Marine Gardens
Opened in May 1909 by the Rt. Hon. Sir James Gibson M.P., Lord Provost of Edinburgh, the
Marine Gardens covered around 30 acres of land stretching west from King’s Road to the Dog and
Cat Home. This large amusement park was the brainchild of a group of businessmen who wished to
re-use buildings from the highly successful Scottish National Exhibition, which had been held in
Saughton Park, Edinburgh, in 1908. At the opening ceremony, the Chairman of the Directors of the
Gardens, Ex-Bailie Moxon, said the Marine Gardens were the first in Scotland, although such
amusement parks were numerous in America and on the Continent.
The gardens proved popular and three quarters of a million people visited the complex during the
first year. They provided the public with a combination of indoor and outdoor amusements that
could be enjoyed by rail passengers for 7d – this included a return fair from Edinburgh Waverley.
The cost was normally 6d and for this a person got admission to the Gardens, a free seat in the
onsite cinema and the Al Fresco theatre and free dancing in the Empress Ballroom, the main
building in the grounds. For another 1d the customer could visit the Amusement Court.
Within the Amusement Court there were various attractions including the Royal Scenic Railway,
which was about a mile long with a switchback three tiers high. People could also enjoy a trip on a
joy wheel, go on a mountain slide, find their way through a maze or visit river caves.
Another attraction was the Somali Village, inhabited by seventy people from Somaliland who put on
a display for visitors by fighting with spears.
Somali families were brought over to live in a mud-hut compound and ‘perform’ their daily lives
for visitors. It has been suggested that performances were seen more as salaried work rather than
coerced labour, with some village elders flying back and forth from Europe to Africa to manage
various villages. The village remained popular until its closure just before the First World War,
when its grounds were co-opted for war purposes. There is no record of what happened to the
families.
In the Concert Hall there were daily all-star variety shows with groups such as the Humoresks, the
Enterpeans and the Dandies providing song, dance and comedy sketches.
In the Al Fresco Theatre the public could see Pierrots, concert parties and popular
comedians such as Henry Farrow.
Visitors could also hear famous bands and musicians in the band court, or play a game of billiards in
the billiard saloon where they might see T. Aitken, the Scottish champion. Another place to visit was
the Industrial Hall, which housed exhibitions of items from Great Britain and abroad. There was
also a sports area for football, and an ice-rink.
The full title of the amusement park was the Edinburgh Marine Gardens and Zoological Park.
Within the gardens Bostock’s Zoo was responsible for showing a wide range of animals to the public.
Two lion cubs, Wallace and Bruce, were born in the Gardens in 1911.
To encourage the public to continue to visit the Gardens new attractions always had to be
organised. For example, on 22nd July 1912, the pioneer aviator Mr W.R. Evans displayed his flying
machine in front of a large crowd.
The advertisements below were placed in the Linlithgow Marches Official Programmes for 1911
and 1912. Clearly the gardens were under new management in 1911. The advert in 1912 suggests
there was a Parisian atmosphere to be found. Interestingly both use the name Marine Park, rather
than Gardens, with the 1912 advert adding Edinburgh to the title.
At the beginning of World War One, in 1914, the Marine Gardens closed and all the buildings apart
from the Empress Ballroom, which provided billets for the troops, were demolished.
If you look closely at the postcard above you will see an ‘X’ marked on the card just above and to
the left of the lady skater off-centre. This card was sent from Bill to Mrs Sharp in Leeds with the
message “Dear Annie This is the room in which we sleep but you can only see about half of it in the
picture. I have put a X over where I sleep…” Unfortunately, the stamp has been removed, taking
with it the postmark.
George Baird, who joined the 5th Royal Scots Territorials in 1910, was billeted there. He remembers
that “The battalion mustered in the Moray Maltings, off London Road, in August 1914; from there
we went to Redford Barracks; then to Craiglockhart School and, finally, to the Marine Gardens, the
Ballroom …”. According to Baird several other places in the Gardens were used as sleeping
quarters for the other ranks. Baird and his comrades remained there until 10th March 1915 when
the Band of the 9th Royal Scots played them to Portobello Station. They left at 10.35pm for an
unknown destination and eventually landed on the Dardanelles on 25th April 1915.
The Marine Gardens re-opened at the end of the war but on a very limited scale. The Ballroom was
refurbished and proved very popular up until 1939. Big-name dance bands such as Harry Roy,
Ambrose and Roy Fox played there as well as the popular resident bands. It was also home to the
roller-skating club. The only other part to re-open was the sports stadium, which was used for
football, motorcycle speedway and greyhound racing.
The Second World War meant the closure of the Marine Gardens for the second and final time,
when it was again commandeered for war work. However, as late as 1963 the Ballroom was still
standing and was being used as a maintenance depot for buses belonging to the Scottish Motor
Traction Company. No evidence now exists of the Marine Gardens. There is currently a Lothian
Buses depot and garage and various car showrooms on the land.
