Key Points
- Currie, an Edinburgh suburb originally known as ‘Kinleith’ or ‘Killeith’, derives its name from the Gaelic word ‘curagh’, meaning boggy plain.
- The Scotsman published a gallery featuring 31 fascinating photos capturing Currie in the 1950s and 1960s, highlighting everyday life, streets, schools, shops, and community events.
- These images are part of larger collections like the Currie and District Local History Society (CDLHS) archive and John Tweedie’s collection, digitised with support from Edinburgh City Council, covering Currie, Juniper Green, Balerno from 1850s to 1980s.
- Historical records trace Currie to Bronze Age artefacts like a razor found at Kinleith Mill (1800 BC) and stone cists (500 BC).
- Currie Kirk, built on foundations of the ancient Church of Kinleith dedicated to St Kentigern in 1296, dates in its current form from 1784 with additions in 1791 and 1818.
- Key sites in photos include paper mills like Kinleith Mill, Riccarton estate, Larchgrove House, schools, scouts, guides, and local industries along the Water of Leith.
- The settlement grew around Currie Kirk and the Lanark Road, known as ‘The Lang Whang’.
- Poet James Thomson, raised in Currie in the late 18th century, is commemorated with street names like Thomson Road and the “Poet’s Glen” at Kinleith Burn.
- Collections feature images of mills (paper, grain, snuff), estates, quarries, railway stations, bowling clubs, pipe bands, and hunts from earlier periods extending into mid-20th century context.
- Heriot-Watt University’s museum holds 5,000 digitised photos and slides from CDLHS and John Tweedie, focusing on local communities.
- Social media shares from Edinburgh Evening News and others repost similar nostalgic images, emphasising changes in the village over decades.
Currie (Edinburgh Daily News) March 2, 2026 – A captivating collection of 31 photographs has brought the Edinburgh suburb of Currie back to life, offering a vivid glimpse into daily existence during the 1950s and 1960s. Originally known as ‘Kinleith’ or ‘Killeith’ – with the name Currie thought to stem from the Gaelic ‘curagh’ meaning boggy plain – these images, featured prominently in The Scotsman, showcase bustling streets, schoolchildren, local shops, and community gatherings in this historic area west of Edinburgh. The gallery draws from extensive local archives, evoking nostalgia amid the suburb’s evolution from rural mill village to modern commuter hub.
What is Currie’s Historical Background?
Currie’s roots stretch deep into Scotland’s past, with the earliest evidence of settlement including a Bronze Age razor discovered at Kinleith Mill dating to 1800 BC, alongside stone cists from 500 BC at Duncan’s Belt and Blinkbonny, as detailed in historical records. Mediaeval mentions include Robert of Kildeleith, who became Chancellor of Scotland in 1249, reflecting the area’s early significance. By 1315, Robert the Bruce gifted Riccarton as a wedding present, and the land later passed to Bishop Wardlaw’s family in 1392 before entering the hands of Ludovic Craig in 1612 and the Gibson-Craigs in 1818.
As reported in Wikipedia’s comprehensive entry on Currie, Midlothian, a settlement formed around Currie Kirk and the main Lanark Road, dubbed ‘The Lang Whang’, serving as a key southern route. The weaver poet James Thomson grew up in the village in the late 18th century, leaving a legacy marked by Thomson Road, Thomson Drive, Thomson Crescent, and the “Poet’s Glen” where Kinleith Burn meets the Water of Leith near his cottage at Mid Kinleith Farm. Currie Kirk itself is reputed to stand on the foundations of the ancient Church of Kinleith, dedicated to St Kentigern in 1296, with its present structure from 1784, alterations in 1791, and a steeple added in 1818.
Where Do These 1950s and 1960s Photos Come From?
The 31 photos highlighted by The Scotsman originate from cherished local collections, particularly the Currie and District Local History Society (CDLHS) and the John Tweedie collection, which together comprise 5,000 photographs and slides digitised thanks to a grant from Edinburgh City Council. John Tweedie, a local historian and founder of CDLHS who worked at Kinleith paper mill, amassed images focusing on paper, grain, and snuff mills along the Water of Leith, as noted by Heriot-Watt University’s Museum and Archive Service.
