Bonaly
Encyclopedia
Bonaly is an area on the south-western outskirts of Edinburgh
and the northern slopes of the Pentland Hills
, lying within the Parish of Colinton
. It is a mix of mainly post-war housing, woodland, pasture-land and heather moorland
. Bonaly Burn has its sources in the hills above Bonaly and flows towards Oxgangs
, where it becomes the Braid Burn
. The Edinburgh City Bypass
passes through Bonaly.
The placename has appeared in many different forms and spellings. Early variations include Banale in 1438, Bonala in 1538 and Bonally in 1531. Other variations include Bonala, Bonalay, Boneyley, Bonnalay, Bonailie and Bonaley.
In Timothy Pont
's detailed 1654 map of Scotland, it appears as a small settlement close to the Pentland Hills, labelled Bonely, and also appears on the Map of the Three Lothians in 1773 as Bonilie.
Harrison Gardens and Harrison Place, in the Edinburgh district of Merchiston
, were originally named Bonaly Road and Bonaly Place. They were renamed in 1965 to avoid confusion with similar addresses in Colinton
.
suburb of Colinton
, Bonaly was originally a small settlement in its own right. This existed on the banks of the Bonaly Burn, close to the present-day site of Bonaly Tower, until its destruction after 1811. There is no evidence to indicate when Bonaly was first settled, but the area has a long history of human occupation and the remains of an Iron Age hillfort may be seen at Clubbiedean, 2 km to the south-west.
In the 12th century, Norman barons began to arrive in Scotland and establish feudal estates. The lands of Bonaly formed part of the Barony of Redhall which also included Redhall itself, Oxgangs
, Comiston
, Swanston, Dreghorn
, Pilmuir, Woodhall
and Colinton
. The earliest mention of Bonaly may be from 1280, when it appears in an account of legal proceedings concerning straying livestock.
In 1400, the Barony – and the ownership of Bonaly – was granted to Sir William Cunningham
of Kilmaurs
, by Robert III. Sometime after 1538, ownership passed to James Foulis, who became Baron Colinton.
The Foulis family were supporters of the Royalist
cause during the Civil War
. Their fortunes suffered badly after Cromwell's victorious campaign in Scotland and they were forced to sell off much of their lands. In the aftermath of Cromwell's
campaign, English troops were billet
ed at Bonaly.
system of rig and furrow
agriculture. They may have supplemented their income with weaving
. It is difficult to estimate the size of the settlement at this time but the area under cultivation was extensive. Traces of rig and furrow
cultivation strips can be seen in the hills high above Bonaly, on land that has now reverted to rough-grazing.
By the 17th century, Bonaly appears to have been thriving and is mentioned frequently in the Kirk Session records. In addition to the dwellings of the tenant farmers, there was a substantial farmhouse (c. 1650), several waulk mills, a skinnery, a distillery, a magnesia factory and a flax mill
. These industries stood on the banks of the Bonaly Burn, which was used as a power-source, a supply of water and for carrying away waste. Prior to the damming of its tributaries, the Lady Burn and the Dean Burn, Bonaly Burn would have provided a more powerful flow of water for milling. The community never had its own kirk
, and parishioners travelled to the kirk in Colinton
to attend services.
After several changes of ownership in the 17th century, Bonaly was eventually bought in 1700 by Sir John Foulis of Woodhall. Sir John's Account Book (1671–1707) contains frequent mentions of Bonaly, of the business he did there and of the rents he received from his tenants in the village.
The 17th and 18th centuries were a time of radical change in the Scottish agricultural landscape, Bonaly included. The process of enclosure
resulted in the disappearance of the small strips of land cultivated by tenant farmers as these were re-arranged into larger and more productive fields, surrounded by newly-planted hedgerows. Bonaly Road – linking the village of Bonaly with Woodhall Road and Colinton – is likely to have been formed on its current line during this period and the hedgerows along the road may be the remnants of those planted at this time. Sir John Foulis was keen to improve his lands and, as well as enlosing existing farmland, brought areas of moorland under cultivation. Whilst the new farming methods were more productive, they required less labour and the village of Bonaly is likely to have declined as farmers left to seek other employment.
. The Bonaly Farm premises were part of the legacy bequeathed to this school.
