Sciennes

Sciennes whispers tales of captivating duality. Here, amidst the elegant Victorian tenements favored by students, echoes of a much older Edinburgh linger. Sciennes takes its name from the 16th-century Convent of St. Catherine of Scienna. Imagine a group of women, led by Lady Janet Seton, seeking solace after the devastating Battle of Flodden in 1513. They found it here, establishing the convent, only to see it destroyed by the Reformation in 1567. Sciennes bears witness to both the piety of these women and the tumultuous religious upheaval that swept through Scotland. The former Royal Hospital for Sick Children stands as a more recent landmark. This neo-Jacobean structure served the city’s youngest residents from 1895 to 2021. Today, the building faces a new chapter, slated for conversion into residential units and student flats. This evolution reflects the dynamic nature of Sciennes, a place where history intertwines with the present. Wander through the streets and you might stumble upon Sylvan House, once the summer home of Joseph Black, a prominent 18th-century chemist at Edinburgh University. A plaque commemorates his presence, adding another layer to the rich tapestry of Sciennes. Sciennes is also a neighborhood of literary connections. A young Arthur Conan Doyle, the future creator of Sherlock Holmes, briefly lived in a crowded tenement here. Sciennes, with its blend of historic whispers and modern life, invites you to explore its layered past and present.