Police Box Museum

3a Braid Hills Road, Edinburgh EH10 6LA

www.angusself.co.uk

This police box is one of 86 designed by Ebenezer MacRae. It was restored in 2013 by Angus Self, great grandson of the late Chief Constable, Roderick Ross, who introduced the two-tonne cast iron structures to Edinburgh in 1933. The police box will be open for view on specific days of the year.

Some of Edinburgh's police phone boxes have been converted into snack kiosks but many more are in a sorry state of disrepair. The last 20 blue boxes still in the ownership of Lothian & Borders police were put up for sale in August 2014.

The police boxes installed in Edinburgh were quite different from the 'TARDIS” design used in London, being considerably larger and more rectangular. This hasn't stopped one householder from converting the front door of their private residence to resemble Doctor Who's famous time machine. The Liberton TARDIS can be seen at Kenilworth Drive, Edinburgh EH16 6DD.

See some more of Edinburgh's iconic boxes here (via Edinburgh Reportage)

Museums Collection Centre

Located on the site of a 19th century flesh, fish and poultry market, the centre today houses the reserve collections of the city museums, there are many interesting objects on ‘open storage’ display, especially social history objects, decorative art and archaeology collections.

Open for group and individual visits on the first Tuesday of the month at 2pm. Advance booking advisable. Research and study visits by arrangement. Strictly for the curious.

10 Broughton Market, Edinburgh, EH3 6NU
0131 556 9536
www.edinburghmuseums.org.uk/Venues/Museum-Collections-Centre
museumcollectionscentre@edinburgh.gov.uk
@EdinCulture

Horne Terrace Mural

On a gable end is an engrossing hyper-realistic mural painted in the late 70s by Robert Callender, a hugely popular teacher at Edinburgh College of Art and President of the Society of Scottish Artists.

The world needs more gable end murals. The world needs more Robert Callenders.

Horne Terrace, Edinburgh EH11 1JJ

The Green Banana, Marchmont

Marchmont Crescent/Roseneath Place, Edinburgh EH9

A 100m x 2m crescent-shaped strip of land that was formerly a dumping ground for bottles, fag ends and dog dirt has been planted up with more than 40 varieties of shrubs and flowers.

However, this isn't the work of an 'In Bloom' committee – the 'Green Banana' has been taken over by guerrilla gardeners, led by an octogenerian botanist.

Join them from 11a.m. on the second and fourth Sunday mornings of each month.

EH15 Training Restaurant

The rooftop restaurant and bar is based in The Club, Edinburgh College’s premium spa facility, with swimming pool, health suite, gym, hair and beauty salons.

EH15 offers the opportunity for fine dining at affordable prices while giving hospitality students experience of working in a real restaurant.



Edinburgh College, 24 Milton Road East, Edinburgh EH15 2PP

eh15@edinburghcollege.ac.uk

http://www.theclubedinburgh.com/

@eh15restaurant

Edinburgh Trades

The Edinburgh Trades, or The Convenery Of The Trades Of Edinburgh, to give the organisation it's full name, represents the Incorporated Trades of Edinburgh, and has done so since about the year 1562. The 14 trade bodies include Surgeons (incorporated in 1505) and the comparatively juvenile Candlemakers (incorporated in 1753).

To arrange a visit to to Ashfield to view the artifacts connected with the various trade contact the Convenery through the website or check for current exhibitions.

Ashfield, 61 Melville Street, Edinburgh EH3 7HL

edinburgh-trades.org

 

The Dean Gardens, Stockbridge

Dean Gardens Administration, PO Box 28508, Edinburgh, EH4 1ZS

deangardens.org

Encompassing over seven acres, the Dean Gardens are the largest of the four 'pleasure grounds' to border the Water of Leith.

The lay-out of pathways, lawns and the wooden pavilion are virtually unchanged from the original Victorian era plans but the tennis court has been replaced with a well equipped children's play area.

Unlike the private amenity gardens of Queen Street, membership of Dean Gardens is available by application, rather than by address. Membership cost is around £130 per annum.

Helen Crummy Memorial

In the 60s, one of Helen Crummy's three sons showed an interest in music but, when she asked the headmaster for violin lessons he said it was hard enough to get the kids to learn the basics, let alone music lessons.

Undeterred, Helen and others founded The Craigmillar Festival Society – a venture which has been lauded worldwide for its innovative approach to community arts, social change and community action (at one point, the CFS bypassed the Scottish Office and won funding from the European Community, helping neighbourhood projects and generating 700 jobs).

The sculpture, by Tim Chalk, was unveiled in 2014, the 50th anniversary of the Craigmillar Festival and shows Helen with her son...and his violin.

East Neighbourhood Centre, 101 Niddrie Mains Road, Edinburgh EH16 4DS

Craigentinny Marbles

Also known as the Christie Miller Mausoleum, the Craigentinny Marbles were built as a tomb and monument to William Henry Christie Miller.

