Seafield, Edinburgh

The shore at Seafield

Seafield is a coastal strip situated on the Firth of Forth between Leith and Portobello in north-east Edinburgh, Scotland. The area is mainly commercial, and has little housing.

The area is home to the Edinburgh Cat & Dog Home, which houses around 150 cats and dogs.

The Eastern General Hospital was based here until being demolished in 2008. Originally built as Leith Poorhouse in 1903[1] it was converted into a military hospital in 1939, and became a civilian hospital in 1944. Its maternity unit served North East Edinburgh and the Borders until 1997.[2] The site has now been redeveloped as housing.

Seafield Cemetery and Crematorium

The main gates and gatehouse, Seafield Cemetery, Edinburgh

Dating from 1889 the cemetery has an impressive entrance lodge and gates in the style of Kinross House. The crematorium dates from 1938 and was designed by the Leith architect W. N. Thomson.[3] The cemetery has a columbarium and Italian style section to the south. There are few notable monuments or interments:

  • Bernard Hunter, businessman
  • Thomas Bernard Mouat surgeon and medical author
  • Robertson Fotheringham Ogilvie FRSE pathologist
  • Rev David Brown Spence, missionary
  • Raimondo Nicolo de Pinto and John James de Pinto, Greek consuls

There are a high number of war graves, partly due to the cemetery's proximity to the Eastern General Hospital, which served as a military hospital during the Second World War. There are also a number of trawlermen buried in war graves. This is due to the government conscripting both boats and crews to serve in mine clearance duties during the First World War. The crews were officially part of the Royal Navy Reserve during this period.[4]

References

  1. ↑ Buildings of Scotland: Edinburgh by Gifford, McWilliam and Walker
  2. ↑ "Eastern General".
  3. ↑ Buildings of Scotland: Edinburgh by Gifford, McWilliam and Walker
  4. ↑ The War at Sea: WW100 Scotland

Coordinates: 55°58′8.32″N 3°8′37.06″W / 55.9689778°N 3.1436278°W / 55.9689778; -3.1436278


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