Leith Jacobites and the ’45 Rebellion, Tuesday 16th September, Leith Community Centre, New Kirkgate

  1. Just a little reminder to please join us at the first meeting of the Leith Local History Society programme for 2025/26, on TUESDAY 16th September AT 7pm in Leith Community Education Centre,New Kirkgate, Leith to hear this fascinating presentation by Steven Robb.

Leith Jacobites, James Nicolson and the ’45 Rebellion.

While researching James Nicolson a Coffee House owner on the Shore and later a follower of Bonnie Prince Charlie, Steven discovered links to other Leithers who supporrted the Jacobites cause and what made them become involved.

It should be an interesting night.

Our speaker, Steven is from Edinburgh and works for Historic Environment Scotland and has a background in architectural conservation.

 

All welcome, £2 at the door for non members  or free to members

This Saturday – a grand day out!

The lovely folk from the Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain (Edinburgh/Leith branch, based at Royal Terrace) are hosting a ‘Festival of Unity’ this Saturday, 23rd August, on Leith Links. It is free and open to everyone and indeed is aimed to bring Leithers from all backgrounds together in friendship.

The event is funded by the grant the group won through £eith Chooses, earlier this year, so obviously seen as popular in the Leith community.

This is a very friendly and welcoming group, and – going by their smaller events in past years – they throw a great party and do really great food!! Their choir has been singing at the Tattoo this year, and rumour has it that Leith’s own samba band Pulse of the Place will also be there to set the beat.

Please do go along on Saturday to support the group and join in the fun! Opens at 12 and runs until 4pm – suggest you get there before the cakes run out…..

           

 

Leith Local History Society AGM, Tuesday 20th May, Leith Community Centre, New Kirkgate

The society will hold its AGM in Leith Community Centre on Tuesday, 20th May at 7pm.

Please join us to find out more about our exciting programme from September 2025 to May 2026. The society can do more if people join us by becoming a member.

We desperately need someone to join the committee who has IT skills to update our old website or help create a new one and help with our Facebook presence.

I hope to meet you all next Tuesday.

 

LLHS PROGRAMME 2025:26, LLHS AGM 20:05:2025,LLHS CHAIR REPORT 2025

Best wishes

 

Jim Scanlon

Chair, LLHS

Leith Local History Society, Tuesday 18th February , Leith Community Centre

Do come along to the next meeting of the Leith Local History Society, on TUESDAY 18th February AT 7pm in Leith Community Education Centre, to hear this fascinating presentation:

Archaeology of Leith Fort and the Leith Gas works on Constitution Street

Steven Watt from AOC Archaeology will explain some of the finds found during excavations on both sites.

All welcome, £2 or free to members

Sociable Strolls on Leith Links – Thursday lunchtime

Here is an invitation from our friends at Duncan Place Community Hub –

Join us as we take a wander round Leith Links and the surrounding areas, enjoying the changing seasons. There’s always something to spot!

We’re trialling a new day of the week, and a slightly different time:

Thursday 31st October, 12 noon til 1pm
Thursday 14th November, 12 noon til 1pm
Thursday 28th November, 12 noon til 1pm

Meet in the car park at 5 Duncan Place five minutes before (at 11:55am).
It’s free to attend.
You don’t need to book, you can just turn up, however some people like signing up on Eventbrite for a reminder.

If the weather is really bad, we’ll call the walk off. If we do, we’ll post on our social media pages and contact Eventbrite signups on the morning of the walk.

Email events@duncanplace.org or call 0131 364 4350 with any questions.

What’s Happening around Leith Links this summer?

Here’s what we know about – please contact@leithlinkscc.org.uk if you know of any other events on or around the Links in the next couple of months, that local people might like to be aware of.

Public Toilets
The Links were supposed to be getting a permanent public toilet block this summer, but it has been delayed, apparently, for various reasons, and will not now be built until the autumn or later…watch this space….
HOWEVER, good news – the Links WILL be getting temporary public toilets, like the past few years. If you want to know when exactly these will be arriving we suggest that you all – like this Community Council – email your local Councillors to ask when / and can they please try to speed the process up, stressing the urgent need that you and your family and friends experience for toilets, now that the weather is improving and people are spending longer out of doors.
Cllr.katrina.faccenda@edinburgh.gov.uk; chas.booth@edinburgh.gov.uk; adam.mcvey@edinburgh.gov.uk

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Duncan Place
All sorts of exciting events & activities take place at Duncan Place Community Hub, including sociable and undemanding ‘Seasonal Strolls’ around the Links, usually on Wednesday lunchtimes (But not every week- check with Duncan Place for schedule). Sign up here to receive their regular Newsletter, to keep abreast of what’s on.

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Earth in Common (on the corner of the Links at the Queen Charlotte Street end of John’s Place) now offers a Cafe and Farm Shop (Food Hub).
Cafe open Tuesday -Friday 9-3pm and Saturday-Sunday 10-4pm for tea and coffee, homemade sweet treats and a simple vegetarian menu.
Farm Shop sells local produce like vegetables, eggs and milk

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Leith Links Funfair
The traditional ‘shows’ will be on the Links this year as they are every year around Leith Festival time (over on the Duncan Place side) Sunday 2nd – Sunday 9th June

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Leith Festival Gala Day
This traditional community event will be held on Saturday 8th June

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Leith Festival 8th – 16th June
For news of the many exciting events held all around Leith during the Leith Festival, see www.leithfestival.com and look out for the printed paper programme which you will be able to pick up soon all over Leith (in cafes, pubs etc.)

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World Orienteering Championships 2024 – 12 July
This one off event will be held on and around the Links on the morning of  Friday 12 July, with start & finish points on the small triangle on the west side of Leith Links at Duncan Place, beside Leith Primary School. For more information, see www.woc2024.org/woc-tour/

Organisers are keen for people to come along and spectate too. The WOC races earlier in the morning on Leith Links will be the most exciting for spectating and there will be a ‘Finals’ event culminating in Central Edinburgh the same afternoon.

Latest news is that there are also going to be ‘open’ races for spectators / the local community, on the main part of the Links, slightly later in the day, with entries open to anyone – the shortest courses are suitable for complete beginners!  These involve people running around, navigating to checkpoints marked with a stake, small flag and electronic timing box. Entries are at:

https://www.sientries.co.uk/event.php?elid=Y&event_id=1280

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Archeology tests on the Links

Please be aware that there will be people working on site at the bowling greens at Leith Links this Thursday 9th May.  In case you are wondering – and to combat any possible misinformation – these are workers from AOC Archaeology Group who have been officially contracted to carry out archaeological tests at the site. This is part of the development work and site scoping for the proposed Activity Hub project (part of the Leith Links MasterPlan).

Leith Local History Society April talk BRUCE KEITH Scotland Beneath the Surface

Bruce Keith joins us again for his talk, Scotland Beneath the Surface

Everything underground! Souterrains, manmade tunnels from castles and for roads and railways, pumped storage schemes, mines for coal and shale, quarries and more…

The talk is at Leith Community Education Centre, New Kirkgate, Leith (up the stair from the shops) on Tuesday 19 March 2024, at 7.00 pm. Admission is £2∙00, or free for members 

llhs_flyer_for_apr_2024

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