Currie
Encyclopedia
Currie is a civil parish
and suburb of Edinburgh
, Scotland
, situated 10 kilometres south west of the city centre. A former village within the County of Midlothian
, it lies to the south west of the city, between Juniper Green
(NE) and Balerno
(SW) on the Lanark Road. Administratively, Currie falls within the jurisdiction of the City of Edinburgh Council
.
In 1995 the population of Currie was 6,343 and it contained 2,300 houses, 850 of them less than 20 years old.
derives its name from Scottish Gaelic, whilst the nearby Pentland Hills
derive their name from Brythonic, so either is possible.
The earliest record of a settlement in the Currie area is a Bronze Age
razor (1800 BC) found at Kinleith Mill and the stone cists (500 BC) at Duncan's Belt and Blinkbonny. There are a few mentions of this area in mediaeval and early modern documents. One of the first is when Robert of Kildeleith became Chancellor of Scotland in 1249. Kildeleith means Chapel by the Leith, and survives today as Kinleith. Robert the Bruce gave Riccarton
as a wedding present in 1315 and in 1392 the land passed to the family of Bishop Wardlaw. In 1612 the land went to Ludovic Craig, a Senator of the College of Justice
. In 1818 it passed to the female line and became the property of the Gibson-Craigs.
There has been a Christian community in the area for more than 1,000 years. In 1018, the archdeacons of Lothian
set up their headquarters in the area. John Bartholomew
's Civic and Ecclesiastical maps of the 13th century do not show Currie, but the Index of Charters 1309-1413 records Currie as being 'favourite hunting grounds' for the Lords and Knights of Edinburgh Castle
. A settlement began to take shape around Currie Kirk and the main Lanark Road, which was the main route south and continues to be known as 'The Lang Whang'.
The weaver poet James Thomson
was brought up in the village in the late 18th century, and is commemorated by the dell of the Kinleith Burn being named the "Poet's Glen" where it runs down from beside his cottage at Mid Kinleith Farm to join the Water of Leith.
The period 1921-1951 brought great changes with the building of more council houses in Currie and private building along Lanark Road. Wider scale development began in the late 1950s and early 1960s with the construction of a private housing estate to the east of Curriehill Road. House builders began to promote Currie as a pleasant commuting suburb of Edinburgh and much house building took place to the north of Lanark Road West. Currie High School was constructed on its present site in 1966 and extensively refurbished and renewed in 1997. The physical topography has ensured that the original historic core to the south of Lanark Road West including the Water of Leith has remained undeveloped. In March 1972 the historic centre of Currie was declared a Conservation Area
.
Currie is served by Currie High School
, Nether Currie Primary School
and Currie Primary School, formed by an amalgamation in 2005 of Curriehill Primary School and Riccarton Primary School which shared neighbouring campuses.
From the 1970s onwards, Heriot-Watt University
moved from its city centre location to occupy the lands of the former Riccarton Estate, gifted to the university by the then Midlothian District Council. The move has now been completed and the main campus of Heriot-Watt University occupies and manages a superb wooded area with enough space for future expansion.
area of Edinburgh
)
The society meets every first and third Monday in the month and their year starts in October.
The venue is in the Gibson Craig Hall on the Lanark Road in Currie.
runs through the area and Currie is serviced by the 44 bus route, which is operated by both Lothian Buses
and First Edinburgh
. Currie is served by rail by Curriehill railway station
on the Glasgow-Edinburgh via Shotts Line
. Currie is also close to the City of Edinburgh bypass and is bordered by the Union Canal
to the north and the Water of Leith
to the south. Edinburgh Airport is located approximately 4 miles north of Currie and the M8 motorway to Glasgow
is around 2 miles north. It also has connections to Livingston in West Lothian through Prentice Westwood's 424, between Juniper Green and Livingston.
Civil parishes in Scotland
In Scotland, parishes, as units of local government, were abolished by the Local Government Act 1929. The geographical area is sometimes still referred to, however, for statistical purposes....
and suburb of Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, situated 10 kilometres south west of the city centre. A former village within the County of Midlothian
Midlothian
Midlothian is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, and a lieutenancy area. It borders the Scottish Borders, East Lothian and the City of Edinburgh council areas....
, it lies to the south west of the city, between Juniper Green
Juniper Green
Juniper Green is a village on the outskirts of Edinburgh, Scotland situated 9 kilometres south west of the city centre. It bridges the city bypass, and extends along the foothills of the Pentlands. It is bordered by Colinton to the east and Currie to the south-west. Administratively, Juniper Green...
(NE) and Balerno
Balerno
Balerno is a suburb of Edinburgh, Scotland situated 12 kilometres south west of the city centre, next to Juniper Green and Currie. Administratively, Balerno falls within the jurisdiction of the City of Edinburgh Council.- History :...
(SW) on the Lanark Road. Administratively, Currie falls within the jurisdiction of the City of Edinburgh Council
Politics of Edinburgh
The politics of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, are evident in the deliberations and decisions of the council of Edinburgh, in elections to the council, the Scottish Parliament, the House of Commons and the European Parliament....
.
