Perseverance pays off for Leith

traditional manufacturing industries, the wine trade and the docks, even

when they relocated to districts such as Lochend, Craigentinny,

Restalrig on the east and Trinity, Wardie and Pilton on the west.

The port is known to the cheerful locals as Sunny Leith -- less a

comment on the climate, more a comparison with the po-faced people south

of the Boundary Bar in Leith Walk.

In the last 10 years Leith has undergone massive changes focusing on

the shoreline area. As well as numerous bistros, restaurants and bars,

there has been a shoal of housing developments, including interesting

warehouse renovations at the Vaults and the Cooperage, and luxury studio

flats at the Tolbooth Wynd at #150,000-#200,000.

New-build like Kings Landing, Kings Wark Court and Shipwrights Quay

(Muir Homes, two and three bedroom flats) lie close to underused sites

and monstrosities of multi-storey development such as the ''banana''

flats at Cables Wynd.

Leith's renaissance may at last be taking off with the relocation of

the Scottish Office (The Docklands) and Queen Margaret College (site of

the old Leith Academy at the foot of Easter Road). As a tourist/leisure

destination the new hotel and restaurant at The Shore along with the

Tall Ships Race in 1995, conservation efforts at Newhaven and the Leith

Festival, have sparked new life into what was a rundown area.

Matthew Gray, the GA branch manager, Leith Walk, says: ''Leith is

currently in the spotlight, with excellent value-for-money flats

attracting a mix of Leithers and car-owning professionals. A flat in

Bruntsfield would cost #75,000 compared to the bargain of

#45,000-#50,000 in Leith.

''While there is still a big price difference between the new homes,

warehouse redevelopments and the cheaper properties at Great Junction

Street, we have had a very good start to the year, with a high volume of

first-time buyers. For families, there are spacious Victorian and

Georgian villas at Leith Links and Restraig at over #100,000.''

John Brown of DTZ Debenham Thorpe says: ''There is an extraordinary

mix of house types in Leith: ex-council flats at #35,000, semi-villas at

#120,000-#150,000, and detached at #200,000 -- cheap compared to their

equivalent in The Grange on the south side of Edinburgh at #350,000.''

Communications

Rail -- the nearest station is Edinburgh Waverley. Road -- main link

from the city centre is Leith Walk, with an excellent choice of buses.

Parking is not a problem, and the proposed Bernard Street relief road

will allow integration of the north and south shore.

Education

New Leith Academy, 20 Academy Park, has a wide range of courses

including SCOTVEC photography and computing, and community courses.

Leith School of Art, 25 North Junction Street. Leith Community Education

Resource Centre, 4 Dunrean Place. Leith Community Centre, New Kirkgate.

Multi-Cultural Education Centre, Leith Walk Primary, Brunswick Road. A

number of nurseries (Albany and Stanwell) and children's centres

(Pilrig, South Fort and Victoria Park)d. Nine primary schools

(Bonnington, Broughton, Craigentinny, Fort, Hermitage Park, Leith Walk,

London Street, St Mary's, Lorne Street).

Healthcare

Eastern General Hospital has maternity facilities. Leith Hospital for

outpatient services. Bonningtonj Resource Centre. GPs at Constitution

Street, Ferry Road, Inverleith, Leith Walk, Links Medical Centre and

Newhaven.

Culture

Newly opened Newhaven Heritage Centre, Newhaven Harbour, tells the

story of the fishing village. Leith Theatre hosts a number of events,

especially during the Edinburgh Festival. The hall is available for

weddings and other functions. A number of public art works include

murals at New Kirkgate housing area and shopping area, Swanfield

Industrial Estate, Shore back court, Citadel, Ferry Road, Chapel Lane

car park and Admiralty Street. Lamb's House is an interesting sixteenth

century building where Mary Queen of Scots visited, now used as a

thriving old people's day centre.

Shopping

The style and quantity of shops have not kept pace with the number of

restaurants and new housing especially at The Shore area. Attempts have

been made to improve the environment of Leith Walk which is a tree-lined

parade up to Princes Street. However most of the shops at the

Newkirkgate Centre, Great Junction Stret, and Leith Walk (Scotmid

Superstore) cater for the cheaper end of the market. Leith Walk has two

good Chinese supermarkets and many second-hand furniture stores. Retail

Warehousing at Salamander Street and Seafield includes car showrooms and

MFI. Edinburgh Architectural Salvage Yard at Couper Street for

fireplaces, wooden shutters and cast iron baths. Woollen Mills and

Crabbies Ginger Wine Warehouse attracts people from the city centre.

Libraries

Leith Library, Ferry Road (554 5507), McDonald Road (556 5630).

Eating Out

Spoilt for choice of restaurants, from the fish restaurants of Harry

Ramsdens and Ye Olde Peacock Inn at Newhaven, to the more eclectic

bistros of The Shore Area (The Shore, The Waterfront and Skippers, are

the oldest established and the best).

Leisure

The converted Vaults houses the Scottish Malt Whisky Society. Leith

Festival is an annual event in June including puppet shows, ceilidh

dances, Bavarian nights and the Jazz Festival. Tennis courts at

Restraig. Pilrig Bowling Club. Giants Brae at Leith Links was the first

tee on one of the first golf courses in the world. Craigentinny has a

nine-hole course. Leith Water World, at the foot Leith Walk, is an

up-to-the-minute leisure pool with flumes, bubble beds, lazy river,

creche, cafe and bar. Good park facilities at the Links, Chancelot

(Lethem Park), Victoria Park, Lochend Loch and Pilrig. Newly completed

cycle path between Granton Road and Victoria Park links up eight miles

of car-free routes. The Water of Leith provides fishing, walking,

cycling and a surprising range of wildlife.

Football

Catch the Hibs, whose support comes largely from Leith, while they are

still at Easter Road.