Dean Village is a historic former village community that has now been swallowed up by the city of Edinburgh. Life in times gone by here revolved around the water mills which harnessed the power of the River Leith. The village was constructed around 1886 and is now recognised for its architectural significance. The river is lined with attractive buildings, but the show-stopper is Well Court (pictured above) which was constructed to house local workers who were employed at the water mills. Today it’s a great place to visit, to see the cobbled streets and walk along the river.
Whilst the mills have now gone, the mill stones can still be found hidden around the village. There are also stone plaques to look out for which are decorated with baked bread and pies. The biggest activity in Dean Village is simply to walk along the rover path. You’ll get the best view of the architecture and see the historic bridge which was designed by Thomas Telford. If you spot St Bernard’s Well, that was also designed by him. While you’re at Dean Village, take the opportunity to pop into two nearby museums. The Dean Gallery and the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art have both utilised historic buildings and many exhibitions inside are free.
To get more out of your visit, we’d recommend the Dean Village Walking Tour with an informative guide.
LOCATION & MAP
Dean Village is around a 20 minute walk from central Edinburgh. From Princes Street, take Queensferry Street (A90) and keep going until you cross the river. You can use the Edinburgh Hop-on, Hop-off Bus Tour to get here too.
MORE ON DEAN VILLAGE
Dean Village – VisitScotland
Dean Village – Wikipedia