Day 28

Leith Docks

Places of Leith: On Day 28 of 100 Days of Leith, Miles Tubb from the Living Memory Association provides a brief overview of Leith Docks and how it has changed over the years.

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There is no denying that Leith has a different feel to Edinburgh. Its separate identity is probably in large part due to it being a port - at one time the busiest on the east coast of Scotland. In the early 1900s over four million tons of cargo passed through Leith Docks: everything from coal, beer, paper and fish to fertiliser, animal feeds and linoleum.

The Docks had a huge workforce. In the late 1940s there were about 1000 dockers and 100 crane men on the books. If you factor in the many other trades and businesses associated with the Docks, its no surprise that the port played a central role in so many people's lives in Leith.

In the 1970s shipping methods were beginning to change with cargo becoming containerised. The road network around Leith meant the access for containers were not easy and the majority of the container trade went to Grangemouth. This and more automated ways of working now means that Leith Docks now operates with a staff of around 19 dockers.

View from Grampian Tower

Looking south east across Leith Docks. East old dock is closest to us and you can see the training ship SS Dolphin moored at the near end. Commercial Street is the road running away from us on the right. Taken in the early 1960s.

Capstainman armband

The Capstainman worked on the docks train system. The small brass cups were numbered and used for individual dockers to collect their pay.

Dockers Hooks

Dockers hooks. Used for grabbing and pulling cargo from ships and boats. It was a very manual and labour intensive work before containerisation.

1937 Map of Leith Docks

Leith Docks map from the 1937 Port of Leith book.

Have a look through the Living Memory Association’s Leith Docks Thelma Magazine special and podcast - these audio memories come direct from the workers themselves, looking back into the mists of time.

The Living Memory Association is a Leith based reminiscence project, established in 1986. We operate The Wee Museum of Memory at Ocean Terminal. We are on the second floor next to Britannia. We are open seven days, 10am to 3pm weekdays and 11am to 3pm weekends.

Thousands of objects from the past from OXO tins to wind up record players to old telephones to kitchen wear. All hands on.

We also have The Virtual Wee Museum of Leith Facebook page. A page dedicated to Leith related objects