The last spot on mine and @Brewtal 's long overdue long weekender - following a couple of fails we decided to stick fairly close to the airport so there was no mad rush to catch my flight home early that evening and so this seemed like a good option. I'd had it pinned for ages but could never remember seeing anything from it so it was going in blind so to speak.
The Madelvic Motor Carriage Company premises in Edinburgh is the oldest surviving car factory in the UK. They produced an 'electric brougham' between 1898 and 1900 - a Brougham being a light, four wheeled carriage normally drawn by horses. However by 1900 it became apparent that electricity wasn't the future in powering cars (oh how ironic), and so by 1900 Madelvic had gone bankrupt and was bought out by another early car manufacturer, the Kinsburgh Motor Company. Between 1900 and 1914 it was occupied by a succession of different small scale car manufacturers including Stirling’s Motor Carriages LTD, Scottish Motor Works, Scottish Motor Engineering Company and Caledonian Taxis, and after that vehicle production ended. In 1925 United Wire, a wirecloth manufacturer, moved into the premises and during World War II parts of the factory were used to store torpedoes.
When United Wire moved into new premises across the road in 2001 the vast majority of the original works were demolished leaving only Madelvic House (the former offices), and one small section of the factory left standing. Madelvic House is now home to granton:hub, an arts and community centre and the last remaining piece of factory building is derelict.
It won't win any awards for best explore ever but it's more the history of the place that drew me here and I was glad to see it.
Thanks for looking
The Madelvic Motor Carriage Company premises in Edinburgh is the oldest surviving car factory in the UK. They produced an 'electric brougham' between 1898 and 1900 - a Brougham being a light, four wheeled carriage normally drawn by horses. However by 1900 it became apparent that electricity wasn't the future in powering cars (oh how ironic), and so by 1900 Madelvic had gone bankrupt and was bought out by another early car manufacturer, the Kinsburgh Motor Company. Between 1900 and 1914 it was occupied by a succession of different small scale car manufacturers including Stirling’s Motor Carriages LTD, Scottish Motor Works, Scottish Motor Engineering Company and Caledonian Taxis, and after that vehicle production ended. In 1925 United Wire, a wirecloth manufacturer, moved into the premises and during World War II parts of the factory were used to store torpedoes.
When United Wire moved into new premises across the road in 2001 the vast majority of the original works were demolished leaving only Madelvic House (the former offices), and one small section of the factory left standing. Madelvic House is now home to granton:hub, an arts and community centre and the last remaining piece of factory building is derelict.
It won't win any awards for best explore ever but it's more the history of the place that drew me here and I was glad to see it.
Thanks for looking