A southern portion, including the village of Bonaly, was leased by Lord Cockburn. He developed the 17th century farmhouse into a country house and, in doing so, ordered the destruction of the village. In his own words he:
The buildings in the village were demolished and the inhabitants presumably evicted. Bricked-up windows and a doorway can be seen close to the entrance of Bonaly Outdoor Centre where they have been incorporated into a perimeter wall. It is probable that the community had been in decline for some time. Enclosure
had lessened the demand for agricultural labour and the small-scale industries on the Bonaly Burn would have been unable to compete with the larger and more efficient mills being established elsewhere, particularly on the Water of Leith
.
After the destruction of the village, the population of Bonaly fell to its lowest level for centuries. Although extensive farm buildings, a large farmhouse and a row of farm labourers cottages were built at Bonaly Farm during the 19th century, few people were living in Bonaly at the close of the 19th century
as an Edinburgh
commuter suburb. Several large villas were individually constructed on Bonaly Road in the 1920s and 1930s.
Expansion accelerated after the Second World War. In 1959, house-builders Mactaggart and Mickel commenced large-scale housing development on the land adjacent to Bonaly Farm – formerly known as the East Field. Over the following 40 years over 500 houses were constructed and, by 2000, virtually all the land between Bonaly Farm and the Edinburgh City Bypass
had been developed for housing. The Bonaly Farm buildings fell into disuse during this period. Bonaly Farmhouse was detached from the farm and became a private residence. The farm buildings themselves were gutted by fire in 1981. Most of the buildings on the site were demolished when it was subsequently developed for housing, but some were retained and incorporated into the new homes.
Bonaly Farm Dairy continued to supply dairy products from premises at nearby West Mill Road in Colinton
and now operates from premises in Loanhead
.
area. It accommodates pupils from primaries one to seven and also has a nursery for children between three and five years of age. It is managed by the City of Edinburgh Council and is a feeder school for Firrhill High School
Pupils wear a distinctive yellow and brown uniform, with a school badge depicting Bonaly Tower against the backdrop of the Pentland Hills
.
The school opened on a greenfield site in 1976 and was intended to replace older school premises at Thorburn Road in Colinton
, which had been unable to cope with the demand for school places. The new school at Bonaly was, however, never large enough to accommodate all the pupils and the Thorburn Road premises were re-opened as an annex for use by nursery and infant classes. Additional pre-fab
classrooms were also used at the main school site.
In 2007, the school buildings were demolished and replaced with a larger building, opened in October 2008. All pupils are now accommodated on this site with the Thorburn Road premises now up for sale.
added an imitation peel tower
to the building. It was further extended by David Bruce in 1870, who added a western wing. The original farmhouse was visible until 1886, when the library wing was constructed in 1888, by architects Sydney, Mitchell and Wilson.
Bonaly Tower was the venue for frequent meetings of the 'Friday Club', a group of leading Edinburgh
literati, which were hosted by Lord Cockburn. It is now subdivided into flats.
acquired an 11-hectare site, formerly part of the grounds of Bonaly Tower, for use as a permanent campsite.
Bonaly Outdoor Centre has two large camping fields, with capacity for over two hundred campers, and two buildings providing indoor accommodation. One of these – Forth Lodge – has been purpose-built for groups with special needs. The centre is used by parties of Scouts, Guides and other youth groups, both from the local area and further afield. It has hosted many visiting groups from overseas.
The centre has a permanent manager, based on-site, who is supported by the Bonaly Service Team, a group of volunteers who assist in the running and maintenance of the centre. It is officially owned and operated by the South East Scotland Regional Scout Council.
Within the grounds of the Outdoor Centre is a stone-built bathing pool, naturally fed by the waters of the Dean Burn. Known locally as the 'Roman Bath' or 'Lord Cockburn's Bath', it is believed to have been constructed in the 19th century.
was designated in 1984, and is a 290-hectare area of woodland, open moorland
and reservoirs. It is entirely owned by the City of Edinburgh Council, with the exception of Clubbiedean and Torduff Reservoirs which are owned by Scottish Water
. The park is managed as part of the Pentland Hills
Regional Park. There are excellent views of Edinburgh
, the Lothian
s, Fife
and the Firth of Forth
from the park. The main access is via Bonaly Road, at the top of which a small car park is located.
The Country Park is divided into lower and upper sections. The lower park has been in public ownership and managed as a public park since the 1940s. It has not been grazed by livestock since the creation of the Country Park and woodland has started to strongly re-establish itself. The upper park occupies a much larger proportion of the Country Park and is mostly heather moorland
or unimproved grassland, leased to a tenant farmer for hill grazing. The two sections are separated by woodland plantations, established in the 1920s.
