Gowns of blue and tin badges gleam in my mind’s eye. This is Jock’s Lodge. It is more than just a place on a map. It’s a story etched in Edinburgh’s history.
Jock’s Lodge sits at the busy junction of London Road and Willowbrae Road. It also lies at the junction of Portobello Road and Restalrig Road South. This area is also known as Meadowbank and Piershill.
The name Jock’s Lodge appeared in John Nicoll’s diary in 1650 as Jokis Ludge. In 1736, a sasine referred to “the Bleugowns Lodge commonly called Jocks Lodge”. The Bluegowns were the king’s bedesmen. They were also called Jockies. Their house became known as Jockies Lodge.
So who were these Jockies? They were royally appointed beggars licensed by King James VI. Each Bluegown got a blue cloak on the monarch’s birthday. They also received a tin badge saying “pass and repass”. A Scots shilling for every year of the monarch’s age was also given. And of course a slap-up dinner.
Imagine this scene near Jock’s Lodge. A stagecoach pulls up outside the Jock Lodge Inn. The weary horses are unharnessed. Fresh horses are brought from the stables at the back. This was the first stop on the Edinburgh to London stagecoach route. The journey began at White Horse Close just outside Edinburgh.
Later Jock’s Lodge became a bustling hub. The East Coast Main Line railway passed through. A railway station even opened here in September 1847. Sadly it closed after only ten months. Civil service office blocks now dominate the area. St Margaret’s House and Meadowbank House were built in the early 1970s. They sit on the site of the old St Margaret’s railway locomotive depot.
But let’s rewind to the 19th century. Picture the Jock’s Lodge toll house. It stood in the middle of the road junction. A cavalryman stands outside the Jock’s Lodge Tavern. He wears the pillbox hat of the 1870s troopers. Another cavalryman is in the foreground. Haycarts remind us that this area was rural until the late 19th century.
Oliver Cromwell even mustered his New Model Army infantry here in July 1650. This was before his failed assault on Leith. Jock’s Lodge has witnessed centuries of change.
Today Jock’s Lodge may look different. But its name echoes with stories of kings and beggars. It recalls stagecoaches and soldiers. It speaks of industry and change. Take a moment to imagine the Jockies in their blue gowns. Picture them receiving their royal gifts. Remember the stagecoaches and the soldiers who once passed through this historic crossroads.