With its diverse selection of shops and restaurants, strong university links, and proximity to both green spaces and the city centre, the Southside has long been one of the best places to live in Edinburgh.
The origins of the district go back at least 800 years, but the Southside truly began to develop in the years following the creation of the New Town and, most importantly, the South Bridge in the late 18th century.
There had been buildings in the Southside prior to this time, but they mostly took the form of single houses as opposed to streets and squares.
For centuries, much of Edinburgh University has been situated in the Southside, including the world-famous Old College designed by Robert Adam in the 1780s. To this day, students provide much of the character and vibe of the area.
Gradually, over the course of the 19th century, more and more housing began to spring up in the Southside. The tenement became a common sight and the area developed a reputation for being a shopping district, particularly in Nicolson Street and the Bridges.
It remains one of Edinburgh's most vibrant and populous districts.
The photographs attached to this article mostly date from the 1960s and 1970s, and show lots of lost Southside haunts, including Parker's department store at Bristo Street, Nelson's printing works on Dalkeith Road, St Cuthbert's Co-op at Nicolson Street, and countless other scenes that have changed almost beyond recognition in the intervening years.
