Incredible Edinburgh footage from back in the ’60s has resurfaced online, showing the changes the capital has seen since.
The clip, which was filmed on a family holiday, shows spots in the city like Princes Street and Edinburgh Castle. The ’60s saw huge changes in the capital, and across the country, which can be seen in just a few minutes of footage.
Transport and Nostalgia, who uploaded the footage to YouTube, have received thousands of likes. Some viewers said it took them ‘right back to their childhood’.
Many noticed how ‘quiet’ Edinburgh appeared to be, with far less people crowded onto Princes Street and the tourist spots. We can also see families dressed ‘properly’ for a day out, kitted out with hats and ties and formal attire.
Starting off at the Scottish Border, the clip shows spots around Scotland like Callander, Loch Katrine, Aberfoyle, Killicranke, and of course the capital.
We see the Forth Rail Bridge, a young boy dancing in the Ross Bandstand as crowds watch, various spots on Princes Street and Edinburgh Castle.
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One user commented: “This is just wonderful and takes me back to my childhood.”
Another added: “This brings back memories of travelling to Edinburgh for holidays. There was never any rush, numerous stops and no hellish motorways.”
A third posted: “Wonderful film, never saw Edinburgh so quiet!”
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A few years after the clip was filmed, we welcomed the Forth Road Bridge after years of construction. On opening, it was the longest suspension bridge outside the United States at the time – replacing a centuries old ferry service.
The Queen was the first to cross the bridge along with her husband the Duke of Edinburgh, on September 4, 1964. Later in the decade, the Royal Bank of Scotland opened their first cash dispensing ATM in Edinburgh’s west end – one of many technological changes seen in the 60s.
In 1961, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival was growing in popularity entering its fourteenth year. It was throughout the ’60s that it became the global phenomenon that we know today.