An affluent and fashionable suburb of N Edinburgh, Trinity lies between Wardie to the west and Newhaven to the east, 2 miles (3 km) north of the city centre. It takes its name from Trinity House in Leith, who acquired the land here in 1713 to develop a farm. The land had originally been granted to Holyrood Abbey by King David I around 1128, but a section was bought back by King James IV in 1505 to build a new harbour (Newhaven). Development began c.1780 with fine villas overlooking the Firth of Forth built for gentry who wished to locate themselves beyond the city.
A steep slope that runs parallel to the Firth of Forth, connecting Granton, Wardie, Trinity and Newhaven, represents a raised beach. The A901 road runs along the foot on this raised beach and the only building on the seaward side of the Trinity section of this road is the Old Chain Pier Bar, built in 1821 as the booking office for steamer services leaving the Trinity Chain Pier. This remarkable structure was the work of Captain Samuel Brown (1776 - 1852) and refurbished in 1830 by James Anderson (1793 - 1861). The pier was badly damaged by a storm in 1898 and abandoned.
