Bernard Street is a
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 ...
in
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The earliest surviving historical references are in the royal charter authorising the construction of ...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, Scotland. It runs west north westerly from the junction of
Constitution Street
Constitution Street is a thoroughfare in Leith, Edinburgh, Scotland. It runs north from the junction of Leith Walk, Great Junction Street and Duke Street to the Albert Dock in Leith Docks.
History
The street takes its name from Constitutio ...
and Baltic Street to meet 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 ...
at
The Shore. It forms the northern boundary of what was known in the 19th century as 'Old Leith'.
[
]
Overview
It is thought that Bernard Street takes its name from Bernard Lindsay of Lochhill, a courtier to
James VI and I
James VI and I (James Charles Stuart; 19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625) was King of Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and King of Ireland, Ireland as James I from the union of the Scottish and English crowns on 24 M ...
, who was granted the
King's Wark in 1604. An early name for the area was "Bernard's Neuk".
In 1780, the first public sewer in Scotland was built in Bernard Street, flowing into the Water of Leith. The iron seal of the sewer is still visible by the bridge at the end of Bernard Street.
At the east end of the street is a statue of
Robert Burns
Robert Burns (25 January 1759 – 21 July 1796), also known familiarly as Rabbie Burns, was a Scottish poet and lyricist. He is widely regarded as the List of national poets, national poet of Scotland and is celebrated worldwide. He is the be ...
by
David Watson Stevenson
David Watson Stephenson (25 March 1842 – 18 March 1904) was a Scottish sculptor, executing portraits and monuments in marble and bronze.
Biography
Stevenson was born in Ratho, Midlothian, Scotland, on 25 March 1842, the son of William Stev ...
erected in 1898.
[
] Other buildings include the premises of Leith Merchants Club and the former home of the
Leith Banking Company
The Leith Banking Company (also referred to as the Leith Bank) was a bank based in the town of Leith (now part of Edinburgh), Scotland, which opened in 1793 and was forced to merge due to debt in 1842. The bank was established by 18 partners, main ...
.
Today, the buildings of Bernard Street have been converted to use as pubs, cafes and the offices of media, marketing and publishing companies.
From the mid-18th century, a
stagecoach
A stagecoach (also: stage coach, stage, road coach, ) is a four-wheeled public transport coach used to carry paying passengers and light packages on journeys long enough to need a change of horses. It is strongly sprung and generally drawn by ...
service ran from Bernard Street to the city's
Old Town
In a city or town, the old town is its historic or original core. Although the city is usually larger in its present form, many cities have redesignated this part of the city to commemorate its origins. In some cases, newer developments on t ...
. Bernard Street forms part of the main coastal route around north Edinburgh. From the 1970s until the 1990s a Bernard Street bypass was proposed, Taking traffic northward through the docks and closing the street to through traffic at its east end. This was then to preserve Bernard Street as a historic enclave.
[Leith Local Plan 1972, EDC]
Bernard Street was a stop on Leith's electric tram line from 1905 until 1955
With the completion of the
Edinburgh Trams
Edinburgh Trams is a tramway in Edinburgh, Scotland, operated by Edinburgh Trams Ltd. It is an line between Newhaven, Edinburgh, Newhaven and Edinburgh Airport, with 23 tram stops, stops.
A modern tram network for Edinburgh was proposed by ...
light rail line extension to
Newhaven
Newhaven is a port town in the Lewes district of East Sussex, England, lying at the mouth of the River Ouse.
The town developed during the Middle Ages as the nearby port of Seaford began drying up, forcing a new port to be established. A ...
in 2023, a new tram stop opened at the junction of Bernard Street and Constitution Street.
The decision was made to name the stop
The Shore due to the area's close proximity.
Buildings of Interest
*
King's Wark - 1702 with silhouette of the former forestair on its north flank
*
Currie Line offices - lead roofed building at centre of north side
*Former Norwegian consulate/
Christian Salvesen
Christian Salvesen was a Scottish whaling, transport and logistics company with a long and varied history, employing 13,000 staff and operating in seven countries in western Europe. In December 2007, it was acquired by France, French listed tr ...
HQ - south side, west of domed bank
*Waterloo Buildings - huge tenement of 1816
*Leith Bank 1806 - by
John Paterson
See also
*
Edinburgh Street Tramways
Edinburgh Street Tramways operated a horse-drawn tramway service in Edinburgh between 1871 and 1896, and Leith between 1871 and 1904.The Golden Age of Tramways. Published by Taylor and Francis.
History
Services started on 6 November 1871 from ...
*
Leith Corporation Tramways
Leith Corporation Tramways operated a passenger tramway service in Leith between 1904 and 1920.
History
On 23 October 1904, Leith Corporation Tramways took over operation of the Edinburgh Street Tramways routes within the corporation district ...
References
External links
Edinburgh TramsBernard Street information
{{Streets and Squares in Edinburgh, state=collapsed
Streets in Edinburgh
Leith
Proposed Edinburgh Trams stops