Gorgie

Origin of Name: Would have originally been spelled Gorgyne from the old British Jorcyn meaning spacious wedge of land.

Position:Dalry to the east, Merchiston to the south, Murrayfield to the north and Saughton/Stenhouse and Hutchison/Chesser to the west.

Historical notes: The first record of Gorgie dates back to 1236 when it came into the possession of Sir William Livingston whose family occupied the lands for the following 300 years. Gorgie changed hands many times over the centuries until 1799 when the Cox family became owners of part of the old lands. They already owned a mill which lay on the north side of Gorgie Road but they soon expanded to open a glue works across the road which lasted until 1969 when Telephone House was built on the site. Gorgie House was first mentioned in 1527 and over the following 350 years the owners of the estate lived in the manor house. It was situated at Alexander Drive and demolished in 1937 for the building of the Roxy cinema (now a furniture store in circular building) and housing. Gorgie began to develop later than neighbouring Dalry. In 1800 only the area between Robertson Avenue and Saughton Park had any population. There was Gorgie farm just south of the park (and in present day Hutchison/Chesser), a school, church and some housing between the leather & glue works and Saughton. West of that were odd properties and farmland but in 1888 Stewart Terrace and Wardlaw Place & Street (former home of Hearts football club) were laid out and housing was being built. Newton Street was already complete as was building on western Gorgie Rd which between Tynecastle and Ardmillan was then called Tynecastle Terrace. Ardmillan Terrace was also complete by 1888. This large scale construction didn't begin until the 1870s. The expanding city and increased industry in the area were all factors in the building boom although west of Robertson Avenue, Gorgie maintained a fairly rural character into the 20th century. There were breweries, mills and of course the glue works and with the railways the area lost it's rural agricultural past. In the 20th century Ferranti engineering dominated Gorgie around the Robertson Avenue area – it closed in the 1980s. The famous McVitties biscuit factory also at Robertson Avenue, which operated from 1888 until 1969, was where the digestive biscuit was invented. These sites have now been turned into housing.

Today: Gorgie is a popular area particularly for those buying or renting their first flats. There are few houses in the area but many modern blocks of flats to complement the Victorian tenements. There is a wide range of local shops as well as some large supermarkets, traditional pubs, Tynecastle football ground and Gorgie City Farm.

Did You Know: One of the oldest shops in Gorgie is McPherson's fishmongers. It was started by Annie McPherson from Sutherland who opened the shop in 1905. It was originally 2 doors down but moved to its current location shortly after opening.

Until the 1970s there used to be a row of shops on the site of Gorgie City Farm, one of them being Gorgie Pet Stores. It was devastated by fire and the block demolished. Gorgie Pet Stores moved to Dalry shortly after.

There were 2 cinemas in Gorgie. The Poole's Roxy at the corner of Alexander Drive opened in 1937. It closed in 1963 and then used for bingo. In 1997 it was demolished internally but the facade has been retained and it now a furniture shop and flats. The New Tivoli at the eastern end of Gorgie Road opened in 1934 on the site of the Tivoli which was a theatre and opened in 1913. The New Tivoli closed in 1973 and until 2006 was a bingo hall. It is now the Destiny Church .

Links:
Gorgie & Dalry Community Council
http://www.gorgiedalrycc.org.uk/Home/tabid/41/language/en-GB/Default.aspx