Portobello Pier was a

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opened in

Portobello, Edinburgh Portobello is a coastal suburb of Edinburgh in eastern central Scotland. It lies 3 miles (5 km) east of the city centre, facing the Firth of Forth, between the suburbs of Joppa and Craigentinny. Although historically it was a town in it ...

, Scotland. Designed by

Thomas Bouch Sir Thomas Bouch (; 25 February 1822 – 30 October 1880) was a British railway engineer. He was born in Thursby, near Carlisle, Cumberland, and lived in Edinburgh. As manager of the Edinburgh and Northern Railway he introduced the first roll ...

, it was long and 22 feet (6.70 m) wide, and included a

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, and a concert hall. The final construction costs were £10,000.

History

In 1869, Parliament passed a Bill for the erection of a pier at Portobello with the view of developing and promoting the town "as a place of pleasure and enjoyment to its inhabitants and to the many visitors from Edinburgh and from afar". It opened on 23 May 1871. In August of that year, on the holiday to mark the centenary of the birth of

Sir Walter Scott Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832), was a Scottish novelist, poet, playwright and historian. Many of his works remain classics of European and Scottish literature, notably the novels '' Ivanhoe'', '' Rob Roy' ...

, over 2500 people visited the pier, at a cost of one penny. The success of the pier saw day-trippers come by train from all over southern Scotland to Portobello. Pleasure boat excursions to the

Isle of May The Isle of May is located in the north of the outer Firth of Forth, approximately off the coast of mainland Scotland. It is about long and wide. The island is owned and managed by NatureScot as a national nature reserve. There are now no ...

Elie Elie and Earlsferry is a coastal town and former royal burgh in Fife, and parish, Scotland, situated within the East Neuk beside Chapel Ness on the north coast of the Firth of Forth, eight miles east of Leven. The burgh comprised the linked v ...

North Berwick North Berwick (; gd, Bearaig a Tuath) is a seaside town and former royal burgh in East Lothian, Scotland. It is situated on the south shore of the Firth of Forth, approximately east-northeast of Edinburgh. North Berwick became a fashionable ...

, and

Bass Rock The Bass Rock, or simply the Bass (), ( gd, Creag nam Bathais or gd, Am Bas) is an island in the outer part of the Firth of Forth in the east of Scotland. Approximately offshore, and north-east of North Berwick, it is a steep-sided volca ...

were also offered. However, the fact that the pier was open on a Sunday caused controversy. In 1892, the pier changed ownership when the North British Railway Company bought the Galloway Company, maintaining steamer services from the pier until the Forth fleet was requisitioned by the Government for the

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, leading to the closure of the pier. Along with falling into disuse, the pier was also damaged by storms and the iron supports of the pier corroded, which led to its demolition in 1917.

Attempted revivals

In 1933, Plans were drawn up by a group of private entrepreneurs to build a new pier which would have connected the existing promenade with three gangways opposite Bath Street, Melville Street, and Wellington Street respectively. The plans included an enclosed bathing pond, enclosed boating and sand space, restaurants, shops, and a concert hall as well as facilities for pleasure steamer services. Construction was planned at an estimated cost of £60,000, but proposals were rejected by the town council. The plans were eventually abandoned due to

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

. In 2015, a proposal was made to build a new pier on the original site. Big Things on the Beach Trust and Architecture firm Smith Scott Mullan Associates presented plans for a multi-function pier with performance and live events space, a cafe, meeting rooms, and facilities for sports clubs.

References

Piers in Scotland 1871 establishments in Scotland Buildings and structures demolished in 1917 Demolished buildings and structures in Scotland {{Scotland-struct-stub