A district of W Edinburgh, divided by railway lines, Gorgie lies to the southwest of Dalry, between Merchiston and Murrayfield, 2 miles (3 km) west southwest of the city centre. The area was built up in the second half of the 19th century with various industrial concerns being established here and tenemental housing built alongside for the workers.
The name first appears in the charters of Holyrood Abbey in the later 12th century. It derives from Ancient British gor gyn, meaning 'upper wedge', possibly referring to the triangle of land between the Water of Leith and the Craiglockhart Hills. Gorgie Farm once lay to the west, towards Chesser, while a mill was established on the Gorgie Burn to grind corn. Water was later abstracted from the Water of Leith to augment the burn. Tanning and leather production also took place here, but Gorgie Mills later became synonymous with the glue and gelatine manufactory of J. & G. Cox Ltd. The site is now occupied by Gorgie Mills School, a small educational establishment for children with special needs. On the opposite side of Gorgie Road is Gorgie Mills Bowling Club (founded 1904), located near the site of the former Gorgie House which was first mentioned in 1527, when Sir James Hamilton of Finnart (d.1540) granted it to his cousin, but demolished in the 20th century. Also located here was McVitie and Price's St. Andrews Biscuit Works (1888), together with the Caledonian Brewery (1869) and North British Distillery (1885), which both remain. Gorgie once had two stations; one on the Caledonian Railway and another, which opened in 1884 but closed in 1962, on the Southern Suburban Railway. Tynecastle Stadium, home to Heart of Midlothian Football Club, Tynecastle High School and Gorgie City Farm (established 1982) are also situated here.
