Traditions of Edinburgh

CONTENTS.

	PAGE
The Changes of the Last Hundred Years	1
The Castle-Hill	11
Hugo Arnot—Allan Ramsay—House of the Gordon Family—Sir David Baird—Dr Webster—House of Mary de Guise.
The West Bow	26
The Bowhead—Weigh-house—Anderson’s Pills—Oratories—Colonel Gardiner—‘Bowhead Saints’—‘The Seizers’—Story of a Jacobite Canary—Major Weir—Tulzies—The Tinklarian Doctor—Old Assembly Room—Paul Romieu—‘He that Tholes Overcomes’—Provost Stewart—Donaldsons the Booksellers—Bowfoot—The Templars’ Lands—The Gallows Stone.
James’s Court	55
David Hume—James Boswell—Lord Fountainhall.
Story of the Countess of Stair	63
The Old Bank Close	70
The Regent Morton—The Old Bank—Sir Thomas Hope—Chiesly of Dalry—Rich Merchants of the Sixteenth Century—Sir William Dick—The Birth of Lord Brougham.
The Old Tolbooth	82
Some Memories of the Luckenbooths	95
Lord Coalstoun and his Wig—Commendator Bothwell’s House—Lady Anne Bothwell—Mahogany Lands and Fore-stairs—The Krames—Creech’s Shop.
Some Memoranda of the Old Kirk of St Giles	105
The Parliament Close	109
Ancient Churchyard—Booths attached to the High Church—Goldsmiths—George Heriot—The Deid-Chack.
Memorials of the Nor’ Loch	117
The Parliament House	119
Old Arrangements of the House—Justice in Bygone Times—Court of Session Garland—Parliament House Worthies.
Convivialia	138
Taverns of Old Times	158
The Cross—Caddies	174
The Town-Guard	179
Edinburgh Mobs	183
The Blue Blanket—Mobs of the Seventeenth Century—Bowed Joseph.
Bickers	189
Susanna, Countess of Eglintoune	192
Female Dresses of Last Century	199
The Lord Justice-Clerk Alva	204
Ladies Sutherland and Glenorchy—The Pin or Risp.
Marlin’s and Niddry’s Wynds	209
Tradition of Marlin the Pavier—House of Provost Edward—Story of Lady Grange.
Abbot of Melrose’s Lodging	223
Sir George Mackenzie—Lady Anne Dick.
Blackfriars Wynd	228
Palace of Archbishop Bethune—Boarding-Schools of the Last Century—The Last of the Lorimers—Lady Lovat.
The Cowgate	240
House of Gavin Douglas the Poet—Skirmish of Cleanse-the-Causeway—College Wynd—Birthplace of Sir Walter Scott—The Horse Wynd—Tam o’ the Cowgate—Magdalen Chapel.
St Cecilia’s Hall	249
The Murder of Darnley	256
Mint Close	260
The Mint—Robert Cullen—Lord Chancellor Loughborough.
Miss Nicky Murray	265
The Bishop’s Land	269
John Knox’s Manse	271
Hyndford’s Close	275
House of the Marquises of Tweeddale—The Begbie Tragedy	279
The Ladies of Traquair	286
Greyfriars Churchyard	288
Signing of the Covenant—Henderson’s Monument—Bothwell Bridge Prisoners—A Romance.
Story of Mrs Macfarlane	291
The Canongate	295
Distinguished Inhabitants in Former Times—Story of a Burning—Morocco’s Land—New Street.
St John Street	302
Lord Monboddo’s Suppers—The Sister of Smollett—Anecdote of Henry Dundas.
Moray House	306
The Speaking House	312
Panmure House—Adam Smith	318
John Paterson the Golfer	320
Lothian Hut	323
Henry Prentice and Potatoes	325
The Duchess of Buccleuch and Monmouth	327
Claudero	330
Queensberry House	336
Tennis Court	344
Early Theatricals—The Canongate Theatre—Digges and Mrs Bellamy—A Theatrical Riot.
Marionville—Story of Captain Macrae	351
Alison Square	358
Leith Walk	360
Gabriel’s Road	366
INDEX	369