In 1995 the population of Currie was 6,343 and it contained 2,300 houses, 850 of them less than 20 years old.
History
There is no accepted derivation of the name Currie but it is possibly from the Scottish Gaelic word curagh/curragh, a wet or boggy plain, or from the Brythonic word curi, a dell or hollow. The neighbouring suburb of BalernoBalerno
Balerno is a suburb of Edinburgh, Scotland situated 12 kilometres south west of the city centre, next to Juniper Green and Currie. Administratively, Balerno falls within the jurisdiction of the City of Edinburgh Council.- History :...
derives its name from Scottish Gaelic, whilst the nearby Pentland Hills
Pentland Hills
The Pentland Hills are a range of hills to the south-west of Edinburgh, Scotland. The range is around 20 miles in length, and runs south west from Edinburgh towards Biggar and the upper Clydesdale.Some of the peaks include:* Scald Law...
derive their name from Brythonic, so either is possible.
The earliest record of a settlement in the Currie area is a Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
razor (1800 BC) found at Kinleith Mill and the stone cists (500 BC) at Duncan's Belt and Blinkbonny. There are a few mentions of this area in mediaeval and early modern documents. One of the first is when Robert of Kildeleith became Chancellor of Scotland in 1249. Kildeleith means Chapel by the Leith, and survives today as Kinleith. Robert the Bruce gave Riccarton
Riccarton, Edinburgh
Riccarton is an area in Edinburgh's Green Belt, in Scotland. It is mainly undeveloped, with much farmland and few houses.Riccarton is to the west of the Edinburgh City Bypass , and is known for being the location of Heriot-Watt University's main campus, as well as the Heart of Midlothian F.C...
as a wedding present in 1315 and in 1392 the land passed to the family of Bishop Wardlaw. In 1612 the land went to Ludovic Craig, a Senator of the College of Justice
College of Justice
The College of Justice is a term used to describe the Supreme Courts of Scotland, and its associated bodies.The constituent bodies of the supreme courts of Scotland are the Court of Session, the High Court of Justiciary, and the Accountant of Court's Office...
. In 1818 it passed to the female line and became the property of the Gibson-Craigs.
There has been a Christian community in the area for more than 1,000 years. In 1018, the archdeacons of Lothian
Lothian
Lothian forms a traditional region of Scotland, lying between the southern shore of the Firth of Forth and the Lammermuir Hills....
set up their headquarters in the area. John Bartholomew
John Bartholomew
John Bartholomew Junior was a Scottish cartographer, born in Edinburgh.His father John Bartholomew Senior started a cartographical establishment in Edinburgh,Scotland and he was educated in the work. He was subsequently assistant to the German geographer August Petermann, until in 1856 he took up...
's Civic and Ecclesiastical maps of the 13th century do not show Currie, but the Index of Charters 1309-1413 records Currie as being 'favourite hunting grounds' for the Lords and Knights of Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh Castle is a fortress which dominates the skyline of the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, from its position atop the volcanic Castle Rock. Human habitation of the site is dated back as far as the 9th century BC, although the nature of early settlement is unclear...
. A settlement began to take shape around Currie Kirk and the main Lanark Road, which was the main route south and continues to be known as 'The Lang Whang'.
The weaver poet James Thomson
James Thomson (weaver poet)
James Thomson was a Scottish weaver poet of Currie, near Edinburgh, whose poetry in the Scottish vernacular was published in Leith in the early 19th century...
was brought up in the village in the late 18th century, and is commemorated by the dell of the Kinleith Burn being named the "Poet's Glen" where it runs down from beside his cottage at Mid Kinleith Farm to join the Water of Leith.
The period 1921-1951 brought great changes with the building of more council houses in Currie and private building along Lanark Road. Wider scale development began in the late 1950s and early 1960s with the construction of a private housing estate to the east of Curriehill Road. House builders began to promote Currie as a pleasant commuting suburb of Edinburgh and much house building took place to the north of Lanark Road West. Currie High School was constructed on its present site in 1966 and extensively refurbished and renewed in 1997. The physical topography has ensured that the original historic core to the south of Lanark Road West including the Water of Leith has remained undeveloped. In March 1972 the historic centre of Currie was declared a Conservation Area
Conservation area
A conservation areas is a tract of land that has been awarded protected status in order to ensure that natural features, cultural heritage or biota are safeguarded...
.
Education
The earliest record of education in the area is contained in the Minutes of Edinburgh Town Council in 1598, when Baillie Lawrence Henderson was sent to "the toun o Currie to help the gentlemen of the Parish select a Schoolmaister"; however it is not stated where the school was situated. In 1694, the heritors appointed a Mr Thomson to teach scholars in the Church until Thomas Craig of Riccarton found a place for the building of a school and house for the schoolmaster. The foundations of the school were laid in 1699. The school and school house cost 500 merks and the salary of the Schoolmaster, a Mr Thomson, was 20 pounds Scots per year.Currie is served by Currie High School
Currie High School
Currie Community High School is a six year comprehensive school serving the south-west of the City of Edinburgh, Scotland. The school roll currently stands at 982 of whom some 20% attend as a result of parental placing requests. The school's feeder primary schools are Currie Primary School, Nether...