. Bonaly Reservoir was one of the first to be constructed, and had two purposes – to supply fresh drinking water to the city and to ensure a constant flow of water in lower watercourses by acting as a compensation reservoir
.
The reservoir is situated in a shelf on the north-west slope of Capelaw Hill. At 340m above sea level, it is one of the highest bodies of water in the Pentlands
and has an unusually small natural water catchment area. The natural catchment has been augmented by catch-drains laid out across the hillside to the south-west, which act to divert spring and rain-water into the reservoir.
The present Bonaly Reservoir was created on the site of an existing body of water – known as Bonaly Pools – by the damming of the Dean Burn with a stone-faced earthwork in 1853. It has a capacity of 218 million litres and is 7.5m deep when full. The remains of an earlier earthwork dam are located to the north of the current dam.
This site of the present reservoir has been a source of fresh water for Edinburgh
since 1761. A wooden pipeline was constructed from Bonaly Pools to Swanston, from where it was piped into the city. The wooden pipes were replaced by iron pipes towards the end of the 18th century. This pipeline was re-discovered during a RCAHMS survey of adjacent military training areas in 2005.
Unlike most of the Pentland
reservoirs, Bonaly is not managed by Scottish Water
and no longer forms part of the water supply chain. It is owned and managed by the City of Edinburgh Council. Proposals exist to manage the water levels in the reservoir so that feeding and breeding opportunities for wildlife are maximised.
number 10.
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
and the northern slopes of the Pentland Hills
Pentland Hills
The Pentland Hills are a range of hills to the south-west of Edinburgh, Scotland. The range is around 20 miles in length, and runs south west from Edinburgh towards Biggar and the upper Clydesdale.Some of the peaks include:* Scald Law...
, lying within the Parish of Colinton
Colinton
Colinton is a suburb of Edinburgh, Scotland situated 6 kilometres south west of the city centre. It is bordered by Dreghorn to the south and Craiglockhart to the north-east. To the north-west it extends to Lanark Road and to the south-west to the City Bypass...
. It is a mix of mainly post-war housing, woodland, pasture-land and heather moorland
Moorland
Moorland or moor is a type of habitat, in the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome, found in upland areas, characterised by low-growing vegetation on acidic soils and heavy fog...
. Bonaly Burn has its sources in the hills above Bonaly and flows towards Oxgangs
Oxgangs
Oxgangs is a suburb in the south-west of Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom. It is named for an oxgang, an ancient Scottish land measure.Surrounding districts include Caiystane, Dreghorn, Redford, Fairmilehead, Colinton and Swanston and Colinton Mains...
, where it becomes the Braid Burn
Braid Burn
Braid Burn is a short stream that flows through east Edinburgh.14km in length, from its source in the Pentland Hills, it flows via Duddingston, where it becomes Figgate Burn to its mouth at Portobello, where it exits into the Firth of Forth....
. The Edinburgh City Bypass
Edinburgh City Bypass
The Edinburgh City Bypass, designated as A720, is one of the most important trunk roads in Scotland. Circling around the south of Edinburgh, as the equivalent of a ring road for the coastal city, it links together the A1 towards north-east England, the A702 towards north-west England, the M8...
passes through Bonaly.
Name
The name Bonaly may be derived from the Gaelic Bonnáth Linne (meaning “the pool at the bottom ford”) or from Bànáth Linne (meaning “the pool at the white ford”). An alternative suggestion is that the derivation is from the Gaelic Bonn-aill (meaning "the foot of the rocks or cliff").The placename has appeared in many different forms and spellings. Early variations include Banale in 1438, Bonala in 1538 and Bonally in 1531. Other variations include Bonala, Bonalay, Boneyley, Bonnalay, Bonailie and Bonaley.
In Timothy Pont
Timothy Pont
Timothy Pont was a Scottish topographer, the first to produce a detailed map of Scotland. Pont's maps are among the earliest surviving to show a European country in minute detail, from an actual survey.-Life:...
's detailed 1654 map of Scotland, it appears as a small settlement close to the Pentland Hills, labelled Bonely, and also appears on the Map of the Three Lothians in 1773 as Bonilie.
