History of 324 Portobello High Street
The building housed a Chinese restaurant and takeaway from the mid-1990s until it closed in April 2023.
Delving further into the past, it is said that the building was once divided into two units: one operated by Leslie the Jeweller, and the other by Pullars of Perth, a dry-cleaning and laundry chain. Before that, the entire unit was a butcher’s shop owned by J. Tait, who had multiple locations along the High Street.
At one time, the building was used by a firm of plumbers.
Origins of Portobello High Street
Portobello began as Figgate Muir, a moorland used by monks from Holyrood Abbey for cattle grazing. In the mid-18th century, a Scottish sailor named George Hamilton, who had fought in the Battle of Porto Bello (1739), built a cottage near what is now the High Street and named it Portobello Hut in honour of the victory. This name eventually became the name of the town itself.
Industrial Growth and Urban Development
By the late 1700s and early 1800s, Portobello saw rapid industrialisation:
- Brickworks, potteries, glassworks, and soap factories emerged, exploiting local clay beds.
- The High Street became a hub for residential villas and artisan shops, with elegant Georgian houses built between 1770 and 1830.
- The area around Bath Street and King’s Road was known as Brickfield, reflecting its industrial roots.
Seaside Resort Era
Portobello evolved into Scotland’s premier seaside resort in the 19th century:
- Bathing machines were introduced in 1795.
- A pleasure pier with a concert pavilion opened in 1871.
- The open-air art deco swimming pool, built in 1936, became a major attraction until its closure in the 1970s.
- The town was popular with holidaymakers from Glasgow during the Fair, and trams and trains brought thousands to enjoy the beach and promenade.
Residential and Civic Expansion
- Portobello became a Royal Burgh in 1833 and was later incorporated into Edinburgh in 1896.
- The Portobello Town Hall, built in 1914, was part of the agreement for amalgamation with Edinburgh.
- Georgian villas and tenements lined the High Street, many of which were summer homes for Edinburgh’s middle class or retired military families.