[2] Land values subsequently rose, and by the beginning of the 19th century some parts had been sold at a yearly feu duty of £40 per annum per acre.

[4][3] In 1822, a visit of King George IV to Scotland organised by Scott included a review of troops and Highlanders held on the sands, with spectators crowding the dunes.

The proprietor of a villa adjoining the shore had extended his garden to include the sand and had built a wall leading right down to the sea.

After legal action over several years and an appeal right up to the House of Lords,[6] the proprietor and his neighbours were forced in July 1849 to demolish the walls they had erected.

Fifteen years later, Portobello Town Council began to build the Promenade, so securing public access to the beach along its two miles (three kilometres).

At 1,250 feet (381 m) long with a restaurant and observatory at the end, it cost £7,000 to build to a design by Sir Thomas Bouch, who was infamously linked to the Tay Bridge disaster.

The Edinburgh Marine Gardens laid out north of Kings Road in 1908–1909 included an open-air theatre, an industrial hall, a ballroom (later a skating rink), a scenic railway, a "rustic mill and water-wheel" and a speedway track.

The 1983 Portobello was at the centre of police and media attention with the abduction of five-year-old Caroline Hogg from the Promenade area and her murder by Robert Black.

From the 1980s these gradually disappeared, and by the end of the 20th century the Promenade had hardly any attractions specific to a seaside location, although the Tower Amusements arcade remains in business.

[19] Others concern community gardens,[20] a monthly local food market,[21] a youth theatre (now using a new web address),[22] and culture and music.

[27] The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) classed the quality of the swimming water as "sufficient" in its 2019 survey, a small improvement on the previous year,[28] when dolphins were sighted off the coast.

[34] The buildings and grounds formally passed from the Church of Scotland to Action Porty on 6 September 2017 and opened as Bellfield (Community Centre), Portobello on 23 June 2018.

[36][37] Ultimately, the new surface proved of high quality, including smooth sets for cycling and a refuge for safe turning into the Christian Path.

During the 2020 Coronavirus Lockdown, police praised the public for curbing the spread of the virus by avoiding Portobello over Easter weekend,[38] although as the weather improved in May the visitor numbers increased, causing concern to politicians.

[41] In August a Ferris wheel appeared on the old Fun City site, but its licence was suspended before it opened, as it broke government rules on the reopening of funfairs; despite this, some smaller attractions in the area have come and gone since.

[44] Portobello is served by Lothian Buses which provide eleven services to the area, continuing towards Joppa and Eastfield to Musselburgh, Port Seton, Tranent or North Berwick, down Brighton Place to Fort Kinnaird or Royal Infirmary, and from Kings Road to Craigentinny.

This proved inadequate for the purpose and was replaced in 1877 by a building designed by Robert Paterson, which is now Portobello Police Station.

[53] The Edinburgh Extension Act 1895, which amalgamated Portobello with Edinburgh, gave effect to a number of undertakings, including extension of the Promenade, building of the Baths, surfacing various streets, providing drainage, extending the trams, providing a public park and a new town hall for public meetings.

The new Portobello Town Hall was intended to hold at least 800 people and was built on the site of Inverey House to a design by the City Architect, James A. Williamson, opening in 1914.

[56] The city council put the building on the market for lease in February 2020,[57] and, following a competitive process, it agreed to enter into exclusive talks with a local community organisation known as Portobello Central in May 2021.

[61] The Town Hall opened for business on 1 June 2023, under a 25-year, full repairing lease from the City of Edinburgh Council at £1 per year rent.

[62] In birth order: The building was designed by William Sibbald[75] and the foundation stone was laid on 27 October 1808 with the church opening for worship in 1810.