According to the Heriot-Watt University local history collections page, these span people and places in Currie, Juniper Green, Balerno, and Colinton from the 1850s to 1980s, with highlights including Kinleith Mill, Riccarton estate, Larchgrove House, scouts, guides, and schools. The CDLHS photo archive exceeds 1,000 images, catalogued online with many viewable digitally, subject to copyright, and available for research copies. Social media echoes this, with Edinburgh Evening News sharing on Facebook:
“Take a trip down Memory Lane with these fascinating pictures of Currie from the 1950s and 1960s. The village has certainly changed over the years”.
What Do the Photos Depict from the 1950s and 1960s?
While specific captions from The Scotsman’s gallery evoke everyday Currie life – children playing on streets, shoppers at local stores, school groups, and village events – broader archives provide context on depicted scenes. Heriot-Watt’s catalogue emphasises mills like Kinleith, community buildings, and recreational spots, reflecting post-war shifts in Edinburgh suburbs. Currie History Society’s site lists related early 20th-century images that set the scene, such as Currie Village in 1902, East Currie Cottages c1900, Currie Brig 1900, and Ravelrig Quarrymen 1923-25, illustrating continuity into the mid-century.
Photos capture the Riccarton estate’s grandeur, Larchgrove House, and industrial heritage, with scouts and guides active in the community. Railway scenes like the train at Currie Railway Station c1910 transition to 1950s-60s transport changes, while social clubs feature prominently, including Currie Bowling Club’s opening match against Juniper Green in the 1920s with players like T Ritchie, Wattie Young, and Sir Oliver Riddell. Pipe bands, hunts at Marchbank House in the 1930s, and Malleny House staff c1900 underscore Currie’s vibrant social fabric persisting through the decades.
Who Were Key Figures in Preserving Currie’s Heritage?
John Tweedie stands out as a pivotal figure, his collection forming the backbone of digitised archives held at Heriot-Watt University, where he is described as a local historian employed at Kinleith Mill and CDLHS founder. The Currie History Society, through efforts like obtaining the Edinburgh City Council grant, enabled the digitisation of thousands of images. Ann Jones, Head of Information Governance at Heriot-Watt, oversees access via heritage@hw.ac.uk.
Earlier contributors include James Thomson, the poet whose legacy endures in local nomenclature. Community memories shared on Facebook, such as queries for Currie Primary School photos from the mid-1950s mentioning headmaster Mr Templeton, highlight ongoing public involvement.
Why Are These Photos Significant Today?
These images preserve Currie’s transformation from a boggy plain mill village to a suburban extension of Edinburgh, documenting post-war recovery and modernisation. As Maeve Toal, City Art Centre curator, noted in a related BBC piece on 1950s-60s Edinburgh photos:
“What is refreshing is that he had no formal training, yet the photographs were still of such incredible quality… capturing dramatic shifts post-war”
a sentiment applicable to Currie’s amateur captures.
Edinburgh City Council’s support underscores public value in heritage preservation, making 5,000 images accessible online. Reposts on platforms like X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook by The Scotsman and Edinburgh Evening News amplify reach, fostering community nostalgia. In an era of rapid urban change, these photos remind residents of Currie’s enduring community spirit around landmarks like Currie Kirk and The Lang Whang.
How Has Currie Evolved Since the 1960s?
From the intimate village scenes of the 1950s-60s, Currie has integrated into greater Edinburgh, with Heriot-Watt University now anchoring Riccarton. Conservation efforts, like the Currie Conservation Area Character Appraisal, note 1413 records of it as hunting grounds for Edinburgh Castle lords and early cottages on Riccarton Mains Road from Armstrong’s 1773 map. Rullion Green and formal settlement around the Kirk highlight organic growth.
Modern shares contrast then-and-now, with Facebook users noting:
“The village has certainly changed over the years”
alongside traffic evolution photos. Yet, echoes remain in preserved mills, estates, and streets named for poets and bowlers.
