Looking at the text, the issue is words running together without spaces. Here's the corrected version: With a history stretching back to the Stone Age, Leith's strategically important location at the southern shore of the Firth of Forth has long attracted people to live and work here.

The first known written reference to Leith is King David I's 1128 charter granting a harbour at the mouth of the Water of Leith to the abbots of the newly founded Holyrood Abbey; this was soon followed by a harbour for the king himself. It was a prime spot for boats to fish and ships to dock as they loaded and unloaded cargo, and its growing success as a trading port over the next 200 years meant that there was a risk that it could eclipse its larger neighbour – Edinburgh; as a result, in 1329 King Robert the Bruce issued a charter which saw Leith become subservient to Edinburgh's authorities – still its own town, but with its wings clipped.

By the late 15th century Leith became Scotland's premier port following the loss of Berwick-upon-Tweed to the English, and with Edinburgh now regarded as the nation's capital, industries sprang up and business boomed. Leith would often bear the brunt of attacks on Edinburgh due to its strategic importance – from Henry VIII's army in 1544 during the 'rough wooing' when he tried to force a marriage alliance between his son and the infant Mary, Queen of Scots through to the Luftwaffe during the Second World War.

In 1560 Leith even became the seat of government in Scotland when Mary of Guise – mother of Mary, Queen of Scots and Regent in her daughter's absence – based herself in the town thanks to the security afforded by French troops based there during the Siege of Leith.As the centuries rolled on, Leith would house businesses spanning ship building and trading, distilling, rope-making, printing and more; indeed, one of the first newspapers published in Scotland was produced in Leith – the short-lived Mercurius Scoticus in 1651.

Leith has long had a rich cultural life, from sport to the arts: the creation of the world's first rules of golf being produced for a tournament on Leith Links in 1744, the hugely popular horse races which saw thousands flock to Leith Sands in the hope of winning a golden teapot, the sculptor Eduardo Paolozzi was born and bred here, whilst The Proclaimers celebrated their home in the anthemic 'Sunshine on Leith'.

Although ports on Scotland's west coast grew bigger than Leith with the rise of transatlantic trade, it continued to flourish. In the 19th century, when Edinburgh's council suffered a financial crisis, Leith finally regained most of its autonomy, and built a handsome Town Hall for its own council. Having two urban burghs – Edinburgh and Leith – side by side could sometimes throw up surprising quirks, such as the Boundary Bar on Leith Walk which was built straddling the boundary line - with different licencing rules, patrons could step across the boundary to enjoy an extra 30 minutes of drinking time in Leith after the Edinburgh side had stopped serving (the two police forces kept a watch on both entrances to the bar…).

However, Edinburgh would quickly rise again, and in 1920 Leith was formally absorbed into the city, despite an unofficial plebiscite in Leith seeing 86% of residents opposing the move. As the decades passed and industries changed, the area saw its fortunes fall, and poverty increase. Historic buildings were swept away in "improvement schemes", the fruits of which are still controversial to this day. Later, new hotels, shops, tourist destinations and art businesses opened, bringing new opportunities to Leith.Its people – Leithers – embody its motto: persevere.

They are tenacious, industrious and perhaps sometimes a bit rebellious too! They are warm, welcoming and deeply proud of their community. They have used their skills and ideas to ensure that even when it has suffered deeply difficult times, it has fought back to renewed success. The area has evolved – its boundaries, its buildings and its beliefs – but it continues to have a distinct identity, and that is thanks to its people and their history.