PORTOBELLO, a municipal burgh of Scotland, in the county of Midlothian, lies on slightly sloping ground on the south shore of the Firth of Forth, 3 miles by rail east of Edinburgh. At the west end are extensive brickfields, two potteries (working English clay), two bottle-works, and a paper-mill. Southwards and eastwards the houses are those of a residential suburb of Edinburgh and a summer watering-place. Among the more conspicuous edifices are the new municipal buildings (1878), the old town-hall (1863), a United Presbyterian church (1880), the Free church (1876-77), the Episcopal church (1826), and the School Board schools (1876). Portobello beach is a fine reach of firm clean sands, but these have been to some extent spoiled by the vicinity of manufacturing works and sewage outlets. A marine parade was constructed in 1860 and a promenade pier (1250 feet long) in 1871. The population was 5481 in 1871 and 6794 in 1881. What used to be the separate village of Joppa is now included in Portobello.

Portobello occupies part of a formerly desolate piece of ground known as the Figgate Whins. The first house was built by a sailor who had served under Admiral Vernon at the capture of Porto Bello in Central America in 1739; but the real beginning of the town dates from the discovery in 1765 of a bed of clay and the consequent erection of brick and tile Avorks. It was made a burgh by the Reform Act of 1832-33.