Trinity House

The original Trinity House was built in 1555 as the Hospital for the Fraternity of Masters & Mariners of Leith. Completely rebuilt in neoclassical style in 1816 by Thomas Brown, these days it is hemmed in by local authority housing of a nineteen-sixties vintage. The building has a fabulous interior however and now serves as a museum of Leith's seafaring history, run by Historic Scotland. Highlights of the main house include the war memorial window of 1933, added in remembrance of merchant sailors who died in the Great War, a number of portraits by Sir Henry Raeburn and the highly impressive convening room upstairs. Trinity House is little visited and does smack of a bygone era, much like the nearby Leith docks complex with its surplus of derelict quayside, but it remains one of the most affecting museums in the city given the area's maritime heritage. Guided tours only; contact the museum in advance to book a time.