Boys bathe in Water of Leith at Saughton in the hot July of 1955.placeholder image
Boys bathe in Water of Leith at Saughton in the hot July of 1955. | TSPL

Saughton Heritage in Pictures: Here are 27 fascinating photos of the Edinburgh neighbourhood from the 1950s and 1960s

The Edinburgh neighbourhood looked very different over 56 years ago.

Located in the west of Edinburgh, Saughton is a suburb of Scotland’s Capital surrounded by the areas of Broomhouse, Stenhouse, Longstone and Carrick Knowe.

The name comes from the willows that grew on the banks of the Water of Leith that flows through the neighbourhood - ‘sauch’ is the name of the trees in Lowland Scots.

Saughton is perhaps best known for being the location of HM Prison Edinburgh, which is still more commonly known as Saughton Prison.

Read more:

The building of the prison began in 1914, with the first prisoner arriving in 1919.

It’s also home to the large green space of Saughton Park which contains Scotland’s largest skatepark.

Close by sits the large government building of Saughton House which, despite its name, is actually in the neighbouring area of Broomhill.

Here are 27 pictures to take you back to the Saughton of the 1950s and 1960s.

Make sure you don't miss a moment of breaking news from across Scotland by signing up to our free newsletter here.

Dare to be Honest
Follow us
© 2026 Iconic Media Group Ltd. All rights reserved.Cookie SettingsTerms and ConditionsPrivacy notice