Home Report Cramond

Cramond is a very desirable residential district on the outer northwestern fringes of Edinburgh of roughly 8,000 residents. It sits at the mouth of the River Almond where it enters the Firth of Forth and is about five miles from Edinburgh City Centre. It was formerly a fishing village and retains a picturesque look and feel almost worlds apart from the more modern homes built in recent decades close by. Indeed, it still feels a bit like a sleepy fishing village at times, with rows of whitewashed properties practically right on the short sandy beach and harbour.

Cramond has a very long history of human settlement dating back to the Mesolithic and Bronze Age eras would you believe – almost 8500 years – making it one of the earliest known sites of human settlement in Scotland. During the various Roman occupations of Scotland, a fort was built and developed in the area on the mouth of the River Almond. This very fort also served to guard the eastern flank of the Antonine Wall. In the more recent past, Cramond was an important regional industrial centre, with iron forges, steel furnaces, and several mills, and a busy harbour with many ships coming to and from moving supplies and to trade.

Today though, Cramond is a popular dormitory area for residents working in Edinburgh City Centre. The A90 becoming Queensferry road is a short distance away to the south for all residents and allows for quick travel into the city centre or out towards Queensferry. Queensferry Road also connects to Maybury Road which takes commuters to the closest railway station – Edinburgh Gateway – which is about 10 minutes by car. There is also a tram station at Edinburgh Gateway giving residents more choice of transport. Being so close to Edinburgh city centre bus services are frequent daily and usually very reliable, if not a bit slower than the other choices.

In terms of amenities and things to do, Cramond itself has quite a good range on its doorstep for residents and visitors alike. Residents can stroll or run along the river, and even go out to Cramond Island at low tide along a causeway. However, it’s not uncommon for people to get wet running back to avoid being cut off by the tide coming back in (so care must be taken to plan accordingly and safely). Cramond also has a small selection local shops, cafes, and pubs that locals and visitors frequent. There are also the Roman Fort ruins, Cramond Tower which dates from the 11th century, Cramond Kirk which dates from the 15th century, and Lauriston Castle, all great places to explore in the area. Uniquely, Cramond Island is home to a punk festival in August, a far cry from the sleepy fishing village feel, but it is popular with locals and visitors alike. Being so close to Edinburgh too, residents can enjoy all attractions and amenities therein too.

As for local education then, Cramond Primary School is the only school in the area. Cramond comes under the catchment area for The Royal High School which most pupils are bussed to.