Gilmerton


City of Edinburgh

Gilmerton Post Office
©2022 Gazetteer for Scotland

Gilmerton Post Office

A district of Edinburgh, lying on a ridge to the south of the city, Gilmerton was originally a mining and quarrying village. The core of the old village, which was declared a conservation area in 1977, is centred around Drum Street, which retains a number of 18th century houses. The Edinburgh city authorities acquired land in Gilmerton in 1934 with the intention of building an airport, but the scheme collapsed and the city had to wait 13 years for RAF Turnhouse to the west to be developed to include civilian traffic. Today, the village has been surrounded by large public and private housing estates. There are shops on Drum Street, a post office, library, community centre and a bible college which, since 1986, has occupied the former Dr. Guthrie's School for Girls. Gilmerton Miners Welfare & Social Club remains on Newtoft Street. The area is served by Gilmerton Parish Church (1837, now known as Gilmerton New Church or The Hub) and St. John Vianney Roman Catholic church located just to the north at Ferniehill.

At the cross-roads between Drum Street and Newtoft Street is Gilmerton Cove, a curious subterranean house excavated by a local blacksmith in 1720. The entire area suffers from subsidence problems arising from large-scale underground workings; coal was mined immediately to the south from the 17th century until the Gilmerton Pit closed in 1961 and widespread limestone quarrying became important in the 19th century.

To the south of Gilmerton is the Drum, an 18th-century Palladian mansion designed by William Adam (1689 - 1748).


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