On 7 June 2023, the first tram for well over half a century soared down Leith Walk, marking both the end of a tortuous journey and the promise of rebirth for Edinburgh’s long-forgotten old port district. The first passengers arrived in a Leith unrecognisable from even half a decade ago; the tram’s impending arrival has already fuelled a new wave of independent businesses, alongside a full-on cultural renaissance.
The 2.91 mile, eight-stop extension from the centre to meet the waters of the Firth of Forth at Newhaven had become a symbol for frustration: Leith was axed from the initial 2014 project, just as the supposed rebirth of the district after hosting the MTV awards in 2003 fizzled out. It was another in a long line of blows, with Leithers ignored in two referendums: first in 1920, voting 26,810 to 4,340 against amalgamation with Edinburgh, and more recently in the EU referendum, when it had the highest support for Remain.
