Longstone, Edinburgh
Longstone is a suburb of Edinburgh in Scotland.[1]
History
In the Victorian period, Longstone was classed as a hamlet in the parish of Colinton.[2] Longstone developed significantly after the Second World War and predominantly consists of post-war, mid 20th century housing in flats and semi-detached villas.[3] In the 1940s, Longstone Road was known as Drumbrydon Road.[3] The area occupied by the current Longstone Bus Garage was previously in use as a brickworks until the late 1940s.[3]
Geography
It borders Saughton, Wester Hailes, Slateford, Kingsknowe and Parkhead.
Features
Longstone's most dramatic features are the Slateford Aqueduct (1822) carrying the Union Canal and the adjacent railway viaduct (1842). Underneath these runs the Water of Leith, and the canal may sometimes be seen pouring out through an overflow down into the river. The Water of Leith's visitor centre lies almost underneath the aqueduct here.
The area contains one of the city's main bus depots belonging to Lothian Buses, now named the Longstone Garage but formerly called the Lothian Regional Transport Office.[3] The building was designed by T Bowhill Gibson and Laing in 1949 in the art deco style and was built in 1955.[3] It has space for 220 buses.[4]
There are also a small number of shops and a car dealership, in addition to a Jehovah's Witnesses "Kingdom Hall". The local Church of Scotland is the Slateford Longstone Church of Scotland.
Community Facilities
Hailes Quarry Park is a public park and recreation area between Longstone and Kingsknowe that is on the site of a former quarry that closed in 1902.[5]
Housing
Housing is a mixture of terraces and flats, many consist of local authority housing, private housing and Ministry of Defence (armed services) housing, as well as former housing for prisoner officers of the nearby HM Prison Edinburgh.
Education
Longstone has two educational facilities. Longstone Primary School is a non denominational primary school based at Redhall Grove (before 1957 it was based in Longstone Road). Longstone Primary School is a Category C listed structure and was built between 1954 and 1957 to a design by Reid and Forbes in a horizontal art deco style.[6] It is considered a notable example of a 1950's modernist school building.[6]
Recently an additional school built next to Longstone Primary School called Redhall Primary School supports children with moderate learning difficulties.
References
- ^ "Longstone". The Gazetteer for Scotland. School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh and The Royal Scottish Geographical Society. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
- ^ "1882 - Gazetteer of Scotland - Longstone". NLS. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
- ^ a b c d e Historic Environment Scotland. "Lothian Regional Transport Office, excluding interior and pitched roofed garages and workshops to the south and west, 3 Murrayburn Road, Edinburgh (Category C Listed Building) (LB52441)". Retrieved 1 July 2021.
- ^ "Longstone Garage". Lothian Buses. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
- ^ "Hailes Quarry Park". Edinburgh Outdoors, Edinburgh Council. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
- ^ a b Historic Environment Scotland. "Longstone Primary School, including boundary walls, gates and railings and excluding linking canopy to Redhall School, 3A Redhall Grove, Edinburgh (Category C Listed Building) (LB52405)". Retrieved 1 July 2021.
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