The 19th and 20th centuries brought far-reaching changes to transport and economic networks within South East Scotland. At the beginning of the 1800s transport by land was still beset by significant challenges, especially in winter. Nevertheless, the region did have established carrier routes, with produce sometimes travelling substantial distances by carts and covered wagons. For example, eggs were frequently brought from rural farms to Border towns such as Hawick and Kelso, where carriers then took them on to Berwick-upon-Tweed, before they were shipped to London and the south of England (Veitch 2009, 354).
During the late 18th century stage-coach routes were established connecting Edinburgh with England, Glasgow, Stirling, and South Queensferry (Veitch 2009, 363). The stage-coaches remained a vital part of land travel until they were displaced by railways in the mid-19th century. The late 18th-century had also seen the establishment of a mail-coach route from Edinburgh to London, whilst the early 1800s saw mail routes established linking Edinburgh to Stirling and to the West Coast – a route that ultimately transported post to and from Ireland (Veitch 366).
Significant infrastructure and services were needed to support fast coach travel. Notably, the coaches required regular changes of horses – necessitating a network of coaching inns along the main roads of the region. Some new inns were built, but in the main existing inns appear to have been expanded. For example, historic building recording at the Cross Keys Hotel in Peebles revealed that this 17th-century inn was extended in the 18th and 19th centuries, including seeing the construction of a post-1800 stable block (Hunter Blair 2014, 177). Further study of historic inns beside the region’s major roads would be desirable.
During the early 1800s considerable efforts were made to improve the region’s roads. For example, the early 19th century saw significant investment in the turnpike between Edinburgh and South Queensferry. Among other developments, the 1810s and 1820s saw work on a new multi-arch bridge at Cramond, whilst the 1830s saw the construction of Dean Bridge across the Water of Leith gorge (Fraser 1997, 26-29). There have been some attempts to record the historic infrastructure along the region’s major roads, but much more work could be done in this area (Graham 1964). For example, it is notable that large numbers of the region’s milestones do not appear to have been photographed. Recording of infrastructure along historic roads should be undertaken, particularly as the pressures of modern motorized travel mean that many of these features are vulnerable to road traffic accidents and to other forms of destruction and deterioration.
The roads of South East Scotland were transformed by the widespread adoption of motor vehicles in the 20th century. There was an increasing push for smoother road surfaces, also the arrival of new infrastructure, such as additional signage, lights, pedestrian crossings, and parking facilities. In both urban and rural areas older roads and public spaces were altered to fit with the needs of the car. Numerous small garages (sometimes converted from older structures such as smithies) were established across the region. Further research into the development of facilities for motorized travel, and the impact this had on wider communities, would be desirable.
The late 20th century was characterised by a shift to individual travel by car. In contrast, the late 19th and early 20th centuries saw large-scale use of public transport. In the 1830s horse-drawn omnibuses were already running from the centre of Edinburgh to Leith (Veitch 2009, 412). By the mid-19th century horse buses covered a wide range of routes in and around Edinburgh, including linking up Musselburgh with the capital. Motorized bus travel was adopted during the early 20th century and the inter-war years saw the building of significant associated infrastructure – including bus depots. The site of the former New Street Bus Depot in Edinburgh, which opened in the 1920s, has been excavated – although much of the publication considering this site focuses on the major discoveries associated with the gas works which stood in this area during the 19th century (McLaren et al 2022).