Over 23 years since the body of a baby boy was tragically discovered in Niddrie, a memorial dedicated to him will be returned to the community at an unveiling ceremony on Friday (26 April).
Despite an investigation in 2001, and follow ups over the years, attempts to identify the newborn and his parents have been unsuccessful, initiating a huge response from the local community.
He was laid to rest in Mortonhall Cemetery, with residents coming together to hold a funeral for him. Over 400 people were in attendance to remember the baby they named ‘Craig Millar.’
Fundraising also took place to erect a memorial in the place he was found, which was lovingly maintained by the community.
When construction began on the new Castlebrae Community Campus at the site of Craig’s discovery, the memorial had to be removed. It has since been renovated and stored by William Purves Funeral Directors free of charge.
The memorial will be re-installed by the funeral directors on Friday 26 April, before being unveiled to the public at 2pm in its new location.
It follows a survey, conducted by the Council, which found the majority of residents wanted the memorial to be relocated outside of school grounds.
The new location, next to the football pitches at Harewood Road, is easily accessible and just a short distance from the original site.
Plans are also in place for a memorial garden at the original location as part of the landscaping design of Castlebrae Community Campus.
Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Convener, Councillor Jane Meagher, said: “Over two decades on, it’s clear to see that the community still care deeply for baby Craig. This tragedy is such a large part of Craigmillar’s history that it’s fitting the residents are there to see the memorial returned.
“Residents made sure the memorial was never without fresh flowers or messages of love and it was always immaculately maintained. I’m pleased we could respect the wishes of the community and return it to a new location, where it can be easily accessed by people who want to pay their respects.”
Andrew Purves, Director at William Purves Funeral Directors, commented: “As an Edinburgh-based funeral director, we understand that this memorial stone is very dear to this community.
“The memorial is a special tribute to the little boy who will always have a place in the hearts of the Craigmillar community.
“It has been our honour to take good care of baby Craig’s memorial and are now pleased to be able to install it in its permanent home.”
Dozens of tenants will have a brand new place to live thanks to the Council and its contractor CCG (Scotland) Ltd putting the finishing touches to new homes as part of a multimillion pound transformation of Craigmillar Town Centre.
The first new neighbours moving into Harewood Road have been visited by the Council’s Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Convener Kate Campbell and Depute Convener Mandy Watt, who officially handed over the keys to the completed properties.
Edinburgh has one of the most ambitious house-building plans of any local authority in the UK and these are the first Council-led homes to complete now that the City’s construction industry is back up and running and households can safely move.
Contributing towards Edinburgh’s goal of building 20,000 affordable new homes and becoming a net carbon zero city by 2030, the highly energy-efficient development at Craigmillar features 194 homes with an innovative Sustainable Urban Drainage System for surface water collection and extensive communal green space.
The homes also benefit from a network of footpaths and cycle connections to Craigmillar Park. These properties will also test a number of elements of the “gold” building standard to help inform the Council’s approach to net zero carbon developments.
Designed by Architects Anderson Bell Christie and constructed by CCG, the site combines 61 homes for social rent and 133 for mid-market rent.
Councillor Kate Campbell, Edinburgh’s Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Convener, said: “It’s fantastic to meet with the new residents and see what a difference these bright and modern homes are going to make to their lives.
“Making sure everyone has access to a safe, warm and affordable place to live has long been our priority and it’s going to be as important as ever to progress our plans to build 20,000 new homes as we move on from the pandemic. So being able to get construction underway, see these homes complete in Craigmillar and move new tenants in is a big milestone.
“We’re also committed to pushing forward with a green recovery for the City and these homes, with their focus on low carbon and energy efficiency, are a perfect example of how we deliver a project which is great for residents and good for the local environment too.”
Councillor Mandy Watt, Depute Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Convener, added: “Not only are these new homes a brilliant addition to our supply of affordable housing in Edinburgh, they’re part of a major project we’ve been leading on which invests in the whole Craigmillar community.
“The regeneration has helped to create new shared spaces for people to enjoy and has brought about opportunities for jobs and training. It’s a real transformation of the town centre which will benefit generations of Craigmillar residents and benefit our environment too, thanks to the use of really energy-efficient materials and design and the creation of new green spaces.”
“It’s a real joy to finally see families moving in and settling in to their new homes.”
As a direct result of their contract to redevelop Craigmillar Town Centre, CCG has provided a series of community benefit initiatives including three full-time jobs, four trade apprenticeships and two work placements. The local community has also benefited from donations to Grass Roots Clothing, the Craigmillar Literacy Trust, the Castlebrae Memorial Garden and the Richmond Hope Mile of Memories project.
Calum Murray, Director of CCG, said: “The importance of the home and our environment to health and wellbeing has never been more apparent than now and construction re-engagement has enabled the team at CCG to deliver a new place, providing essential housing completions just when they are most required.
“Huge credit is due to our construction team, the Council and not least to the local community for their support in a process that over the last five years has seen CCG deliver more than 580 homes in Craigmilllar.”
William and Adele Halliday plus their children have moved into a three-bedroom home. William said: “We have a 10 year old, a one year old and another on the way so the move is perfect timing for us as a family. We had been living nearby in a flat on the 10th floor of a high rise – now we have our own home and the kids have a garden to play in.
“It’s very spacious and modern. We’re delighted with it and enjoying settling in. Getting to my work is easy too with the public transport connections here in Craigmillar.”
Valerie McMillan couldn’t be happier with her adapted one bedroom home. Valerie said: “I love my new home, I’m here to stay. I feel so much more comfortable here and the house is really bright and sunny– I haven’t had to put the heating on once and it’s very warm.
“When I was 18 I lived on this street in my first home, now I’m 52 and I’ve come full circle. I’m home again. You notice a big difference in how the streets and the shops look. It’s all change and a really nice area with a tight community – everyone I’ve met says hello and is very friendly. Harewood Road is going to be beautiful once it’s finished.”
The £24.6 million investment at Craigmillar town centre is funded by the Council with £3.2 million in grant funding from the Scottish Government. The Council has nearly 800 affordable homes under construction across the city with nearly 3,500 new homes in design development.