Harrison Gardens and Harrison Place, in the Edinburgh district of Merchiston
Merchiston
Merchiston is a prosperous, mainly residential area in the south-west of Edinburgh, Scotland. The housing is primarily a mixture of large, late Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian villas – several of the latter by Edward Calvert – together with a smaller number of Victorian tenements and...
, were originally named Bonaly Road and Bonaly Place. They were renamed in 1965 to avoid confusion with similar addresses in Colinton
Colinton
Colinton is a suburb of Edinburgh, Scotland situated 6 kilometres south west of the city centre. It is bordered by Dreghorn to the south and Craiglockhart to the north-east. To the north-west it extends to Lanark Road and to the south-west to the City Bypass...
.
Early history
Although now considered to be part of the EdinburghEdinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
suburb of Colinton
Colinton
Colinton is a suburb of Edinburgh, Scotland situated 6 kilometres south west of the city centre. It is bordered by Dreghorn to the south and Craiglockhart to the north-east. To the north-west it extends to Lanark Road and to the south-west to the City Bypass...
, Bonaly was originally a small settlement in its own right. This existed on the banks of the Bonaly Burn, close to the present-day site of Bonaly Tower, until its destruction after 1811. There is no evidence to indicate when Bonaly was first settled, but the area has a long history of human occupation and the remains of an Iron Age hillfort may be seen at Clubbiedean, 2 km to the south-west.
In the 12th century, Norman barons began to arrive in Scotland and establish feudal estates. The lands of Bonaly formed part of the Barony of Redhall which also included Redhall itself, Oxgangs
Oxgangs
Oxgangs is a suburb in the south-west of Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom. It is named for an oxgang, an ancient Scottish land measure.Surrounding districts include Caiystane, Dreghorn, Redford, Fairmilehead, Colinton and Swanston and Colinton Mains...
, Comiston
Comiston
Comiston is a suburb of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. It is south of Morningside and west of the Braid Hills.The main road through the area, Comiston Road, is a continuation of Morningside Road, and further south becomes Biggar Road. It is classified as the A702 which indeed runs eventually...
, Swanston, Dreghorn
Dreghorn
Dreghorn is a village near Irvine, North Ayrshire, Scotland. This parish comprehends the old parishes of Dreghorn and Pearston, which were united in 1668. The whole of the parish was historically the property of the De Morvilles, who were Constables of Scotland and Lords of Cunninghame...
, Pilmuir, Woodhall
Woodhall
-Places:*Woodhall, Edinburgh, Scotland*Woodhall, Hertfordshire, England*Woodhall, Lincolnshire, England**site of the former Woodhall Junction railway station*Woodhall, North Yorkshire, England*Woodhall, Port Glasgow, Inverclyde, Scotland...
and Colinton
Colinton
Colinton is a suburb of Edinburgh, Scotland situated 6 kilometres south west of the city centre. It is bordered by Dreghorn to the south and Craiglockhart to the north-east. To the north-west it extends to Lanark Road and to the south-west to the City Bypass...
. The earliest mention of Bonaly may be from 1280, when it appears in an account of legal proceedings concerning straying livestock.
In 1400, the Barony – and the ownership of Bonaly – was granted to Sir William Cunningham
Clan Cunningham
Clan Cunningham is a Scottish clan. The clan does not currently have a chief, therefore it is considered an Armigerous clan by the Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs, though recently two contenders for the chiefship have emerged...
of Kilmaurs
Kilmaurs
Kilmaurs is a village in East Ayrshire, Scotland. It lies on the Carmel, 21.1 miles south by west of Glasgow. Population recorded in 2001 Census, 2601- History :...
, by Robert III. Sometime after 1538, ownership passed to James Foulis, who became Baron Colinton.
The Foulis family were supporters of the Royalist
Cavalier
Cavalier was the name used by Parliamentarians for a Royalist supporter of King Charles I and son Charles II during the English Civil War, the Interregnum, and the Restoration...
cause during the Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
. Their fortunes suffered badly after Cromwell's victorious campaign in Scotland and they were forced to sell off much of their lands. In the aftermath of Cromwell's
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader who overthrew the English monarchy and temporarily turned England into a republican Commonwealth, and served as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....
campaign, English troops were billet
Billet
A billet is a term for living quarters to which a soldier is assigned to sleep. Historically, it referred to a private dwelling that was required to accept the soldier....
ed at Bonaly.
