Bruntsfield is one of Edinburgh's most desirable places to live, shop, eat and drink. With a string of exclusive boutiques, jewellers and gift shops amongst delectable bars, restaurants, cafés and specialist food shops. It has everything you could wish for contained in one convenient place. Bruntsfield is a destination, somewhere to enjoy spending the day and the night.

Relatively affluent, Bruntsfield is a mixture of residential and commercial properties. High quality tememant housing and large villas amongst shops selling mainly luxury goods.

The many schools and universities located in and around Bruntsfield attract young families and students to stay in the area giving it a youthful energy, and the many churches and centres give the older residents a reassuring sense of belonging to a real neighbourly community.

The area is home to a number of well known faces including Harry Potter writer J.K. Rowling, Irish comedian Dylan Moran and Chancellor Alisdair Darling. The late Robin Cook M.P also lived in Bruntsfield as did writer Muriel Spark, (author of 'The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie').

Eric Liddle, the 1924 Olympic runner and subject of the 1981 film 'Chariots of Fire' also lived in here and in 1978 The Eric Liddell Centre was set up in his name in Morningside United Church where he taught bible class. This church building is one of the four churches at the junction of Bruntsfield Place, Colinton Road and Morningside Road known locally as 'Holy Corner'.

Where is Bruntsfield?
Situated just twenty minutes walk from the city centre, Bruntsfield is south west of Edinburgh Castle, (the city's best known landmark). Bruntsfield adjoins Marchmont to the east, Merchiston to the west, Tollcross to the north and Morningside to the south. See Maps for more information.

Bruntsfield Place is on a main bus route to and from the city centre. For more information about how to get to Bruntsfield (See Information).

History of Bruntsfield
Originally the land was within the barony of Colinton and named' Brounysfelde' or Brown's fields after an early land owner. To the south was the former Greehhill estate which bordered the old Burgh Muir. Greenhill estate included Bruntsfield Manor, or Bruntsfield House, a mansion house which was home to a succession of land owners especially the Lauders of Haltoun who occupied the property for 226 years. In 1603 Sir Alexander Lauder sold Bruntsfield House to a John Fairlie of Braid who carried out extensive work on the building. In the reign of Mary Queen of Scots it was still in the posession of his grandson William Fairlie of Brounsfield. In 1695 records show it was sold to George Warrender of Lochend, the then Ballie and later Lord Provest of Edinburgh. The building remained in his family until the 1900 by which time much of of the estate was laid out for temements. Many of the tenemants in Bruntsfield today date from the mid 17th Century. Bruntsfield House is now a listed building in the grounds of James Gillespie School.

Bruntsfield Links
Bruntsfield boasts Scotland's oldest golf course, 'The Links' is said to be the first place golf was ever played and is still played there today.

The area is the only remaining part of the original Burgh Muir. Essentially an extension of the Meadows, which was once a loch, but the Links was always dry land. Even today much of the Links is very uneven ground with lots of undulating mounds and hollows, ideal for golf but it is also rumoured that the links served a as a burial ground for Edinburgh's plague victims.

The wide expanse of greenery is a magnet to sun worshippers in the summer months, The Links provides an ideal way to relax between shopping sprees. The summer months also attract people to the outdoor seating areas in many of the bars and restaurants.