Saughton Park History.
The name ’Saughton’ has its origins in the word ‘Saileach’, which is Gaelic for Willows.
This comes from the time where Highland Clans – mainly the McNabs and McPhees – well known as travellers and drovers, would come down from Perthshire for the spring cattle sales, with their camp at ‘Willow tree farm’ or Saughton. It was here they stayed for several weeks, where the women cut the Willows and made them into baskets, creels and fencing among other things to sell in Edinburgh’s High Street and Old Town. Whilst the women were hard at work with the Willows, the men and children would haggle with the local farmers to lift their harvest - as well as pockling some for themselves.
The Willows would have been planted by many generations of Highland drovers. Along both banks of the Water of Leith from what is now Saughton Park up to the village of Longstone.
Sauchton is first mentioned with the formation of Holyrood Abbey in 1128. Amongst the lands given by King David II to the Abbey are “the town of Sauchton and its several divisions”.
It then goes unmentioned for nearly 150 years until Sir Fergus Comyn, Lord of Gorgyn (Gorgie), allows the Canons of Hollyrood to build a dam at Saughton Mill in 1265.
There are several mentions of Saughton from the 13th and into the 14th centuries, such as “the mills lade at Slachton, below the Water of Leith”, and “The farm House at Salechtune (Saughton)”.
The Lands of Saughton were acquired by Richard Watson from Holyrood Abbey in 1537. Richard Watson was married to Janet Stenhope, one of the Stenhope family who had, from 1511, tack of 110 years on the nearby Stenhope mills – now known as Stenhouse mansion.
This is where history gets a little confusing:
The Watsons of Saughton held the lands for several hundred years. Their seat being Saughton House, demolished in 1918, which stood on the present site of Broomhouse Primary School.
However, the lands of Saughtonhall, the term probably deriving from ‘Saughton Haugh’ being old Scots for a low-lying meadow in a river valley – is situated in the area of Saughton Park next to the Water of Leith.
Therefore, we almost have to consider Saughton and Saughtonhall as two different places.
The lands of Saughtonhall were gifted to several families in 1587 – these included the Winraham, Dalzell, Lawtie, Morison and Watson families among others. It is for this reason that a portion of Saughton Mills – next to the Ford’s Road entrance to Saughton Park – were known as Dalzell’s Mills.
Between 1636 and 1650, Thomas Mudie of Dalry purchased the lands of Saughtonhall – being the first soul owner of the lands since Holyrood Abbey. Thomas Mudie is best remembered for granting a large sum of money (20,000 Merks) to the Edinburgh Town Council to build the Canongate Church. It is believed that it was Thomas Moodle that built the mansion of Saughtonhall.
Thomas Mudie died in 1651 and his lands of Saughtonhall and Dalry passed on to his daughter, Janet Mudie, and her husband, Sir Alexander Maxwell of Calderwood – he then became Lord of Saughtonhall. In 1660 the couple sold the lands of Saughtonhall to Robert Baird, a Merchant in Edinburgh.
Robert Baird (1630-97):
Robert Baird was of the Bairds of Newbyth. He was created a Baronet of Nova Scotia in 1696 and Knighted Sir Robert Baird of Saughtonhall. For several generations the lands of Saughtonhall stayed in the Baird Family, including General Sir David Baird and Sir James Gardiner Baird. During this time, the mansion was rented out to several people including Lady Maxwell.
Saughton Hall Asylum:
In 1824, the lands and mansion were leased to become Saughton Hall Asylum. The asylum was especially designed for the reception of ‘patients of the higher ranks’. It was during this period that the house was transformed from a modest country residence into an extensive mansion with crow stepped gables and gothic towers. It was enlarged at least three times during the 19th century, this included the beautiful rose gardens and Coach House.
From study of the Lunacy Board Reports, Saughtonhall Asylum appears to have been one of the best in the country. Often setting standards for other asylums such as minimising the numbers of locked doors and providing excellent facilities for the enjoyment of patients. The grounds of the Asylum, which then included the area of Whitson to the North, were sold to Edinburgh Corporation in 1900 – with the mansion following in 1907.
Scottish National Exhibition 1908:
Saughton Park was host to the Scottish National Exhibition in from May to October 1908. The Exhibition was a huge success, with an attendance of 125,000 on the opening day alone! The Exhibition was based around industry, such as Agriculture, Engineering and Horticulture. As well as art and social issues such as housing. It was for the Exhibition that the entrance at Gorgie road was constructed – being one of the oldest ferro-concrete structures in the country – And the original winter garden. As the Bandstands at the Exhibition were such as success, Edinburgh Corporation purchased 2 Identical ones in 1909. One being situated in the Meadows, with the other in Saughton Park.
In the period after the Exhibition the mansion fell into disrepair and developed dry rot. The Royal Engineers and Fire Brigade were instructed to burn it down on the 5th November 1952. The stone from the building – some parts dating from the 17th Century – was used to construct roads in Edinburgh.