It lies east of the Silvermills area and Stockbridge, south of Inverleith and west of Bellevue, in a low hollow north of Edinburgh's New Town on ground that was uneconomic to connect to the higher New Town street levels.
The low-lying land of Silvermills and Canonmills proved an impediment to the further northern extension of the New Town.
Mill lades serving the mills led from the Water of Leith at a point just north of Stockbridge, through the area and on to Canonmills Loch at Canonmills.