SEAFARERS who helped Leith become Scotland’s bustling chief port are to be remembered in a show marking their history.
In 1816 Trinity House – which was to be the new headquarters of the Incorporation of Masters and Mariners – was built and, now, to help mark its bicentenary, it is to celebrate its own as well as Leith’s rich nautical history and heritage with a special event showcasing its 200 years.
Trinity 200 on Saturday, June 11, will see different aspects of the house’s seafaring past brought to life and retold.
Visitors will have the chance to explore the building and discover more about the people who helped shape Leith’s maritime heritage.
They’ll also get a closer look at some of the 1,600 nautical objects and artefacts that make up the house’s unique collection, including a whale’s eardrum, navigational equipment and a 200-year-old-harpoon which was used by Scottish whalers in the Arctic.
Throughout the day visitors will have the chance to find out what passenger travel by sea might have been like in the 1920s from costumed performers portraying passengers from the Royal Fusilier steamship, which provided faster, more comfortable passage between London and Leith until the 1940s.
There will also be activities including object handling, as well as nautical themed arts and crafts sessions inspired by the history of the house and the area.
The Georgian building in Leith’s Kirkgate played an important role throughout the area’s maritime past.
It was the headquarters for the charitable foundation that assisted sailors and their families and went on to lead the way in improving the welfare and safety for those at sea.
The Incorporation invested in training, eventually helping establish the Leith Nautical College, piloting programmes to help ships navigate through Scottish waters and even the building of lighthouses, such as Bell Rock off the coast of Angus.
The Incorporation itself can trace its origins back to 1380, when it was given the right to levy a tax, known as prime gilt, on goods coming into the port of Leith.
These funds were then reinvested in projects and causes for the benefit of the local community.
Rachael Dickson, Historic Environment Scotland’s regional collections manager for Edinburgh, said: “This month marks an important milestone in the history of Trinity House. Its bicentenary is a truly exciting time and the perfect opportunity to celebrate its historic role within the Scottish seafaring community in Leith, as well as the area’s wider maritime history and heritage."
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