Going to the beach is probably not the first thought of many visitors to Edinburgh, but Portobello is a great place for views of the Forth of Firth and it has the most beckoning sandy beach. It doesn’t have a train station any longer, but just hop onto the 26 or 15 bus from Princes Street and you’ll soon be deposited in Portobello.
The beach-side promenade is only a short walk from the High Street, and has the big advantage of being pedestrian only.
I was there on a quiet, rather grey, December day so my companions along the beach were mainly birds and dogs. However, there are some appealing shops, cafes and bars in the area and the 2 miles of sand have got to make a great summer treat. In fact, Portobello has a strong history as a beach resort and amusement centre. Its industrial development began back in the 1750s when brickworks and potteries were established to exploit the local clay beds, and by the the late 19th century it was definitely an extremely popular resort.
As you can see in the image above, there was a long pier here too – 1250 feet long. It served as a pleasure pier, with a restaurant and observatory area, but it was also a port of call for Firth of Forth pleasure steamers. It operated from 1871 until the start of World War I, when severely rusted iron supports were declared uneconomic to repair and pier demolition was ordered in 1917.
As with most UK beach resorts, the growing availability of cheap sunny package holidays abroad caused a huge decline in popularity. But Porty now has a clean and attractive beach and a friendly, charming atmosphere. This was my first trip to the place but I will most definitely be back. Soon, I hope.
Linked to Monday Walk
Copyright Debbie Smyth, 30 December 2015
Travel with Intent 
Looks and sounds like a place I very much enjoy. I love the name “Forth of Firth”, although we didn’t get to it when we were in Edinburgh some years back. So much to see, so little time.
janet
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Always the way isn’t it. Not a huge city but so much to see. Maybe a return some time?
On Wed, Dec 30, 2015 at 7:05 PM, Travel with Intent wrote:
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Great photos. All the best for 2016
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Thanks Raewyn And the very same to you!
On Wed, Dec 30, 2015 at 6:44 PM, Travel with Intent wrote:
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You’re right: I spent a week in Edinburgh and never considered going to a beach. Thanks for sharing!
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I’ve been many times and never even knew about this spot!
On Wed, Dec 30, 2015 at 3:41 PM, Travel with Intent wrote:
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You have a penchant for strolling empty beaches lately, Debs 🙂 I love it! Nice little bit of associated history, and that’s a cracker of a shot along the groyne with birdie giving you ‘the look’. 🙂 It must’ve been grand when the pier was there. You’d have had to twirl a parasol. 🙂 Many thanks for the share.
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I love water – rivers or sea. I’ve only got a small stream near me so places with more of it beckons. It’s one of the things I love about Durham! Oh, and guess what, Lumiere is coming to London in mid-Jan! xx
On Wed, Dec 30, 2015 at 2:53 PM, Travel with Intent wrote:
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I had forgotten about that! Guess you’ll get to see it after all 🙂
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😁
On Wed, Dec 30, 2015 at 4:15 PM, Travel with Intent wrote:
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Thanks for this piece of advice….
Enjoyed your photos a lot!
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