Limits

City Limits was doing good business in the evening sunshine, although I wonder what the legal limit is for the mobility scooter driver who appears to have stopped for a drink.

The bar was until recently called the Boundary Bar and marked the old dividing line of Leith and Edinburgh. Prior to 1920 it was necessary to use both entrance doors because Leith and Edinburgh practised different licensing laws. The bar on the Edinburgh side served until 9.30pm and after that the customers had to adjorn to the Leith side to enjoy additional drinking time.

Leith had its own court, fire department and police force and the Leith police commissioners operated outwith Edinburgh's control. Criminals from the capital who were captured in Leith were required to be handed over to the City police force and the Leith police operated a reciprocal arrangement. The police from both forces met insde the bar to carry out the exchanges.