Dean Village, Edinburgh

Dean Village, once a deep valley near Edinburgh's city center, thrived for over 800 years as a grain milling hub. It boasted up to eleven mills powered by the Water of Leith. This area was initially mentioned in a 1145 charter by King David I of Scotland, who granted a mill here to Holyrood Abbey.

Remaining distinct until the 1800s, Dean Village changed hands in 1826 when John Learmonth, future Edinburgh Lord Provost, bought it. The Dean Bridge, crucial for crossing the valley, was built in 1831-33 without a toll, as insisted by the Cramond Road Trustees and designed by Thomas Telford. This four-arch bridge, over 400 feet wide and 106 feet above the water, significantly improved access from the city.

In 1847, Dean House was demolished to create Dean Cemetery. This mansion, central to the Dean Estate since 1609, left its mark through sculptured stones in the cemetery's southern wall and ceiling panels in Scotland's National Museum. The cemetery is notable for housing prominent figures like Sir Thomas Bouch.

With the emergence of larger mills in Leith, Dean Village's prosperity declined, leading to decay and poverty until the 1960s. However, since the mid-1970s, it has been revitalized into a peaceful area near the city center, with renovated residential spaces and the Water of Leith Walkway established in 1983.

Dean Bridge also appears in Ian Rankin's "Strip Jack" and Peter May's "The Lewis Man," highlighting its cultural significance.