Our History

St Leonards Medical Centre is situated in Edinburgh’s Southside, within walking distance of Holyrood Palace, The Royal Mile, Edinburgh Castle and Princess Street.

The Pleasance, best known to visitors to Edinburgh as a venue for Edinburgh Festival Fringe shows, is a truly historic area, with part of the old city boundary - The Flodden Wall - still visible. Opposite the Medical Centre stands Deaconess House once a busy hospital, originally owned and run by the Church of Scotland.

The origins of this practice are firmly rooted in the Canongate, where Dr Robin Ross practised until 1986 when he retired and passed the mantle to Dr Ian Burns-Brown. The practice came about when the present senior partner, Dr Ian Burns-Brown, who was working from small premises within Whitefoord House in the Canongate, moved into a temporary building in Davie Street with his father, Dr John Burns-Brown, who had a small surgery in Buccleuch Street.

Dr Burns-Brown (Senior) retired in 1990 and his list was taken over by Dr David McKirdy. In November 1996 we moved into these purpose built premises. Around that time Dr James Hunter, a local GP, retired and we inherited some of his list. In 1997 Dr Louise Iliffe joined us as a part-time employee and she became a partner in 1998.

Dr McKirdy retired in 2009, and was replaced by Dr David Boag who became a partner in 2010.