I love Leith Walk

Leith Walk is one of the longest streets in Edinburgh, Scotland. It stretches from The Foot Of Leith Walk (The Fit ay the Walk in Scots) at the junction of Great Junction Street and Constitution Street to the junction with London Road, it then continues as Leith Street to the east end of Princes Street. Technically however, none of the properties in its upper half are addressed as "Leith Walk" and the name is simply colloquial in the upper section. These sections are correctly titled Elm Row, Haddington Place, Crichton Place, Albert Place etc.

Leith Walk has been in existence since its original creation in the mid 17th century as a causewayed road: a raised bank of earth with a "metalled" surface creating a quick dry road, and a lower wide trench (from which the upper material was taken) creating a secure enclosed (but muddy) road, suitable for moving animals, parallel to the first one. This method of construction was common until the invention of macadamed roads, and were normally termed the High Road and the Low Road. At the time of its creation it gave an alternative (and shorter) route to Edinburgh than the pre-existing Easter Road and its then counterpart Wester Road (now called Bonnington Road/Broughton Road).

Until the sudden burst of tenemental construction (1870?1880), the street was largely rural in character. The few mansion houses which had grown up along its length in the early 19th century, where denser on the west side than the east. When the tenements were built, it was easier (cheaper) to buy up the few mansions on the east side, which is why the two sides have different characters.