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Plaques are fixed in various public places around Currie. These are the locations
and texts of some of them:
Site of the Old Toll House, top of Riccarton Mains Road:
Toll-bars were introduced on many roads in the area in 1750 and were not discontinued
until 1883, althoughgh the toll house itself was not built until 1860. The toll
keeper was responsible for collecting tolls from traffic using the route of the present
Riccarton Mains Road. The toll house was demolished during the 1960s when the road
was widened, although the position of the well serving the house can still be seen
on the footpath.
Outside the Post Office, fixed to the Dougal Haston Stone:
The Dougal Haston stone
This stone commemorates the achievements of international climber Dougal Haston, a
Currie boy, who went on to become the first climber to conquer Everest by the south-west
face and the first Briton to scale the north face of the Eiger. He died in an avalanche in Switzerland in 1977, aged 36.
On the cottage opposite Curriehill Primary School, Lanark Road West:
Town o Currie school and school house
Although the first record of a school in the area is dated 1598 its location at that
time is unknown. The premises to which this plaque is attached were built in 1699
by John Grinton and Robert Telford (wright and masons) to the order of Thomas Craig
of Riccarton as a new school and school house, at a cost of 500 merks the schoolmaster,
Mr Thomson, received a salary of 20 pounds Scots per year.
On the base of the ancient Corslet (Cross) opposite the Post Office:
This Corslet was previously sited in the south strip of Riccarton, a place known
as a barlie coort. This would suggest that the place had been the byrlaw or burlaw
court of the district, a court which regulated by common consent the dates at which
things could be done to mutual advantage.
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