Bonaly Village
The village of Bonaly is likely to have been home to a modest population of tenant farmers, living in cot-houses, raising livestock and practising the open fieldOpen Field
Open Field is the debut album by the Swedish solo act Taken By Trees. It is the first studio album to be released by Victoria Bergsman after shedding her duties as the lead singer of The Concretes...
system of rig and furrow
Rig and furrow
Rig and furrow was a type of cultivation practised in upland areas of the British Isles which differs from the more common ridge and furrow in that it appears to have been created through excavation by spade rather than plough....
agriculture. They may have supplemented their income with weaving
Weaving
Weaving is a method of fabric production in which two distinct sets of yarns or threads are interlaced at right angles to form a fabric or cloth. The other methods are knitting, lace making and felting. The longitudinal threads are called the warp and the lateral threads are the weft or filling...
. It is difficult to estimate the size of the settlement at this time but the area under cultivation was extensive. Traces of rig and furrow
Rig and furrow
Rig and furrow was a type of cultivation practised in upland areas of the British Isles which differs from the more common ridge and furrow in that it appears to have been created through excavation by spade rather than plough....
cultivation strips can be seen in the hills high above Bonaly, on land that has now reverted to rough-grazing.
By the 17th century, Bonaly appears to have been thriving and is mentioned frequently in the Kirk Session records. In addition to the dwellings of the tenant farmers, there was a substantial farmhouse (c. 1650), several waulk mills, a skinnery, a distillery, a magnesia factory and a flax mill
Flax mill
Flax mills are mills concerned with the manufacture of flax. The earliest mills were ones for spinning yarn for the linen industry.John Kendrew and Thomas Porthouse , both of Darlington developed the process from Richard Arkwright's water frame, and patented it in 1787...
. These industries stood on the banks of the Bonaly Burn, which was used as a power-source, a supply of water and for carrying away waste. Prior to the damming of its tributaries, the Lady Burn and the Dean Burn, Bonaly Burn would have provided a more powerful flow of water for milling. The community never had its own kirk
Kirk
Kirk can mean "church" in general or the Church of Scotland in particular. Many place names and personal names are also derived from it.-Basic meaning and etymology:...
, and parishioners travelled to the kirk in Colinton
Colinton Parish Church
Colinton Parish Church is a congregation of the Church of Scotland. The church building is located in Dell Road, Colinton, Edinburgh, Scotland....
to attend services.
After several changes of ownership in the 17th century, Bonaly was eventually bought in 1700 by Sir John Foulis of Woodhall. Sir John's Account Book (1671–1707) contains frequent mentions of Bonaly, of the business he did there and of the rents he received from his tenants in the village.
The 17th and 18th centuries were a time of radical change in the Scottish agricultural landscape, Bonaly included. The process of enclosure
Enclosure
Enclosure or inclosure is the process which ends traditional rights such as mowing meadows for hay, or grazing livestock on common land. Once enclosed, these uses of the land become restricted to the owner, and it ceases to be common land. In England and Wales the term is also used for the...
resulted in the disappearance of the small strips of land cultivated by tenant farmers as these were re-arranged into larger and more productive fields, surrounded by newly-planted hedgerows. Bonaly Road – linking the village of Bonaly with Woodhall Road and Colinton – is likely to have been formed on its current line during this period and the hedgerows along the road may be the remnants of those planted at this time. Sir John Foulis was keen to improve his lands and, as well as enlosing existing farmland, brought areas of moorland under cultivation. Whilst the new farming methods were more productive, they required less labour and the village of Bonaly is likely to have declined as farmers left to seek other employment.
Destruction of the village
In the 18th century, the northern portion of Bonaly was acquired by James Gillespie, a Colinton merchant, mill-owner and philanthropist. In his will, Gillespie left a legacy to fund the establishment of a charitable school, which was known as Gillespie's HospitalJames Gillespie's High School
James Gillespie's High School is a state secondary school in Marchmont, Edinburgh. The school is a comprehensive High School, educating pupils aged 11 to 18 years of age. It has recently celebrated its 200th anniversary, and its campus consists of primarily 1960s buildings alongside the 16th...
. The Bonaly Farm premises were part of the legacy bequeathed to this school.
