Back in the day, Portobello Outdoor Pool was the place to be in Edinburgh - and after watching footage uncovered online we’re yearning for its return.
The video, uploaded to YouTube by Tony Cassidy, pans across the pool as various families enjoy a dip in the baths. Filmed by the Cassidy family, we also see Tony’s father Pat as he dives from the high boards.
The footage was filmed around 1965, during a high-point for the Portobello Outdoor Pool as the venue was seeing rising visitor numbers and new events. Regular galas and aquatic sporting events saw more and more folks passing through the doors, which can be seen in the video from the busy background.
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The chaos of the artificial wave machine can be seen, with visitors being thrown around the pool while braver clientele launching themselves from the tall diving boards. While it was claimed the heated pool was maintained at a comfortable 20 degrees celsius, it was often pretty chilly - but that didn’t stop the punters getting a ticket, as seen below.
Long before the waterfront wonderland seen in the footage, the area was once known as Figgate Muir - used as pasture for cattle by the monks of Holyrood Abbey. A cottage was built in 1742, named Portobello Hut - and before long a community was birthed.
On May 30, 1936, Portobello Bathing Pool was opened to the public - the largest in Europe of its kind. Seating 6,000 spectators and 1,300 bathers, the baths drew in crowds from across the UK.
10,000 visitors attended the opening ceremony, and the excitement was widespread. The Daily Record told readers at the time: “Portobello strikes a blow for greater fame today with the inauguration of its wonderful new open-air swimming pool, a work of stupendous proportion and splendour.
“Already its glories have been loudly acclaimed by all who have seen it, notably the delegates to the recent conference of British baths superintendents, who paid very generous homage after spending an afternoon inspecting it with expert eyes.”
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The introduction of an artificial wave machine soon came, with the pool bringing in 290,000 bathers in its first season. Up until the outbreak of World War II, the pool's heated water meant it could be open from May through to September.
It reopened on June 1, 1946, and was just as popular as ever. Into the 50s, a soon-to-be famous face was working as a lifeguard - Sean Connery.
New events such as galas and diving shows kept the visitor numbers up through the 60s, though the rising popularity and availability of cheap holidays abroad spelled the beginning of the end for Porty Pool. In the late 70s, when the power station that served the pool closed, the water could no longer be heated - another huge blow to the baths.
By 1979, the Portobello Bathing Pool was closed for the final time - demolished almost ten years later in 1988. In its place today sits a football pitch and leisure centre, though those lucky enough to have spent the day at the baths will always have their memories.
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