Gorebridge is a former mining village

Pit village

A pit village is a term used in the UK for the village serving a deep coal mine.Many of the workers lived in houses that were provided by the colliery. Many villages have experienced depopulation after colliery closures forced people to move to other towns and cities where there are jobs for them...

 in 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....

, 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...

. The village gets its name from the bridge across the River Gore, a tributary of the South Esk

River Esk, Lothian

The River Esk is a river which flows through Midlothian and East Lothian, Scotland.It initially runs as two separate rivers, the North Esk and the South Esk....

. It was once the home of Scotland's first gunpowder

Gunpowder

Gunpowder, also known since in the late 19th century as black powder, was the first chemical explosive and the only one known until the mid 1800s. It is a mixture of sulfur, charcoal, and potassium nitrate - with the sulfur and charcoal acting as fuels, while the saltpeter works as an oxidizer...

 mill, at the Gore Water, commencing operation in 1794.

Gorebridge has an annual gala day. This is much like a town fair, with rides and games. The gala day has a tradition of picking a Town King and Queen from the primary schools.

Gorebridge's local football

Football (soccer)

Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...

 team is junior

Scottish Junior Football Association

The Scottish Junior Football Association is an affiliated national association of the Scottish Football Association and is the governing body for the Junior grade of football in Scotland. The term "Junior" refers to the level of football played...

s Arniston Rangers

Arniston Rangers F.C.

Arniston Rangers F.C. are a Scottish junior football club, based in the town of Gorebridge. They play in the SJFA East Region Premier League. Nicknamed the Gers, they were formed in 1878 and presently play their home games at Newbyres Park, which has room for 3,000 spectators. They wear maroon strips...

.

Annette Crosbie

Annette Crosbie

Annette Crosbie, OBE is a Scottish character actor.-Life and career:Crosbie was born in Gorebridge, Midlothian, Scotland, to Presbyterian parents who disapproved of her becoming an actor. Nevertheless, she joined the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School while still in her teens...

, known to many as the long suffering wife of Victor Meldrew, played by fellow Scot Richard Wilson in the BBC comedy series One Foot in the Grave

One Foot in the Grave

One Foot in the Grave is a BBC television sitcom series written by David Renwick. The show ran for six series, including seven Christmas specials, two Comic Relief specials, over an eleven year period, from early 1990 to late 2000...

, is a former resident of Gorebridge. The Reverend David Arnott

David Arnott (Moderator)

Andrew David Keltie Arnott – the Reverend David Arnott MA BD – is a retired minister of the Church of Scotland. In October 2010 he was nominated to be the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland for 2011-2012 and was duly elected....

, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland

Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland

The Moderator of the General Assembly of Church of Scotland is a Minister, Elder or Deacon of the Church of Scotland chosen to "moderate" the annual General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, which is held for a week in Edinburgh every May....

 for 2011-12, was formerly minister at Gorebridge Parish Church in the 1970s.

Gorebridge will soon see the return of the Waverley Line

Waverley Line

The Waverley Line is an abandoned double track railway line that ran south from Edinburgh in Scotland through Midlothian and the Scottish Borders to Carlisle in England. It was built by the North British Railway Company; the first section, from Edinburgh to Hawick opened in 1849. The final section,...

 with a new station

Gorebridge railway station

Gorebridge railway station was a railway station serving the town of Gorebridge, Midlothian, Scotland.- History :The original station opened on 14 July 1847 as part of the North British Railway's new line that was to reach Hawick and Carlisle...

 being built on the site of the original station. This will give rail access to the Borders

Scottish Borders

The Scottish Borders is one of 32 local government council areas of Scotland. It is bordered by Dumfries and Galloway in the west, South Lanarkshire and West Lothian in the north west, City of Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian to the north; and the non-metropolitan counties of Northumberland...

 and Edinburgh Waverley railway station

Edinburgh Waverley railway station

Edinburgh Waverley railway station is the main railway station in the Scottish capital Edinburgh. Covering an area of over 25 acres in the centre of the city, it is the second-largest main line railway station in the United Kingdom in terms of area, the largest being...

.

In the Gore Glen there is a shallow cave, named 'The King's Cave'. According to legend a thief used to steal cattle and hide in this nearby cave. It is not, as some think, named after Robert the Bruce, who was said to have hidden here after defeat at the hands of the English.