Edinburgh retro: Old photos which show sights of the city you may not know about

By Gary Flockhart

Published 23rd Sep 2025, 11:09 GMT

Updated 23rd Sep 2025, 11:14 GMT

There are plenty of famous views of Edinburgh - but there are also many less well-known sights around the city which even long-standing residents don’t know about.

From an underground chamber to an old lighthouse tender in Leith that went on to become a multi-award-winning hotel, we’ve dipped into the archives to find 25 pictures that show Scotland’s capital city in a different light.

Scroll through our gallery to see some incredible photos taken right here in Edinburgh.

The mysterious series of hand-carved passageways and chambers hidden below Gilmerton have been linked to witchcraft, smugglers, Covenanters and the Knights Templar.

1. Gilmerton Cove

The mysterious series of hand-carved passageways and chambers hidden below Gilmerton have been linked to witchcraft, smugglers, Covenanters and the Knights Templar. Photo: Fiona Brims

A cyclist makes his way along the top of Salisbury Crags at sunset.

2. Salisbury Crags

A cyclist makes his way along the top of Salisbury Crags at sunset. Photo: Rob McDougall

The Innocent line was a horse-drawn railway line connecting St Leonard’s and Dalkeith. Completed in 1831, it was Edinburgh’s debut railway, and its tunnel is one of the oldest in the United Kingdom.

3. Innocent Railway Line, Dalkeith

The Innocent line was a horse-drawn railway line connecting St Leonard’s and Dalkeith. Completed in 1831, it was Edinburgh’s debut railway, and its tunnel is one of the oldest in the United Kingdom. Photo: geograph/Jim Barton

The new Scotsman delivery van and scooters outside the gates of Holyrood Palace Edinburgh in December 1965.

4. Holyrood Palace

The new Scotsman delivery van and scooters outside the gates of Holyrood Palace Edinburgh in December 1965. Photo: TSPL

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