THE DENE

The ‘Dene’- meaning deep valley - has been carved by Edinburgh’s largest river ‘The Water of Leith’ over the millennia. The river has provided the power and resource for many industries in this particular location; milling, baking, dyeing, distilling etc. and some of the original buildings, where workers of these industries lived, can still be seen. Dating back to the 5th century, the bridge at the bottom of Bells Brae was the only way to cross the Water of Leith and provided the main link to the Queens Ferry and beyond. An historic route used by pilgrims heading to St Andrews to view the Holy relic. The old industry is now gone and the Dene continues to evolve. Locals and visitors can now enjoy an atmospheric and sometimes tranquil river walk where the wonderful architectural features of the Dean Bridge, St Bernard’s Well, Holy Trinity church and the picturesque Well Court can be seen. There is also a darker side to the Dene, many suicides and industrial accidents have occurred here.