CURRIE - Extract from National Gazetteer, 1868

"CURRIE, a parish in the county of Edinburgh, Scotland. It contains the villages of Currie, Balerno and Hermiston, and is bounded by Ratho, Kirknewton, Mid Calder, Penicuick, Corstorphine, and Colinton. It extends 8 miles in length in a north-westerly direction, with a breadth of 4½ miles. The surface descends from a height of 900 feet among the Pentland hills, to a large extent of level plain. The soil of the higher grounds is poor, while that of the lowlands is rich and highly cultivated. The Water of Leith flows through the whole parish. Sandstone of excellent quality is largely quarried.

The chief landowners are Sir William Gibson Craig, Bart., of Riccarton, Lord Rosebery, of Buteland, Lord Morton, Lord Aberdour, and Scott of Malleny. In the parish are several flour-mills, papermills, and a large manufactory of yarn and sailcloth. Among the antiquities is Lennox Tower, elevated above the Water of Leith, traditionally said to have been the residence of Mary Queen of Scots in her youth, and subsequently to have been a seat of the Regent Morton; also on the opposite side of the river the rains of the mansion of the Skenes of Currie Hill.

The remains of two Roman stations are visible, the one on Ravelrig Hill, the other farther E., which adds to the probability of the name of the parish being a corruption of the name Coria, given to the district by the Romans. The Edinburgh and Glasgow railway, the Caledonian railway, the Union canal, and the road from Edinburgh to Lanark, traverse the parish. The village of Currie stands on the N. bank of the Leith Water, 5½ miles S.W. of Edinburgh, by the Caledonian railway, on which it is a station. This parish is in the presbytery of Edinburgh, and synod of Lothian and Tweeddale, and in the patronage of Sir W. Gibson Craig, Bart. The stipend of the minister is £264. There is a Free church for Colinton and and Currie, and an United Presbyterian church at Balerno."

"BALERNO, a village in the parish of Currie, in the county of Edinburgh, Scotland, 6 miles from Edinburgh. It has some good stone quarries."

"HERMISTON, a village in the parish of Currie, county Edinburgh, Scotland, 2 miles from the village, and 7 from Edinburgh."

[Description(s) from The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland (1868)
Transcribed by Colin Hinson ©2003]

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