Sighthill, Edinburgh
Education
Edinburgh College (formerly Stevenson) and Edinburgh Napier University's Sighthill Campuses (formerly Stevenson College and the Edinburgh Business College respectively) are based here.
Healthcare, firefighting, retail and library services
There are a medical centre and a fire station. There are a public library and some shops. The Health centre was one of the first modern Health clinics in the UK. The other was in Cardiff. It was a trial to see if it worked before that you had to visit the Doctor at his house. This was before doctor the idea of surgeries
Location
The Calder Road, one of the city's main arteries, runs by Sighthill. The Edinburgh-Glasgow & Stirling railway line is nearby.
The area is bordered by Broomhouse and Parkhead to the east, South Gyle to the north, the industrial suburb of Bankhead and the Calders neighbourhood to the west, and Wester Hailes to the south. It is sometimes included in the Wester Hailes area.
Regeneration
For nearly 50 years, the West Edinburgh skyline was dominated by 4 high rise residential tower blocks (Broomview House, Glenalmond Court, Hermiston Court and Weir Court).
The 10-story block Broomview House was demolished on Sunday 21 September 2008 by Safedem Ltd. The flats came down at 11:15am in a controlled explosion where a longstanding former resident pushed the ceremonial button to implode the building. The remaining three blocks were demolished on Sunday 25 September 2011, also at 11:15am.
All of the remaining low-rise council-built properties have been demolished to make way for new lower level social housing.
Demographics
Sighthill compared | Sighthill | Edinburgh |
---|---|---|
White | 88.8% | 91.7% |
Asian | 7.0% | 5.5% |
Black | 2.2% | 1.2% |
Mixed | 0.6% | 0.9% |
Other | 1.4% | 0.8% |
Film and television location
Sighthill has been used as a location for film and television productions. The most notable production to be filmed in Sighthill was the 1998 BBC Scotland television drama Looking After Jo Jo which featured Robert Carlyle in the title role and was filmed in and around North Sighthill and Niddrie. Other notable film and television productions to be filmed in Sighthill include Quite Ugly One Morning starring James Nesbitt and an adaptation of the Christopher Brookmyre novel and Trouble Sleeping - a tale of a Palestinian refugee struggling to survive in the UK. More recently the flats in Sighthill have been used as backdrop for the film Outcast a Celtic supernatural thriller once again starring James Nesbitt and released in 2010.
Transport
Lothian Buses provides 12 buses to the area:
3 Wester Hailes - Sighthill - Gorgie - Haymarket - Princes Street - Newington - Gilmerton - Dalkeith/Mayfield
20 Ratho - Gyle Centre - Hermiston Gait - Sighthill - Wester Hailes - Kingsknowe - Longstone - Slateford
21 Wester Hailes - Sighthill - Corstorphine - Clermiston - Ferry Road - Leith - Lochend - Portobello - Niddrie - Royal Infirmary
25 Riccarton - Sighthill - Gorgie - Haymarket - Princes Street - Leith - Lochend - Restalrig
34 Riccarton - Sighthill - Longstone - Slateford - Fountainpark - Lothian Road - Princes Street - Lochend - Leith - Ocean Terminal
35 Riccarton - Sighthill - Slateford - Fountainpark - Bristo Square - Holyrood - Leith - Ocean Terminal
36 Gyle Centre - Sighthill - Longstone - Glenlockheart - Morningside - West End - Cannonmills - Bonnington - Leith - Ocean Terminal
63 Riccarton - Sighthill - Gyle Centre - Ratho Station - Newbridge - Kirkliston - South Queensferry
X27 Regent Road - The Exchange - Balgreen - Sighthill - Hermiston - Wilkieston - East Calder - Livingston - Bathgate
X28 Regent Road - The Exchange - Balgreen - Sighthill - Hermiston - Kirknewton - East Calder - Livingston - Bathgate
Airlink 300 Edinburgh Airport - Ingliston - Gyle Centre - Sighthill - Slateford - Fountainpark - Bristo Square - Southside - Cameron Toll
400 Edinburgh Airport - Gyle Centre - Sighthill - Wester Hailes - Colinton - Oxgangs - Fairmilehead - Gracemount - Gilmerton - Royal Infirmary - Niddrie - Fort Kinnaird
N25 Riccarton - Hermiston P&R - Sighthill - Gorgie - Haymarket - Leith Street
N28 Deans South - Livingston - East Calder - Wilkieston - Hermiston - Sighthill - Balgreen - The Exchange - Leith Street
N34 Riccarton - Hermiston P&R - Sighthill - Longstone - Slateford - Fountainpark - Lothian Road - Leith Street
Notable residents
- Jamie Walker, footballer.
- Scott McLaren, soldier from 4th Battalion the Royal Regiment of Scotland who was killed by the Taliban in July 2011.
- Amy L'Amour on Instagram, drag entertainer and DJ.