Haymarket, Edinburgh facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Haymarket
|
|
|---|---|
 Haymarket junction |
|
 Haymarket
|
|
| OS grid reference | NT240732 |
| Council area |
|
| Lieutenancy area |
|
| Country | Scotland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | EDINBURGH |
| Postcode district | EH3, EH12 |
| Dialling code | 0131 |
| Ambulance | Scottish |
| EU Parliament | Scotland |
| UK Parliament |
|
| Scottish Parliament |
|
Haymarket (also known as Scots: Heymercat or Scottish Gaelic: Margadh an Fheòir) is a busy area in Edinburgh, Scotland. It's located just west of the city centre. This spot is a major meeting point for several important roads. These roads connect Haymarket to places like Glasgow, Stirling, and the heart of Edinburgh. You'll find many pubs, cafés, and restaurants here.
Contents
Haymarket's War Memorial
Right in the middle of the main crossroads at Haymarket, there's a special war memorial. It looks like a clock tower and was first shown to the public in 1922. This memorial mainly remembers former players from the football club Heart of Midlothian F.C..
It also honors players from other Scottish clubs like Hibernian, Raith Rovers, and Dunfermline. These players were part of a group called "The Footballers' Battalion" (also known as McCrae's Battalion). They bravely fought and died in World War I and World War II. The famous sculptor Henry Snell Gamley designed this important monument.
In 2010, the memorial was temporarily moved. This was to allow for the building of a tramway across the road. It was put back in a slightly different spot in 2013. This happened just in time to remember 100 years since World War I began. The clock itself was made by James Ritchie & Son, who were well-known clockmakers in Edinburgh.
Getting Around Haymarket
Haymarket is a major hub for different types of transport. It's easy to get to and from this area.
Haymarket Railway Station
The Haymarket railway station is a very busy place. Many people use it for their daily journeys. Trains from here go to nearby cities like Glasgow and Fife. You can also catch longer-distance trains to places like Carlisle, Inverness, and Aberdeen.
Edinburgh Trams
Right next to the station, you'll find the Edinburgh Trams stop. You can take a tram west to Edinburgh Airport. Or, you can go east into the city centre. The tram tracks actually go off the main street here, through an area called Haymarket Yards.
Bus Services
Lothian Buses is the main company for local bus services. Their buses stop at Haymarket Terrace and Dalry Road. If you want to go further, to places like West Lothian or Falkirk, other bus companies operate those routes. You can even catch express buses to Glasgow from here.
Taxi Rank
If you need a taxi, you can find the taxi rank on Rosebery Crescent.
Haymarket's Economy
The Haymarket area has many places to stay and eat. You'll find several hotels and pubs here. For example, Ryries Pub on Haymarket Terrace is a historic building. It was built mostly in 1868, with some parts even older.
Haymarket Business District Development
For many years, there was an old railway site called Morrison Street Goods Yard. Part of it was empty and unused, and part was a car park. In 2008, plans were approved to build something new there.
The original idea was to build a very tall 17-storey hotel, another hotel, offices, shops, and restaurants. However, this plan was stopped in 2009. People were worried that the very tall hotel would change Edinburgh's famous skyline too much.
A new plan was approved in 2010. This plan still included hotels and offices but with shorter buildings. Work began in 2013 to make the railway tunnels stronger. This was needed because new buildings would be built on top of them. This work involved putting special material and metal bars into the tunnel walls.
The new development is called "The Haymarket." It will create new paths for people to walk to nearby areas like Fountainbridge. In 2019, a company called Qmile Group took over the project. They are building new offices, including a new main office for Baillie Gifford. There will also be two hotels, one a Hyatt hotel and another an aparthotel. Plus, there will be lots of new shops and places to relax. The whole project is expected to be finished in 2023. By early 2022, all the office spaces in the first part of the development were already rented out.
