Overview of Grange, The

The Grange is a district of Edinburgh, lying 1½ miles (2.5 km) south of the city centre. Located on a south-facing slope, which was part of the old Borough Muir, this wealthy suburb is bordered by Causewayside in the east and Whitehouse Loan in the west. The district of the Morningside lies to the west, Newington to the east and Liberton to the south.

Originally named the Grange of St. Giles, its existence can be traced back to the 12th Century. An early fortified farmstead built by the monks of St. Giles Kirk, who owned the land, was progressively extended and by the 18th Century had become Grange House. The area has for a long time been associated with the Dick and Lauder families, which were united by marriage in 1731 and the house was home to the Dick-Lauders. Grange House was demolished in 1936. The street names continue the association with the family and their estates (for example, Dick Place, Lauder Road, Tantallon Place, Fountainhall Road). The family feued land for building from the mid-19th Century and today the area is replete with sizeable Victorian town-houses. The first development was in the north of the area, with the southern part of the Grange not developed until the late 19th Century and early 20th Century. Late 20th Century development has to some extent changed the character of the area; houses have been subdivided and in many cases blocks of flats built in the gardens of the larger villas. Some degree of protection is given through the status of a Conservation Area and a strong community association.

The historic Grange Cemetery lies in the middle of the district.