Miller left instructions that after his death (in 1848) he was to be buried in a 20-foot-deep pit in a field on his estate above which there was to be a monument 'in commemoration of the private virtues of the deceased, for, as a public character he was unknown.' A large and elaborate mausoleum was completed in 1856 and decorated with sculptured friezes by Alfred Gatley depicting 'The Overthrow of Pharaoh in the Red Sea' and 'The Song of Moses and Miriam'.

Today the mausoleum looks quite odd nestled among 1930's bungalows.

Although considerably altered, William Miller's residence, Craigentinny Castle, still survives and is today better known as Craigentinny Community Education Centre.

3C Craigentinny Crescent, Edinburgh EH7 6QA 

Corstophine Hill & Tower

Corstorphine Hill, one of Edinburgh's largest public parks has been designated as both a Regionally Important Geological Site and a Local Nature Reserve. It is managed by the Ranger Service, assisted by the Friends of Corstorphine Hill who organise events and tours of Corstorphine Hill Tower.

While in the area, look out for Alexander Stoddart's Kidnapped statue (64 Corstorphine Road) depicting the novel's characters David Balfour and Alan Breck Stewart at their final parting on Corstorphine Hill.

http://corstorphinehill.org.uk

Constitution Street

@Constitution_St


What's not to love about a street that tweets?

Look out for the following quirky features in Constitution Street:

7-27 - Dalton Scrapyard – the walls which enclose it are 17th century – look for a lintel inscribed with three anchors.

29 - former Corn Exchange – the building has a frieze showing drunken cherubs loading corn onto ships.

36-42 – 18th century houses – these houses pre-date the building of the road which means...the once ground floor rooms are now in the basement!

58 - Port O Leith Pub – a.k.a. “The Sunshine Bar” in Trainspotting.

63 – at the entrance to this private residence can be seen faded lettering 'C J Turcan & Co' who traded in esparto, a perennial grass of north Africa and southern Europe, used to make paper and cord.

104 - boarded up windows have been brightened up with wooden faces by artist Bernie Reid. You can see examples of Bernie's work in Habitat, i-D Magazine and...Albert Place (see “After hours”)!

The Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Centre

The Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Centre is situated in an elegant Victorian townhouse with bay windows sweeping staircase and an elaborate domed ceiling.

Within these elegant surrounds is the Edinburgh Association of Spiritualists which runs weekly meetings, classes and workshops for those seeking to learn more about mediumship and psychic awareness.

The centre is also home to the Psychical Research and Investigation Unit which hosts a series of evening lectures as well as vigils in reputedly haunted locations, old-fashioned seances and evenings of psychic experiments.

The Centre also boasts The Conan Doyle Cafe – a traditional, Victorian Tearoom serving hand-blended herbal teas including Herbal Chai, Clear Skin and Immune Tea with Echinacea.


The Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Centre

25 Palmerston Place, Edinburgh EH12 5AP

0131 625 0700

info@arthurconandoylecentre.com

arthurconandoylecentre.com

@acdcentre

Cockburn Geological Museum

Dedicated to the study of rocks and the minerals, the collections reflect the whole spectrum of Earth Science materials - minerals, rocks, fossils, tools, maps, photographs and works of academic importance.

Access is by prior arrangement

School of GeoSciences, The University of Edinburgh, Grant Institute, King's Buildings, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JW

0131 650 8536

cockburn.museum@ed.ac.uk

geos.ed.ac.uk/public/cockburn

Charlie's Chocolate Factory

When Charles William Schulze decided to set up his Continental Chocolate factory in Portobello in 1911, he discovered that it would have to be made of reinforced concrete because of the clay soil and the heavy machinery used.

After the outbreak of war, suspicion fell on the extremely strong premised and paranoid locals began to speculate the strengthened floors were really bearing the weight of weapons and that the German workers were really spies.

An inspection of the factory revealed nothing sinister, however, it was discovered that Charles Schulze, despite living in Scotland for 50 years, had never applied for British citizenship and was therefore considered an enemy alien.

The military felt that it was not in the public interest for such a strong building in an important strategic position to be in 'enemy hands' and for the rest of the war, the chocolate factory was used as accommodation for the troops. Although compensated, Charles had to pay rates and taxes.

Tragically, his losses were not just financial. His sons William, a private in the Cameron Highlanders, and Hugh, a lieutenant in the Dorset Regiment, died fighting against the Germans.

After the war, the chocolate factory was converted into a technical college and in the 1990s it was turned into flats. It has a category A listed building status as it is one of the few works using E P Wells, patented system of reinforced concrete.
Inchview Terrace 

Cancer Research UK Pound Outlet Store

It's a charity shop + a pound shop!  Hurrah for ethical bargains! 

Unit 4, Corstorphine Retail Park, Edinburgh EH12 8HW

0131 334 4050

http://cancerresearchuk.org

If you love charity shops, take a look at the Changeworks Charity Shop and Reuse Map.

Caledonian Brewery Company Limited

caledonianbeer.com

Tours aren't offered as a matter of course but if you are part of a group, you might get lucky.

42 Slateford Road, Edinbugh EH11 1PH

0131 337 1286