Bruntsfield facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bruntsfield |
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 Bruntsfield Place |
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 Bruntsfield
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| OS grid reference | NT249718 |
| Council area |
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| Lieutenancy area |
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| Country | Scotland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | EDINBURGH |
| Postcode district | EH10 |
| Dialling code | 0131 |
| Ambulance | Scottish |
| EU Parliament | Scotland |
| UK Parliament |
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| Scottish Parliament |
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Bruntsfield is a lively neighbourhood in the south of Edinburgh, Scotland. It's mostly a place where people live, centred around Bruntsfield Place. Long ago, it was part of a larger area called the barony of Colinton.
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Where is Bruntsfield?
Bruntsfield Place is less than 1 mile (1.6 km) south of Princes Street. Princes Street is a main street in Edinburgh. Bruntsfield is west of Bruntsfield Links, a large park. Beyond the Links is the Marchmont area.
To the west of Bruntsfield is Merchiston. To the north is Tollcross. South and east of Bruntsfield is the old Greenhill estate. To the very south is Morningside.
Many street names in the area remember the Warrender family. They started building the Marchmont estate in 1872. The whole area was once part of the Burgh Muir of Edinburgh. This was a large common land that stretched from The Meadows to the Pentland Hills.
Bruntsfield's History
The name "Bruntsfield" comes from "Brounysfelde" or Brown's Fields. This was named after Richard Broun, who owned land here. This land was given to him by the King. In 1381, King Robert II gave this land to William Lauder. The Lauder family then owned the land for a long time.
Bruntsfield House is a very old mansion in the area. For over 200 years, it was often used as a home for the wives of the Lauder family. In 1587, Sir Alexander Lauder rebuilt parts of the house.
In 1603, the Lauder family sold Bruntsfield House to John Fairlie. He also made many changes to the building. Later, in 1695, William Fairlie sold the house to George Warrender. He was an important councillor and later the Lord Provost of Edinburgh. The Warrender family owned the house until the 1900s.
Before World War II, the Union flag would fly over the house when the family was home. By 1915, most of the Bruntsfield Estate had been built on. Only a small area around the house remained. Today, Bruntsfield House is owned by the Council. Since the 1970s, it has been part of James Gillespie's High School. It serves as the school's main office building. It is a Listed Building, meaning it's protected for its history.
Bruntsfield also had other large houses. One was Wrychtishousis, which was replaced by Gillespie's Hospital in the early 1800s. This building is now used for offices and apartments for older people.
The original Boroughmuir School was built in 1905. It was located at Viewpark. This building later became James Gillespie's School for Girls. In 1973, a new comprehensive school was built on the grounds of Bruntsfield House. The old Viewpark building is now student housing.
Homes in Bruntsfield
Most of the homes in Bruntsfield are large tenement buildings. These are tall apartment blocks. There are also some big villas, which are large detached houses. In 2006, new parking rules were introduced. This means that most roadside parking is for residents who have a special permit.
Schools in Bruntsfield
The area has Bruntsfield Primary School for younger students. For older students, James Gillespie's High School is in the south of the district. Boroughmuir High School used to be nearby. It closed in 2018 and moved to a new building near the Union Canal. The old school building is now being turned into flats.
Getting Around
Many bus routes serve Bruntsfield. These include routes 11, 15, 16, 23, 36, and 45. They are operated by Lothian Buses.
Parks and Green Spaces
Bruntsfield Links is a large park. It has a pitch and putt golf course. This reminds us that golf was played here very early on. The Links connect to The Meadows to the north. The Meadows is another park that was once a large loch (lake) that was drained in the 1800s. At the south end of Bruntsfield Links, there's a sunken area called Tumbler's Hollow. This was once a quarry.
Shops and Restaurants
Bruntsfield has many restaurants and small shops. You can find many gift shops here. There's even a shop named after Winnie the Pooh. Edinburgh Bicycle Co-operative is also here. It is Scotland's oldest worker co-operative.
Churches in Bruntsfield
Bruntsfield is home to several churches. These include Barclay Viewforth Church and Morningside United Church. The area where Bruntsfield meets Burghmuirhead is known as "Holy Corner". This is because there are many Victorian churches clustered together there.
Bruntsfield in Books and Movies
Bruntsfield has appeared in popular culture:
- In the 1969 film The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, the main character lives in Admiral Terrace in Bruntsfield. The author of the novel, Muriel Spark, lived in Bruntsfield.
- The character Isabel Dalhousie lives in Bruntsfield. She is from The Sunday Philosophy Club series of books by Alexander McCall Smith. Isabel is a philosopher who becomes a detective. She enjoys visiting the local shops and her niece, who works in a delicatessen.
Famous People from Bruntsfield
- Sophia Jex-Blake (1840 – 1912) was an English doctor and feminist. She started Bruntsfield Hospital for Women in the area.
- Chic Murray (1919 – 1985) was a Scottish comedian and actor. He owned a hotel in Bruntsfield Crescent with his wife, Maidie.
- Muriel Spark (1918 – 2006) was a famous Scottish novelist. She lived in Bruntsfield.
Images for kids
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Sophia Jex-Blake's Bruntsfield Hospital, now converted to private apartments, 2010
