Papermaking on the Water
of Leith - Background
The papermaking industry was a major employer in a number of districts in Scotland. The Water of Leith, flowing through Edinburgh and surrounding towns and villages, was an important centre of papermaking activity. Its river banks hosted a number of mills. The industry disappeared from the river with the closure of the last mill in 1989. Nevertheless, enough members of the papermaking community remained, providing the basis for an initiative to record the history of the companies and the communities that were based there.
The SAPPHIRE initiative ‘Bringing the Page to Life’ was the first sustained and focused attempt to record the social history of the Scottish papermaking industry. Following a reunion of those working in the industry in June 2002 the project recorded the oral reminiscences of people who worked in the mills (both men and women, in various departments), and of those who came into contact with the mills - whether suppliers, contractors, or customers.
The project was funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Pilgrim Trust. Outcomes included:
- a travelling exhibition on the Papermaking Industry in Scotland
- a permanent exhibit at the Water of Leith Visitor Centre in Edinburgh
- an edited volume of oral reminiscences published in 2006 by Birlinn Press
- learning resource packs for schools
- online access to interview and photographic material.