Pot found in a burial cist dating from 2200 to 1650 BC (c) National Museums of Scotland

Ratho was originally a farming community, with some distilling and corn grinding activity until the arrival of the Union Canal in 1818. The Bridge Inn then became a popular stopping point and the quarries provided stone for the canal and Edinburgh's New Town. The church dates back to 1243, but people have lived in this area far longer. Recent excavations have uncovered Neolithic and Bronze Age artefacts on the surrounding hills.