, Nether Currie Primary School
Nether Currie Primary School
Nether Currie Primary School is on the outskirts of Edinburgh, in the south west of the city. The school was built in 1961. It is in the centre of a housing estate with the majority of children living locally and able to walk to school...
and Currie Primary School, formed by an amalgamation in 2005 of Curriehill Primary School and Riccarton Primary School which shared neighbouring campuses.
From the 1970s onwards, Heriot-Watt University
Heriot-Watt University
Heriot-Watt University is a university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. The name commemorates George Heriot, the 16th century financier to King James, and James Watt, the great 18th century inventor and engineer....
moved from its city centre location to occupy the lands of the former Riccarton Estate, gifted to the university by the then Midlothian District Council. The move has now been completed and the main campus of Heriot-Watt University occupies and manages a superb wooded area with enough space for future expansion.
Football
Currie has two youth football teams Currie Boys Club and Currie Star FC (Currie Star play their games in the KingsknoweKingsknowe
Kingsknowe is a suburb of Edinburgh the capital of Scotland. It is south-west of Craiglockhart. It borders Wester Hailes, Slateford and Longstone...
area of Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
)
Rugby
Currie has one rugby team, Currie RFC who are based and play their home games in the neighboring village of BalernoBalerno
Balerno is a suburb of Edinburgh, Scotland situated 12 kilometres south west of the city centre, next to Juniper Green and Currie. Administratively, Balerno falls within the jurisdiction of the City of Edinburgh Council.- History :...
Culture and attractions
On the first Saturday of May The Currie Riding of the Marches takes place.Local newspaper
The Currie and Balerno News is Currie's community newspaper which also includes coverage of nearby Balerno, Baberton and Juniper Green. Published monthly, the paper features local news, a monthly police neighbourhood watch update, an SSPCA appeal and coverage of local planning applications and developments.Local History Society
Currie and District Local History Society meets 12 times a year and has speakers on all aspects of the area.The society meets every first and third Monday in the month and their year starts in October.
The venue is in the Gibson Craig Hall on the Lanark Road in Currie.
Transport
The A70A70 road
The A70 road is a major road in Scotland, United Kingdom. It runs a total of from Edinburgh to Ayr. It begins in Gorgie, Edinburgh, as Ardmillan Terrace from a junction with the A71 and ends as Holmston Road in Ayr going by but not through Lanark...
runs through the area and Currie is serviced by the 44 bus route, which is operated by both Lothian Buses
Lothian Buses
Lothian Buses Plc is the only municipal bus company in Scotland and the largest provider of bus services in Edinburgh, Scotland. City of Edinburgh Council own 91.01% of the company with the remainder being owned by East Lothian and Midlothian councils. As well as serving Edinburgh, Lothian Buses...
and First Edinburgh
First Edinburgh
First Edinburgh is a bus operator which operates in the south east and central Scotland, and was created by the merger of three companies: Lowland Scottish, Eastern Scottish and Midland Scottish to form a single company for the area and is part of First Group plc...
. Currie is served by rail by Curriehill railway station
Curriehill railway station
Curriehill railway station is located in Currie, a southwestern suburb of the city of Edinburgh, not far from the main campus of Heriot-Watt University. It lies on the Shotts Line, which runs from to by way of Shotts....
on the Glasgow-Edinburgh via Shotts Line
Shotts Line
The Shotts Line is a suburban railway line linking Glasgow Central and Edinburgh Waverley via Shotts in Scotland. The route from Glasgow to Shotts is part of the Strathclyde Partnership for Transport network...
. Currie is also close to the City of Edinburgh bypass and is bordered by the Union Canal
Union Canal (Scotland)
The Union Canal is a 31.5-mile canal in Scotland, from Lochrin Basin, Fountainbridge, Edinburgh to Falkirk, where it meets the Forth and Clyde Canal.-Location and features:...
to the north and the Water of Leith
Water of Leith
The Water of Leith is the main river flowing through Edinburgh, Scotland, to the port of Leith where it flows into the sea via the Firth of Forth.It is long and rises in the Colzium Springs at Millstone Rig of the Pentland Hills...
to the south. Edinburgh Airport is located approximately 4 miles north of Currie and the M8 motorway to Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
is around 2 miles north. It also has connections to Livingston in West Lothian through Prentice Westwood's 424, between Juniper Green and Livingston.
Famous residents
- Dougal HastonDougal HastonDougal Haston, , was a Scottish mountaineer born in Currie, on the outskirts of Edinburgh.-Climbing achievements:...
- pioneer of Scottish mountaineering - Jamie DickJamie DickJamie Dick is an American race car driver from New Mexico. He currently drives the #02 Viva Auto Group Chevrolet in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series....
- Youth Olympic Gold Medalist in Curling - Matthew LloydMatthew LloydMatthew James Lloyd is a former Australian rules footballer who played for and was the captain of the Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League...
- Australian Rules footballer, EssendonEssendon Football ClubThe Essendon Football Club, nicknamed The Bombers, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...