The cache begins at the birthplace of the village, the church founded by Ethelred, brother of King David I (1083-1153), son of St Margaret (see Dunfermline caches such as GC1A87Y). The present building dates from 1908. Revd Lewis Balfour, grandfather to Robert Louis Stevenson (GC13YBV) was minister here between 1823 and 1860. Some of Robert Louis Stevenson's poetry and novels speak of Colinton and the mills on the Water of Leith. The village of Colinton recently celebrated an important centenary, the dates of which are marked on the gates of the church. For how many centuries has there been a church on this site? (A)
Let's come to the more recent history of the church, found at N 55 54.535 W 003 15.354. A more recent minster of Colinton was the Very Revd Dr W. B. Johnston, who saw huge changes as the village grew in his time of office. Having served time as a wartime chaplain in Germany, he was minister in Colinton from 1964 to 1991, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, and a Chaplain to the Queen in Scotland. He became Moderator in 19?0 (B)
From the church, cross the bridge over the Water of Leith, climb the “Lang Steps” to the top of the village (or you can walk up the road which takes longer but is a lot easier!). At N 55 54.465 W 003 15.305 you find the cottage of another man of letters, that of Henry McKenzie (1745-1831), whose name is given the nearby restaurant. Henry McKenzie was one of the first Scottish novelists, and also was early to recognise the genius of Robert Burns (GC213Z9). McKenzie also recognised and encouraged the young Walter Scott and the poet Byron. In addition, McKenzie was Comptroller of Taxes for Scotland, and so moved by the suffering caused by the Highland Clearances that he was among those who founded the Highland Society of Scotland, now the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland, which still runs the annual Royal Highland Show at Ingilston to the west of Edinburgh. How many triangular panes of glass are in the door beside the plaque? (C)
Cross the road to the other side of the “triangle” between Woodhall Road and Bridge Road. At N 55° 54.442 W 003° 15.351 there is a seat noting the place where the old steps used to connect to the “Lang Steps” below. Drovers would use this path to the ford over the Water of Leith in the days before the first bridge was built; records show that it was there in 1575. Close by is a stone in memory of Brian Meek, journalist and councillor, who represented Colinton on Edinburgh Council for over thirty years. His journalistic career spanned as long as well, starting with the Scotsman and Edinburgh Evening Despatch, and ending as a sports writer on the Herald. The stone is beside a tree, mentioned on the stone. How many letters are in the name of the tree? (D, E)
Come down the New Drovers Path and continue through the village to the other bridge over the Water of Leith, this one at a much greater height, and built in 1873 for access to the station (cache GC1G8T1 and the Water of Leith cache trail). On the corner (N 55 54.444 W 003 15.544) you can see beautiful railings, designed by Phoebe Anna Traquair (1853 – 1936), for the house owner, printer William Biggar Blaikie. This is the only known example of her work in wrought-iron, although she was a versatile contributor as illustrator, painter and embroiderer to the late nineteenth-century British Arts and Crafts movement. They were made in 192? (F).
That's it for our tour of Colinton characters, but you can learn more about the history of Colinton in The Colinton Story: Celebrating 900 years of a Scottish Parish by Lynne Gladstone-Millar, published by Saint Andrew Press in 1994. The final cache location is at: N 55 54.(C-1)B(D-E) W 003 15.(A-E)D(A-B)