Basic Site Details Name: | Edinburgh Marine Gardens | Town, district or village: | Portobello | City or county: | Edinburgh | Country: | Scotland | Parish: | | Status: | Demolished | Grid ref: | | Notes: | The Edinburgh Marine Gardens Pleasure Park was created in 1909, re-using many of the buildings that had formed the Scottish National Exhibition at Saughton Park in 1908.
A 27 acres site on Craigentinny Estate, adjacent to the Seafield road, at the extreme west end of Portobello was secured and it was proposed to re-erect the concert hall (seating 2000-3000), the exhibition rooms, tea rooms, certain of the amusements which had proved popular at the Exhibition, the Figure Eight railway, the bandstands and the sports ground.
The architects of the National Exhibition,Walker & Ramsay, had produced a layout for the project, and in January and February 1909 the company placed a series of advertisements calling for tenders for the erection of the former Exhibition buildings on the new site at Seafield, together with drainage, roads and landscaping.
The Gardens were formally opened on 31 May 1909 but their success was short lived. Many of the buildings were taken over by the army in 1914 and most never re-opened, although the ballroom and speedway track survived until the beginning of the Second World War
| Building Type ClassificationThe building is classified under the following categories: | | Classification | Original classification? | Notes | | Pleasure garden | | |
Street AddressesThe following street addresses are associated with this building: | | Address | Main entrance? | Notes | | Seafield Road East and King's Road. | | |
EventsThe following date-based events are associated with this building: | | From | To | Event type | Notes | | 1909 | | Build/construction | |
PeopleDesign and ConstructionThe following individuals or organisations have carried out design/construction work. Where architects or practices worked together, matching letters appear beside their names in the Partnership Group column. | | Name | Role | Partnership Group | From | To | Notes | | Walker & Ramsay | | | 1909 | | layout and rebuilding |
ClientsThe following individuals or organisations have commissioned work on this building/design: | | Name | Notes | | Edinburgh Marine Gardens Limited | |
ReferencesPeriodical ReferencesThe following periodicals contain references to this building: | | Periodical Name | Date | Edition | Publisher | Notes | | Builder | 23 January 1909 | | | p101 - contracts open (concert hall) | | Edinburgh Evening News | 9 January 2006 | | | pp.1,8,9 |
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