Ships of the General Steam Navigation Company- 'Leith' arriving at Granton Pier, Edinburgh; 'Monarch' leaving for London RMG S4574, William John Huggins, 1841

Ships of the general steam navigation company: 'leith' arriving at granton pier, edinburgh; 'monarch' leaving for london this lively engraving shows the ‘leith’, which belonged to the general steam navigation company, arriving at granton pier, edinburgh in 1841. The ‘monarch’, another of the company’s ships, can be seen departing for london on the right. The ‘leith’ steams into granton with her sailed furled and smoke billowing from her funnel. The flags fluttering from her masts and her deck crowded with figures lend the scene a celebratory, which is enhanced by the splash of sunlight illuminating the ship’s starboard side. A mooring buoy floats in the foreground, right. In the distance are the dramatic outlines of edinburgh’s dormant volcano, arthur’s seat, and the adjacent salisbury crags, while on the right edinburgh castle dominates the skyline in the city centre. The ship shared the name of the nearby port of leith, east of granton. Date: 1841. Dimensions: Sheet: 461 x 662 mm. Collection: Fine art.