Originally a ford and mill village lying in a steep-sided valley cut by the Water of Leith, some 4 miles (6 km) southwest of central Edinburgh, Colinton has grown into a sizeable and desirable residential suburb of the city. The mills produced textiles, snuff, oatmeal and paper. The Bank of Scotland's first banknotes were said to have been printed on paper manufactured in Colinton.
Today, the road crosses the river high above the old village, with Spylaw Street descending to the village core, including the historic Parish Church (1908, but on site used for religious worship since the 11th C.) and the picturesque Colinton Dell. While the police station and bank have gone, a few shops and a post-office remain, together with a couple of hostelries; including the Spylaw Tavern, which was once the Railway Inn. In 1874, the Caledonian Railway built a spur from Slateford to Balerno, with a station at Colinton. This brought day trippers from Edinburgh to enjoy walks along the Water of Leith and relax in Spylaw Park. Passenger services ceased in 1943 and the line finally closed when goods trains stopped in the 1960s. The route became part of the Water of Leith Walkway in 1980, passing through the original Colinton Tunnel which now features a brightly-coloured mural (2019).
Colinton Castle was destroyed by Oliver Cromwell (1599 - 1654) in 1650, but repaired only to be partially demolished on the instructions of painter Alexander Nasmyth (1758 - 1801) to create a picturesque ruin.
Redford Barracks lie on Colinton Road, just to the east of the old village. Philanthropist James Gillespie (1726-97) had his home (Spylaw House) and snuff-making business in the village. The West Mills originally processed corn but latterly produced Scott's Porage Oats before closing in 1971. They were subsequently demolished to make way for luxury housing. The author Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-94) is known to have been a regular visitor to the village, his maternal grand-father having been the parish minister. There is a statue of Stevenson as a boy in the churchyard. Also resident here was Henry Mackenzie (1745 - 1831), author of Man of Feeling (1771), who is said to have helped poet Robert Burns (1759-96) when he came to Edinburgh. Other notable residents were the architects Sir Robert Rowand Anderson (1834 - 1921), who worked on various buildings in the village, and Sir John James Burnet (1857 - 1938). There are cottage-style villas in Spylaw and on Colinton Road by another noted architect Sir Robert Lorimer (1864 - 1921). Railings and gates by local resident Phoebe Traquair (1852 - 1936) date from 1924 and are a unique example of her work in wrought-iron, commissioned by the Edinburgh publisher Walter Blaikie (1847 - 1928) for his house on Bridge Road.
Today, Colinton is a designated conservation area.
