endowment = £8.0 million , budget = £403.6 million , chancellor = Heather Melville , vice_chancellor = Charlie Jeffery , students ...

Michael Woodruff Sir Michael Francis Addison Woodruff, (3 April 1911 – 10 March 2001) was an English surgeon and scientist principally remembered for his research into organ transplantation. Though born in London, Woodruff spent his youth in Australia, ...

(1911-2001) - performed the first kidney transplant in the United Kingdom, former professor of surgery at the University of Edinburgh

References

External links

Friends of Curriemuirend Park
{{authority control Areas of Edinburgh Villages in Edinburgh council area