📌 Leith, City of Edinburgh
★★★
This rather imposing, Georgian building was once the HQ for the Incorporation of Mariners and Shipmasters of the Port of Leith, playing a key role in this maritime suburb’s business activities. Founded in 1380, the body collected import taxes on goods reaching the port, and distributed some of it to injured or retired sailors and their dependents, as well as funding education and welfare. The highlight of a house tour is the enormous Convening Room on the first floor, with hundreds of maritime artefacts from sextants to narwhal tucks arranged across and around a central mahogany table.
🌍 Location
📌 99 Kirkgate, 0.5 mi south of Leith town centre
🧭 O.S. Grid Reference: NT 270761
🛰️ GPS coordinates: 55.972222,-3.171317
🚋 Foot of the Walk | 🚌 Numerous local buses
🚗 Car parks / street parking nearby (some restrictions – check signage)
📝 Key info
⌚ Fridays by guided tour only, April to September 2026 – advance booking essential
🎫 £7.50 adult / £4.50 child / free for Historic Environment Scotland members
