From the mid 17th century we know more about the people of Dalmeny village as Kirk Session records started to be kept and we see ordinary people bringing children for baptism, seeking marriage and funeral services. The community was primary a rural one however for a period in the mid 19th century shale mining provided significant employment. House were built at Dalmeny Rows for families of shale workers who were mainly migrants to the area, here for employment at the shale works. Nowadays, Dalmeny is highly favoured as a residential base by people working in the city, and yet even this has left the core of the village surprisingly unscathed.