16-06-2025
Youtuber walks through time in Edinburgh with map from 1852
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info
A Youtuber took his viewers with him as he explored the Leith area of Edinburgh, following routes on a map from 1852.
Edward Burns took a walk through Leith using the Ordnance Survey's Town Plan from 173 years ago, taking in the sights, history and of course a pint at the well loved Teuchters Landing.
Speaking to his followers on his Ed Explores Edinburgh page, he said: "Leith has changed a lot, it's been a port or harbour since the 13th century and is often the case with places beside large stretches of water, whether it's the sea, or wide rivers or firths, there's been a lot of to-ing and fro-ing between the land and the sea.
"Some areas that were once the sea or the water have been reclaimed and are now land, new docks have been built and then later those docks have been filled in. It's a constant, almost battle between the land and the sea."
To kick off the historical tour of Leith, Ed's first stop was Tower Street, which he feels knows this battle better than any other.
Overlapping current maps with those from 1852, he talks through the history of the area, highlighting the differences between old landscapes and new, showing how Leith has developed.
On his tour he shows his viewers the restaurants decorating the shore, comparing them to the taverns that would have served sailors over 170 years ago.
Sign up for Edinburgh Live newsletters for more headlines straight to your inbox
From there he walks to Timber Bush, the remnants of what used to be a huge market area where timber off-loaded from ships was sold before Ed makes his way to Bernard Street- which would have house even more taverns. Most notably was Carriers Quarters, a pub that still exists today and is said to be the oldest unaltered public house in Leith. It can be dated back to 1785.
The penultimate stop on his 1850's tour was Commercial street where he discusses what could have been Leith Railway Station.
Ending the video with a well deserved drink, Ed reflects on the price of beer today and the trouble drinking can get you in!
Full of interesting insights into the history and sights in Leith, Ed's tour offers a new, or should we say old, perspective of one of Edinburgh's most vibrant areas.
You can watch Ed's full video here.
