Muirhouse

For the area in Motherwell, see Muirhouse, Motherwell.

Muirhouse is a residential housing estate in the north of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. It is west of Granton (the housing estates of East Pilton and West Pilton), and East of Davidsons Mains. It is bounded to the south by Ferry Road and to the East by Pennywell Road.

The name Muirhouse derives from a mansion built on the edge of Wardie Moor (Muir), designed by R & R Dickson in 1830[1] and completed in 1832. It was built for the Davidson family, who were wealthy merchants trading in Rotterdam.[2] The modern residential area of Muirhouse was built in the 1950s as a council estate, though since the mid-1980s some of the housing has also been privately owned. Two 50 ft (15 m) high towers that were part of the Muirhouse mansion were still standing at the time work began on the development, but these were demolished in 1954 after they became unsafe.[3]

The predominant feature of the area is the 22 storey tower block Martello Court, which accommodates 88 flats. Other high rise blocks in the area include Birnies Court, Fidra Court, Gunnet Court and Inchmickery Court amongst others.

The area is generally regarded as one of the most deprived areas of Edinburgh, with anti social behaviour and drug use major problems. However, in recent years major redevelopment of the area has started. Martello Court, which was once seen as the centre of Muirhouse's social problems has been refurbished and now affords a better reputation. Much of the area's low-mid rise housing has been, or is set to be demolished as part of the City Council's plan to provide 1100 new council houses in some of the city's most deprived estates.[4] The Muirhouse Housing Association is involved in redevelopment work.[5]

Craigroyston Community High School is a secondary comprehensive school located in Muirhouse on Pennywell Road.[6] The main churches are St Andrew's Church (Muirhouse parish church) a Church of Scotland "church extension" charge, and St Paul's Church, a Roman Catholic congregation with connections to the Salesians of Don Bosco.

The novelist Irvine Welsh grew up in Muirhouse, as did Gordon Strachan.[7]

References

  1. ↑ Dictionary of Scottish Architects: Dickson
  2. ↑ "Muirhouse from the "Gazetteer for Scotland" at Edinburgh University". Geo.ed.ac.uk. Retrieved 2009-10-23.
  3. ↑ "Old Towers Felled". Aberdeen Evening Express (British Newspaper Archive). 14 April 1954. Retrieved 18 July 2014. (subscription required (help)).
  4. ↑ Edinburgh to get first new council houses in 20 years.
  5. ↑ Website of the Muirhouse Housing Association.
  6. ↑ Website of Craigroyston School Archived August 9, 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  7. ↑ Johnson, Phil. "Scotsman report, 21 December 2005". Scotsman.com. Retrieved 2009-10-23.

External links

Coordinates: 55°58′19.22″N 3°15′16.00″W / 55.9720056°N 3.2544444°W / 55.9720056; -3.2544444

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