A southern portion, including the village of Bonaly, was leased by Lord Cockburn. He developed the 17th century farmhouse into a country house and, in doing so, ordered the destruction of the village. In his own words he:
...began by an annual lease of a few square yards and a scarcely habitable farm-house but, realizing the profanations of Auburn, I have destroyed a village, and erected a tower, and reached the dignity of a twenty-acred laird.
The buildings in the village were demolished and the inhabitants presumably evicted. Bricked-up windows and a doorway can be seen close to the entrance of Bonaly Outdoor Centre where they have been incorporated into a perimeter wall. It is probable that the community had been in decline for some time. Enclosure
Enclosure
Enclosure or inclosure is the process which ends traditional rights such as mowing meadows for hay, or grazing livestock on common land. Once enclosed, these uses of the land become restricted to the owner, and it ceases to be common land. In England and Wales the term is also used for the...
had lessened the demand for agricultural labour and the small-scale industries on the Bonaly Burn would have been unable to compete with the larger and more efficient mills being established elsewhere, particularly on the Water of Leith
Water of Leith
The Water of Leith is the main river flowing through Edinburgh, Scotland, to the port of Leith where it flows into the sea via the Firth of Forth.It is long and rises in the Colzium Springs at Millstone Rig of the Pentland Hills...
.
After the destruction of the village, the population of Bonaly fell to its lowest level for centuries. Although extensive farm buildings, a large farmhouse and a row of farm labourers cottages were built at Bonaly Farm during the 19th century, few people were living in Bonaly at the close of the 19th century
20th century
This began to change during the early 20th century, due to the rapid expansion of ColintonColinton
Colinton is a suburb of Edinburgh, Scotland situated 6 kilometres south west of the city centre. It is bordered by Dreghorn to the south and Craiglockhart to the north-east. To the north-west it extends to Lanark Road and to the south-west to the City Bypass...
as an Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
commuter suburb. Several large villas were individually constructed on Bonaly Road in the 1920s and 1930s.
Expansion accelerated after the Second World War. In 1959, house-builders Mactaggart and Mickel commenced large-scale housing development on the land adjacent to Bonaly Farm – formerly known as the East Field. Over the following 40 years over 500 houses were constructed and, by 2000, virtually all the land between Bonaly Farm and the Edinburgh City Bypass
Edinburgh City Bypass
The Edinburgh City Bypass, designated as A720, is one of the most important trunk roads in Scotland. Circling around the south of Edinburgh, as the equivalent of a ring road for the coastal city, it links together the A1 towards north-east England, the A702 towards north-west England, the M8...
had been developed for housing. The Bonaly Farm buildings fell into disuse during this period. Bonaly Farmhouse was detached from the farm and became a private residence. The farm buildings themselves were gutted by fire in 1981. Most of the buildings on the site were demolished when it was subsequently developed for housing, but some were retained and incorporated into the new homes.
Bonaly Farm Dairy continued to supply dairy products from premises at nearby West Mill Road in Colinton
Colinton
Colinton is a suburb of Edinburgh, Scotland situated 6 kilometres south west of the city centre. It is bordered by Dreghorn to the south and Craiglockhart to the north-east. To the north-west it extends to Lanark Road and to the south-west to the City Bypass...
and now operates from premises in Loanhead
Loanhead
Loanhead is a small town in Midlothian, Scotland, to the south of Edinburgh, and close to Roslin, Bonnyrigg and Dalkeith. The town was built on coal and shale mining, and the paper industry.-History:...
.
Bonaly Primary School
Bonaly Primary School is the main local provider of primary education, with a catchment taking in most of the ColintonColinton
Colinton is a suburb of Edinburgh, Scotland situated 6 kilometres south west of the city centre. It is bordered by Dreghorn to the south and Craiglockhart to the north-east. To the north-west it extends to Lanark Road and to the south-west to the City Bypass...
area. It accommodates pupils from primaries one to seven and also has a nursery for children between three and five years of age. It is managed by the City of Edinburgh Council and is a feeder school for Firrhill High School
Firrhill High School
Firrhill High School is a state-run secondary school in the South West of Edinburgh, Scotland. The school was established in the year 1960, being unveiled by the city's Lord Provost. The school has around 1160 pupils with a teaching staff of around 120...
Pupils wear a distinctive yellow and brown uniform, with a school badge depicting Bonaly Tower against the backdrop of the Pentland Hills
Pentland Hills
The Pentland Hills are a range of hills to the south-west of Edinburgh, Scotland. The range is around 20 miles in length, and runs south west from Edinburgh towards Biggar and the upper Clydesdale.Some of the peaks include:* Scald Law...
