Hidden Treasures of the Water of Leith
No 56 Autumn 2012 Hidden Treasures of the Water of Leith The Water of Leith has a fascinating heritage and this summer we launched a special exhibition and family fun day to celebrate the unique archaeology, geology and industrial heritage of the river. Ulriika and Abi, who have joined us for the summer, spent months researching the history of the river from its source in the Pentland Hills down to Slateford. They created 10 information posters on the following subjects: The River’s Geology, A Tribal Land (early settlements along the river), Ancient Discoveries (celebrating the archaeology of the river), Historic Wonders (the special features, monuments and bridges of the river), and Mill Heritage, which included a collection of all the items made in the mills. Finally the history of the villages of Balerno, Currie, Juniper Green, Colinton and Slateford was revealed. The exhibition was opened on 22nd July along with a special fun day, which formed part of the British Festival of Archaeology. Around 100 visitors enjoyed the day and were treated to many fun ‘historical’ activities. We created a Bronze Age camp in the Dells complete with fire lighting from flint, an authentic shelter, hunting games and creating nettle string. Visitors could try their hand at Archaeology on a dig, metal detecting, and fossil hunting near Bogs Bridge. At the Centre visitors tried their hands at ancient crafts, grinding grain into flour and could dress up in Bronze-Aged costumes courtesy of Historic Scotland. We had expertise from Edinburgh Geological Society and Archaeology Scotland, and lots of help from our volunteers and staff who all helped to make it a really special day.
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