About Us
In summer 2025 Leith Civic Trust became the community partner charity for the future Leith Museum, to support and champion this exciting new institution set to open at Leith Custom House in the coming years. First established in 1968, the Trust's mission was to provide a body to stimulate public interest in, and care for, the beauty, history and character of Leith, encouraging preservation and the thoughtful development of historic features for public benefit.
About Leith
With a history stretching back to the Stone Age, Leith's strategically important location at the southern shore of the firth of Forth has long attracted people to live and work here. The first known written reference to Leith is King David I's 1128 charter granting a harbour at the mouth of the Water of Leith to the abbots of the newly founded Holyrood Abbey. By the late 15th century Leith became Scotland's premier port, and with Edinburgh now regarded as the nation's capital, industries sprang up and business boomed. Leith has long had a rich cultural life, from sport to the arts: the creation of the world's first rules of golf being produced for a tournament on Leith Links in 1744, the hugely popular horse races which saw thousands flock to Leith Sands in the hope of winning a golden teapot, the sculptor Eduardo Paolozzi was born and bred here, whilst The Proclaimers celebrated their home in the anthemic 'Sunshine on Leith'.
Leith Museum and Leith Custom House
2007 saw the MP for Leith at the time, Mark Lazarowicz, establish a campaign for a dedicated museum to celebrate the history of Leith. There had been calls for such an institution for at least 60 years prior to this, but this time, people did not just want nodding heads, they wanted action. 2015 saw Leith Custom House purchased by the City of Edinburgh Council with Common Good Funding with the explicit purpose that it should, once restored, be home to a space to explore the heritage of Leith.
The new Leith Museum will be developed by Scottish Historic Buildings Trust, working closely with partners including the City of Edinburgh Council, a range of museums, galleries, heritage and community bodies, and Leith Civic Trust which will operate the Friends of Leith Museum and associated activities. It is currently hoped that the restoration of Custom House will be complete and the museum ready to open around 2032/33, subject to all of the usual funding, planning and construction requirements.
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Our Partners
Scottish Historic Buildings Trust is a key partner of Leith Civic Trust. It is the national historic buildings preservation charity for Scotland, working across the country for the last five decades restoring buildings ranging from stately homes to shops, theatres to churches and more. Crucially, SHBT does not seek to simply bring buildings back to their former glory, but to also ensure that they have a viable future. It became the custodian of Leith Custom House in 2015, and in addition to developing plans for its restoration and the creation of a museum for Leith, it manages a roster of tenants who utilise Custom House and Custom Lane for studios, offices and commercial spaces.
We Love Leith
The streets of Leith are rich in history and creativity, so whether you go on a guided tour or pop into one of the many cultural and heritage sites (with a trip to the shops and restaurants factored in too!), you’ll soon see why we love Leith.
