Kirkgate is an ancient

thoroughfare A thoroughfare is a primary passage or way of transport, whether by road on dry land or, by extension, via watercraft or aircraft. Originally, the word referred to a main road or open street which was frequented thoroughly. Different terms *Roa ...

Leith Leith (; ) is a port area in the north of Edinburgh, Scotland, founded at the mouth of the Water of Leith and is home to the Port of Leith. The earliest surviving historical references are in the royal charter authorising the construction of ...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 ...

. It runs north from the foot of

Leith Walk Leith Walk is one of the longest streets in Edinburgh, Scotland, and is the main road connecting the east end of the city centre to Leith. Forming most of the A900 road, it slopes downwards from Picardy Place at the south-western end of the str ...

towards Leith Docks. It is one of the oldest streets in the district and historically one of its most vital road links. Most of the buildings on old Kirkgate and neighbouring streets such as Tolbooth Wynd were demolished in the 1960s and replaced by the Newkirkgate Shopping Centre and a new housing complex, which incorporates the A-listed tower block Linksview House, in 1965. The resident population were mainly dispersed to new housing developments elsewhere in Edinburgh.

Etymology

The street name is of

Old Norse Old Norse, also referred to as Old Nordic or Old Scandinavian, was a stage of development of North Germanic languages, North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants ...

origin, and is identical in meaning with "Church Street". The church it refers to is probably South Leith Parish Church.

Notable buildings and landmarks

* Gaiety Theatre, Leith *

Trinity House of Leith Trinity House, 99 Kirkgate, is a building in Leith, Edinburgh, Scotland, which was a guild hall, customs house, and centre for maritime administration and poor relief. In the Late Middle Ages and Early Modern Era it also served as an almshouse ...

* Leith Hospital *

South Leith Parish Church North and South Leith Parish Church, originally the Kirk of Our Lady, St Mary, is a congregation of the Church of Scotland. Prior to the union with the former North Leith Parish Church in 2024, the building was known as South Leith Parish Churc ...

* Linksview House

Notable residents

Lord Balmerino The title of Lord Balmerino (or Balmerinoch) was a title in the Peerage of Scotland; it was created in 1606 and forfeited in 1746 on the attainder and execution of the 6th Lord Balmerino in the Tower of London. The title of Lord Coupar or Cupar ...

* Robert Andrew Macfie, businessman and Member of Parliament * William Merrilees, policeman

References

Bibliography

* Streets in Edinburgh Leith Odonyms referring to a building Odonyms referring to religion {{Scotland-road-stub