.
The school opened on a greenfield site in 1976 and was intended to replace older school premises at Thorburn Road in Colinton
Colinton
Colinton is a suburb of Edinburgh, Scotland situated 6 kilometres south west of the city centre. It is bordered by Dreghorn to the south and Craiglockhart to the north-east. To the north-west it extends to Lanark Road and to the south-west to the City Bypass...
, which had been unable to cope with the demand for school places. The new school at Bonaly was, however, never large enough to accommodate all the pupils and the Thorburn Road premises were re-opened as an annex for use by nursery and infant classes. Additional pre-fab
Prefabrication
Prefabrication is the practice of assembling components of a structure in a factory or other manufacturing site, and transporting complete assemblies or sub-assemblies to the construction site where the structure is to be located...
classrooms were also used at the main school site.
In 2007, the school buildings were demolished and replaced with a larger building, opened in October 2008. All pupils are now accommodated on this site with the Thorburn Road premises now up for sale.
Bonaly Tower
Bonaly Tower is located on the site of the 17th century farmhouse that once stood at the centre of the village of Bonaly. On the directions of Lord Cockburn, the farmhouse was extended, and the village cleared to create his country residence. In 1839, the architect William Henry PlayfairWilliam Henry Playfair
William Henry Playfair FRSE was one of the greatest Scottish architects of the 19th century, designer of many of Edinburgh's neo-classical landmarks in the New Town....
added an imitation peel tower
Peel tower
Peel towers are small fortified keeps or tower houses, built along the English and Scottish borders in the Scottish Marches and North of England, intended as watch towers where signal fires could be lit by the garrison to warn of approaching danger...
to the building. It was further extended by David Bruce in 1870, who added a western wing. The original farmhouse was visible until 1886, when the library wing was constructed in 1888, by architects Sydney, Mitchell and Wilson.
Bonaly Tower was the venue for frequent meetings of the 'Friday Club', a group of leading Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
literati, which were hosted by Lord Cockburn. It is now subdivided into flats.
Bonaly Outdoor Centre
In 1931 the Scout AssociationThe Scout Association
The Scout Association is the World Organization of the Scout Movement recognised Scouting association in the United Kingdom. Scouting began in 1907 through the efforts of Robert Baden-Powell. The Scout Association was formed under its previous name, The Boy Scout Association, in 1910 by the grant...
acquired an 11-hectare site, formerly part of the grounds of Bonaly Tower, for use as a permanent campsite.
Bonaly Outdoor Centre has two large camping fields, with capacity for over two hundred campers, and two buildings providing indoor accommodation. One of these – Forth Lodge – has been purpose-built for groups with special needs. The centre is used by parties of Scouts, Guides and other youth groups, both from the local area and further afield. It has hosted many visiting groups from overseas.
The centre has a permanent manager, based on-site, who is supported by the Bonaly Service Team, a group of volunteers who assist in the running and maintenance of the centre. It is officially owned and operated by the South East Scotland Regional Scout Council.
Within the grounds of the Outdoor Centre is a stone-built bathing pool, naturally fed by the waters of the Dean Burn. Known locally as the 'Roman Bath' or 'Lord Cockburn's Bath', it is believed to have been constructed in the 19th century.
Bonaly Country Park
Bonaly Country ParkCountry park
A country park is an area designated for people to visit and enjoy recreation in a countryside environment.-History:In the United Kingdom the term 'Country Park' has a special meaning. There are over 400 Country Parks in England alone . Most Country Parks were designated in the 1970s, under the...
was designated in 1984, and is a 290-hectare area of woodland, open moorland
Moorland
Moorland or moor is a type of habitat, in the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome, found in upland areas, characterised by low-growing vegetation on acidic soils and heavy fog...
and reservoirs. It is entirely owned by the City of Edinburgh Council, with the exception of Clubbiedean and Torduff Reservoirs which are owned by Scottish Water
Scottish Water
Scottish Water is a statutory corporation in Scotland that provides water and sewerage services. Unlike in England and Wales, water and sewerage provision in Scotland continues as a public corporation accountable to the public through the Scottish Government....
. The park is managed as part of the Pentland Hills
Pentland Hills
The Pentland Hills are a range of hills to the south-west of Edinburgh, Scotland. The range is around 20 miles in length, and runs south west from Edinburgh towards Biggar and the upper Clydesdale.Some of the peaks include:* Scald Law...
