image copyright Rachel Windsor

The arms of Leith (pictured above on a lamppost on the Shore) show a ship carrying a mother and child, and is traditionally believed to represent the Virgin Mary and the baby Christ. Some have linked this image to similar images which represent Mary Magdalene carrying the child of Christ to safety over the seas. This connection with the so-called heretical image of Mary Magdalene is one of many Templar associations in Leith. The old name of the parish church, the Kirk of Our Lady (Notre Dame in French) is a common name for old churches dedicated to Mary Magdalene, which helped them escape the persecution of the established church by presenting a veneer of respectability. The Leith arms are also prominent on the nurses' accommodatin for Leith Hospital on King Street, and the entrance to Leith Victoria Swimming Pool on Junction Place.

The arms form part of the insignia for various organisations within Leith, including St Mary Star of the Sea Roman Catholic Church.