Many buildings in Edinburgh bear the name ‘toll.’ In 1713 the main trunk roads into the city were turnpiked. This essentially means that a tollhouse was erected to collect a passageway toll, which in turn was used to pay for the upkeep of the road. A Turnpike Trust was established in 1766 with a view to upgrading the wider road system as well as laying new roads. If you look at a map of Edinburgh, you will see many areas and buildings named after toll booths.

Did you know?
The pub World’s End on High Street (Royal Mile) is so-named because if an Old Town resident could not afford the toll, they could not leave the walled city and see what lies beyond.