Marine Gardens
Opened in May 1909 by the Rt. Hon. Sir James Gibson M.P.,
Lord Provost of Edinburgh, the Marine Gardens covered around
30 acres of land stretching west from King’s Road to the Dog and
Cat Home. This large amusement park was the brainchild of a
group of businessmen who wished to re-use buildings from the
highly successful Scottish National Exhibition, which had been
held in Saughton Park, Edinburgh, in 1908. At the opening
ceremony, the Chairman of the Directors of the Gardens, Ex-
Bailie Moxon, said the Marine Gardens were the first in
Scotland, although such amusement parks were numerous in
America and on the Continent.
The gardens proved popular and three quarters of a million
people visited the complex during the first year. They provided
the public with a combination of indoor and outdoor
amusements that could be enjoyed by rail passengers for 7d –
this included a return fair from Edinburgh Waverley. The cost
was normally 6d and for this a person got admission to the
Gardens, a free seat in the onsite cinema and the Al Fresco
theatre and free dancing in the Empress Ballroom, the main
building in the grounds. For another 1d the customer could
visit the Amusement Court.
Within the Amusement Court there were various attractions
including the Royal Scenic Railway, which was about a mile long
with a switchback three tiers high. People could also enjoy a trip
on a joy wheel, go on a mountain slide, find their way through a
maze or visit river caves.
Another attraction was the Somali Village, inhabited by seventy
people from Somaliland who put on a display for visitors by
fighting with spears.
Somali families were brought over to live in a mud-hut
compound and ‘perform’ their daily lives for visitors. It has
been suggested that performances were seen more as salaried
work rather than coerced labour, with some village elders
flying back and forth from Europe to Africa to manage
various villages. The village remained popular until its
closure just before the First World War, when its grounds
were co-opted for war purposes. There is no record of what
happened to the families.
In the Concert Hall there were daily all-star variety shows
with groups such as the Humoresks, the Enterpeans and the
Dandies providing song, dance and comedy sketches.
In the Al Fresco Theatre the public could see Pierrots, concert
parties and popular comedians such as Henry Farrow.
Visitors could also hear famous bands and musicians in the
band court, or play a game of billiards in the billiard saloon
where they might see T. Aitken, the Scottish champion.
Another place to visit was the Industrial Hall, which housed
exhibitions of items from Great Britain and abroad. There
was also a sports area for football, and an ice-rink.
The full title of the amusement park was the Edinburgh Marine
Gardens and Zoological Park. Within the gardens Bostock’s Zoo
was responsible for showing a wide range of animals to the
public. Two lion cubs, Wallace and Bruce, were born in the
Gardens in 1911.
To encourage the public to continue to visit the Gardens new
attractions always had to be organised. For example, on 22nd
July 1912, the pioneer aviator Mr W.R. Evans displayed his
flying machine in front of a large crowd.
The advertisements below were placed in the Linlithgow Marches
Official Programmes for 1911 and 1912. Clearly the gardens were
under new management in 1911. The advert in 1912 suggests
there was a Parisian atmosphere to be found. Interestingly both
use the name Marine Park, rather than Gardens, with the 1912
advert adding Edinburgh to the title.
At the beginning of World War One, in 1914, the Marine
Gardens closed and all the buildings apart from the Empress
Ballroom, which provided billets for the troops, were
demolished.
If you look closely at the postcard above you will see an ‘X’
marked on the card just above and to the left of the lady skater
off-centre. This card was sent from Bill to Mrs Sharp in Leeds
with the message “Dear Annie This is the room in which we sleep
but you can only see about half of it in the picture. I have put a X
over where I sleep…” Unfortunately, the stamp has been
removed, taking with it the postmark.
George Baird, who joined the 5th Royal Scots Territorials in
1910, was billeted there. He remembers that “The battalion
mustered in the Moray Maltings, off London Road, in August
1914; from there we went to Redford Barracks; then to
Craiglockhart School and, finally, to the Marine Gardens, the
Ballroom …”. According to Baird several other places in the
Gardens were used as sleeping quarters for the other ranks.
Baird and his comrades remained there until 10th March 1915
when the Band of the 9th Royal Scots played them to Portobello
Station. They left at 10.35pm for an unknown destination and
eventually landed on the Dardanelles on 25th April 1915.
The Marine Gardens re-opened at the end of the war but on a
very limited scale. The Ballroom was refurbished and proved
very popular up until 1939. Big-name dance bands such as Harry
Roy, Ambrose and Roy Fox played there as well as the popular
resident bands. It was also home to the roller-skating club. The
only other part to re-open was the sports stadium, which was
used for football, motorcycle speedway and greyhound racing.
The Second World War meant the closure of the Marine Gardens
for the second and final time, when it was again commandeered
for war work. However, as late as 1963 the Ballroom was still
standing and was being used as a maintenance depot for buses
belonging to the Scottish Motor Traction Company. No evidence
now exists of the Marine Gardens. There is currently a Lothian
Buses depot and garage and various car showrooms on the land.
