Pilrig

Is this where the electric trams once clanged to a halt? Here at Pilrig, the bustling energy of Edinburgh seems to pause for a moment. This neighbourhood, nestled between Leith and Edinburgh, holds a history as rich and layered as the sandstone of its buildings. Imagine, if you will, a time before trams, before the grand avenues and Victorian homes. This area, known as Pilrig, takes its name from a sturdy peel tower that once stood guard over the Water of Leith. Fast forward to 1638, the year Pilrig House, a stately manor, rose from the ground, possibly even incorporating stones from its ancient predecessor. Over the centuries, Pilrig House witnessed the comings and goings of Edinburgh’s elite, including the Balfour family, whose name is etched onto the streets here. The Balfours, you see, were shrewd investors. They profited handsomely from the Darien scheme, a failed attempt to establish a Scottish colony in Panama. The Treaty of Union, signed in 1707, reimbursed those who lost money, making the Balfours a small fortune, which they used to purchase and remodel Pilrig House. But Pilrig holds tales darker than financial success. Not far from here stood the Pilrig Gibbet, a chilling reminder of justice served in a harsher time. Imagine the macabre sight of the gibbet cage, holding the remains of those who had met their end at the hands of the hangman. Among them was Philip Stanfield, executed in 1688 for the murder of his uncle. His body was left to rot in the gibbet, a grim warning to any who dared defy the law. Today, Pilrig has shed its more macabre associations. The neighbourhood is a mix of architectural styles, from Georgian and Victorian homes to modern flats. Yet, the echoes of its past linger. As you wander these streets, remember the whispers of history that surround you, from ancient peel towers to entrepreneurial Balfours and the chilling specter of the Pilrig Gibbet.