A virtual tour of the early history of Juniper Green
Slide 5
Where the "juniper" part of our name has come from is the cause of more conjecture. It might be that juniper bushes grew all over this area since there are still some on the Pentlands above Bonaly and some recently introduced (2005) in Dr Mackay's Wood just next to the bypass in the village. However in the early nineteenth century we have information from Dr Walker of Colinton, a Professor of Natural History that there were none in the area.
Alternatively the name might be a compliment to Lady Mary Murray, mistress of the Big House at Woodhall for twenty five years from 1677 to 1702. Local historian John Tweedie notes that a sprig of juniper was one of the floral emblems of the Murray family and this just might account for it in our village's name.