The Midlothian region, once called Edinburghshire, is now administratively separate from the city of Edinburgh. They have always been interdependent, whether to supply the Old Town with crops, paper and coal or for wealthy city dwellers to locate their country estates and villas in the hinterland. The pastoral lifestyle of earlier centuries inspired writers and poets such as Robert Louis Stevenson whilst the wooded gorges of the River Esk were considered 'romantic' by Walter Scott. Smaller industries: weaving, coal mining, lime and iron-milling grew during the eighteenth century. The area is rich in country estates, many of which allow public access to their woodlands and grounds and the Pentland Hills are popular for hill-walking, as are the lower-level paths through the glens and gorges of the North and South Esk. These natural amenities, together with the proximity to Edinburgh make Midlothian a very desirable place to live. Midlothian Through Time shows how much the area has changed over time, with many places unrecognisable in the twenty-first century.