Regional Park. There are excellent views of Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, the Lothian
Lothian
Lothian forms a traditional region of Scotland, lying between the southern shore of the Firth of Forth and the Lammermuir Hills....
s, Fife
Fife
Fife is a council area and former county of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries to Perth and Kinross and Clackmannanshire...
and the Firth of Forth
Firth of Forth
The Firth of Forth is the estuary or firth of Scotland's River Forth, where it flows into the North Sea, between Fife to the north, and West Lothian, the City of Edinburgh and East Lothian to the south...
from the park. The main access is via Bonaly Road, at the top of which a small car park is located.
The Country Park is divided into lower and upper sections. The lower park has been in public ownership and managed as a public park since the 1940s. It has not been grazed by livestock since the creation of the Country Park and woodland has started to strongly re-establish itself. The upper park occupies a much larger proportion of the Country Park and is mostly heather moorland
Moorland
Moorland or moor is a type of habitat, in the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome, found in upland areas, characterised by low-growing vegetation on acidic soils and heavy fog...
or unimproved grassland, leased to a tenant farmer for hill grazing. The two sections are separated by woodland plantations, established in the 1920s.
Bonaly Reservoir
During the 19th century, the Edinburgh Water Company created several reservoirs in the Pentland HillsPentland Hills
The Pentland Hills are a range of hills to the south-west of Edinburgh, Scotland. The range is around 20 miles in length, and runs south west from Edinburgh towards Biggar and the upper Clydesdale.Some of the peaks include:* Scald Law...
. Bonaly Reservoir was one of the first to be constructed, and had two purposes – to supply fresh drinking water to the city and to ensure a constant flow of water in lower watercourses by acting as a compensation reservoir
Reservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
.
The reservoir is situated in a shelf on the north-west slope of Capelaw Hill. At 340m above sea level, it is one of the highest bodies of water in the Pentlands
Pentland Hills
The Pentland Hills are a range of hills to the south-west of Edinburgh, Scotland. The range is around 20 miles in length, and runs south west from Edinburgh towards Biggar and the upper Clydesdale.Some of the peaks include:* Scald Law...
and has an unusually small natural water catchment area. The natural catchment has been augmented by catch-drains laid out across the hillside to the south-west, which act to divert spring and rain-water into the reservoir.
The present Bonaly Reservoir was created on the site of an existing body of water – known as Bonaly Pools – by the damming of the Dean Burn with a stone-faced earthwork in 1853. It has a capacity of 218 million litres and is 7.5m deep when full. The remains of an earlier earthwork dam are located to the north of the current dam.
This site of the present reservoir has been a source of fresh water for Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
since 1761. A wooden pipeline was constructed from Bonaly Pools to Swanston, from where it was piped into the city. The wooden pipes were replaced by iron pipes towards the end of the 18th century. This pipeline was re-discovered during a RCAHMS survey of adjacent military training areas in 2005.
Unlike most of the Pentland
Pentland Hills
The Pentland Hills are a range of hills to the south-west of Edinburgh, Scotland. The range is around 20 miles in length, and runs south west from Edinburgh towards Biggar and the upper Clydesdale.Some of the peaks include:* Scald Law...
reservoirs, Bonaly is not managed by Scottish Water
Scottish Water
Scottish Water is a statutory corporation in Scotland that provides water and sewerage services. Unlike in England and Wales, water and sewerage provision in Scotland continues as a public corporation accountable to the public through the Scottish Government....
and no longer forms part of the water supply chain. It is owned and managed by the City of Edinburgh Council. Proposals exist to manage the water levels in the reservoir so that feeding and breeding opportunities for wildlife are maximised.
Local Services
Bonaly is served by a corner shop, opened in 1985, and by Lothian BusesLothian Buses
Lothian Buses Plc is the only municipal bus company in Scotland and the largest provider of bus services in Edinburgh, Scotland. City of Edinburgh Council own 91.01% of the company with the remainder being owned by East Lothian and Midlothian councils. As well as serving Edinburgh, Lothian Buses...
number 10.
External links
Other sources
- Lynne Gladstone-Millar, The Colinton Story: celebrating 900 years of a Scottish parish, St Andrew Press, Edinburgh, 1994, ISBN 978-0-86153-195-0