An affluent district and former estate of SW Edinburgh, located to the west of the village of Colinton, of which it is usually considered a part, Spylaw takes its name from Spylaw House (1773). Spylaw Bank House (1790) lies on Spylaw Avenue. Characterised by substantial villas surrounded by large walled gardens, with abundant mature trees, there are several houses designed in the arts-and-crafts style by the notable architect Sir Robert Lorimer (1864 - 1929) on Spylaw Bank Road and Pentland Avenue. Located prominently on Spylaw Bank Road are the Sir William Fraser Homes, an unusual example of almshouses in Edinburgh, built to accommodate poor authors and artists. All of these houses descend towards Spylaw Park and the Water of Leith, which runs through a gorge here and includes the site of the former Colinton Railway Station. Spylaw lies within the Colinton Conservation Area. To the north is the small district of Hailes.
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