Leith

This article is about Leith, Scotland. For other uses, see Leith (disambiguation).

Leith
Aerial view of Leith and the Firth of Forth
Leith is located in the City of Edinburgh council area
Leith
Leith
Location within the City of Edinburgh council area
Leith is located in Scotland
Leith
Leith
Location within Scotland
Population50,030 (2011)
Council area
Lieutenancy area
CountryScotland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townEDINBURGH
Postcode districtEH6
Dialling code0131
PoliceScotland
FireScottish
AmbulanceScottish
UK Parliament
Scottish Parliament
List of places
UK
Scotland
55°59′N 3°10′W / 55.98°N 3.17°W / 55.98; -3.17

Leith (/liːθ/; Scottish Gaelic: Lìte) is a port area in the north of Edinburgh, Scotland, founded at the mouth of the Water of Leith and is home to the Port of Leith.

The earliest surviving historical references are in the royal charter authorising the construction of Holyrood Abbey in 1128 in which it is termed Inverlet (Inverleith).[1][2] After centuries of control by Edinburgh, Leith was made a separate burgh in 1833 only to be merged into Edinburgh in 1920.[3]

Leith is located on the southern coast of the Firth of Forth and lies within the City of Edinburgh council area; since 2007 it has formed one of 17 multi-member wards of the city.

  1. ^ "Site Record for Edinburgh, Leith, General North Leith; South Leith Details (Canmore)". RCAHMS. Retrieved 6 March 2012.
  2. ^ Campbell 1827, p. 2.
  3. ^ "History". Leith Theatre Trust. Archived from the original on 28 November 2015. Retrieved 11 August 2015.