Cameron Toll

Cameron Toll is a suburb located to the south of Edinburgh, Scotland. It began as the site of a toll house built in the early 19th century, situated on a road between Edinburgh and Dalkeith. Today, the area is well known for the Cameron Toll Shopping Centre, which opened in 1984.

The name Cameron Toll may come from the Scots Gaelic word 'cam,' meaning crooked, and the Old Irish word 'brun,' meaning hill. This likely refers to Arthur's Seat, a clear hill visible nearby. There are also a few small housing areas to the east of Cameron Toll.

Cameron Toll is about 2 miles from Edinburgh city centre and 2 miles from the Edinburgh City Bypass. It has many bus services connecting it to Edinburgh and Midlothian. The suburb is close to places like The Grange, Newington, and the area called The Inch.

Cameron Toll Shopping Centre

The Cameron Toll Shopping Centre, often called 'Cammy T's' by locals, is Edinburgh's first shopping centre located outside the city centre. It opened in 1984 and was built on the former grounds of Inch House between the A7 and A701 roads. The centre covers a 26-acre site and was the first in the UK to have a bank open on Sundays, as well as using a computer to control its lighting.

Cameron Toll Shopping Centre has many useful features, such as a post box, seating areas, free public toilets, a petrol station, places to park bikes and motorcycles, photobooths, and a water bottle refill station. It also supports the community by giving money to local projects and charitable causes. The main shops include Sainsbury's and Aldi. There is also a Gym Group gym on the second floor. The centre is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

From 2015 to 2018, the shopping centre was updated with new shops and facilities. In 2016, McDonald's and Costa opened new drive-thru locations. A new Aldi store opened in 2017, and Poundland opened in 2018. The centre originally had parking for 1,158 cars, but after McDonald's and Costa opened, the number of parking spaces was reduced to 1,028.

History of the Braid Burn and flooding

The Braid Burn flows through this area. Long ago, two women named Agnes Sampson and Barbara Napier used to meet at a place called "Camroune-brig-end" to chat and be friends. Nearby, there were fields that once belonged to the royal Forest of Drumselch.

The area near a bridge called the "Lady Brigend" sometimes flooded, even in the past. People asked for help to fix the bridge and stop the floods. Later, a shopping centre was built in a spot that often gets wet from the Braid Burn. Even after steps were taken to help prevent floods, the shopping area can still get very wet sometimes, and warnings are given when this might happen.

Liberton Bank House and Conan Doyle Medical Centre

Liberton Bank House is an old building that was constructed around 1780. It is located on the southwest corner of a site and is recognized as important, known as a category C listed building. From 1844, it was home to Mary Burton, an educational and social reformer. She was friends with the Conan Doyle family, and the famous writer Arthur Conan Doyle often stayed there while he attended Newington Academy from 1866 to 1868. This gave him a peaceful place away from his father.

In 2007, the building was carefully restored and now houses the Dunedin School. This school offers education to students who need a different learning environment than usual schools. Next to Liberton Bank House is the Conan Doyle Medical Centre, which opened in 2007 and was designed by Richard Murphy Architects.