Old Boroughloch Brewery from the Meadows

Image: © kim traynor Taken: 11 Jun 2012

Victorian premises converted into offices. The name derives from the old South Loch, or Burgh Loch, which was drained in order to create the Meadows. The first attempt at drainage took place during Cromwell's occupation in the mid-17th century, but it was not until the first half of the following century that it was finally drained and the ground laid out as parkland. William Burness, father of the poet Robert Burns, worked as a labourer on the project before moving to Ayrshire to begin a new life as a tenant farmer. Water can still gather like a little lake on the north side of the Meadows after a prolonged downpour. "At this tyme, and by the space of many yeris of befoir, the Toun of Edinburgh wes destitute of watter to serve thair housis, and thair toun wellis were dryed up, so that the inhabitantis could not be servite for want. The Toun, taking this to thair consideratioun, they concludit to dry the South loche, and to essay, gif the drying up of that loch micht help this evill. And for this end, they delt with the English sodgeris to cast trinsches about this loch, for gaddering the watter thairto for the use of the Toun: quhilkes Englische sodgeris began thair wark upone the 3 day of August being Monday, the yeir of God 1657; and endit it, upone both sydes of the loch, befoir the twentie day of September..." -- Diary of John Nicoll, 1650-1667

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