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

	PAGE
An Elegant Modern City	Frontispiece
Map of Edinburgh, Old and New	xxvi
A series of towers rising from a palace on the plain to a castle in the air	Colour Drawing		1
White Hart Inn, Grassmarket	”	”	2
Newhaven Fishwife	”	”	4
Rouping-Wife	”	”	9
The Castle-Hill	”	”	11
Duke of Gordon’s House	”	”	18
The Bowhead	”	”	27
Grassmarket, from west end of Cowgate	”	”	50
Edinburgh, from the Calton Hill	”	”	83
St Giles, West Window	”	”	105
Heriot’s Hospital, from Greyfriars Churchyard	”	”	113
A Suggestion of the North Loch and St Cuthbert’s, from Allan Ramsay’s Garden	”	”	117
The Parliament House	”	”	128
‘Auld Reekie,’ from Largo	”	”	152
Upper Baxter’s Close, where Burns first resided in Edinburgh	”	”	164
White Horse Inn	”	”	170
Forenoon at the Cross	”	”	174
The Town-Guard	”	”	179
The Castle, from Princes Street	”	”	214
Blackfriars Wynd	”	”	228
The Cowgate	”	”	240
Old Houses, College Wynd (near here Sir Walter Scott was born)	”	”	242
John Knox’s Manse	”	”	274
Greyfriars Churchyard	”	”	288
St John’s Close, Entrance to Canongate Kilwinning Mason Lodge	”	”	305

The objects of interest between the Castle and Holyrood are grouped topographically in the following list, with references to the Map.

CASTLE.

Blair’s or Baird’s Close	1	Castlehill Walk or Esplanade		A	Allan Ramsay’s House	a
Brown’s Close	3				Blyth’s Close	2
Webster’s Close	5	CASTLEHILL		B	Nairn’s Close	4
Site of the Duke of Gordon’s House	b	Weigh-House		d	Tod’s Close	6
					Site of Mary of Guise’s House	c

West Bow	CC	LAWNMARKET		D	Mylne’s Court	8
Angle of Bow	Z	Tolbooth		e	James’s Court	10
Riddel’s Close	7	Luckenbooths		f	Lady Stair’s Close	12
Brodie’s Close	9	St Giles’ {	Haddo’s Hole Church	g	Upper Baxter’s Close	14
Old Bank Close	11		Tolbooth Church	h	Wardrop’s Court	16
Liberton’s Wynd	13		Old Church		Paterson’s Court	18
			New Church

Hope’s Close	15	HIGH STREET		EE	Dunbar’s Close	20
Beith’s or Bess Wynd	17	Cross		x	Byres’s Close	22
Parliament Close	19	Guard House		i	Writers’ Court	24
Parliament House	k	Tron Church		j	Royal Exchange	26
Back Stairs	21				Mary King’s Close	28
Fishmarket Close	23				Post-Office Close	30
Assembly Close	25				Anchor Close	32
Bell’s Wynd	27				Lyon Close	34
Peebles Wynd	29				Jackson’s Close	36
Marlin’s Wynd	31				Fleshmarket Close	38
Niddry’s Wynd	33				Fleshmarket	m
Site of St Cecilia’s Hall	l				Greenmarket	n
Dickson’s Close	35				Halkerston’s Wynd	40
Cant’s Close	37				Carrubber’s Close	42
Strichen’s Close	39				Bailie Fife’s Close	44
Blackfriars Wynd	41				Chalmers’ Close	46
Todrick’s Wynd	43				John Knox’s Manse	p
Mint Close	45
The Old Mint	o
Hyndford’s Close	47
Tweeddale Court	49	Nether Bow Port.		F

St Mary’s Wynd	51				Leith Wynd	48
Chessels’s Court	53				Morocco’s Land	50
Weir’s Close	55				New Street	52
Old Playhouse Close	57				Jack’s Land	54
St John’s Close	59				Tolbooth Wynd	56
St John’s Street	61	CANONGATE.			Canongate Church	58
Moray House	63				Canongate Churchyard	q
Speaking House	65				Panmure House	60
Acheson House	67				Golfers’ Land	62
Queensberry House	69				White Horse Inn	64
					Water Gate	r

EDINBURGH OLD AND NEW.

In the map the streets and buildings printed in black represent the historic Old Town; those in red indicate not merely the ‘New Town’ to the north, specifically so called, but some part of the alterations, additions, and extensions round the ancient nucleus that have gone to constitute the Edinburgh of the present day.

Click here to view a larger version of the map.

[Transcriber’s note: A larger version of the map is available in the HTML version of this text at Project Gutenberg.]

KEY TO THE STREETS AND BUILDINGS NOT NAMED ON MAP.

Acheson House	67
Allan Ramsay’s House	a
Anchor Close	32
Angle of Bow	Z
Assembly Close	25
Back Stairs	21
Bailie Fife’s Close	44
Bank of Scotland	red F
Beith’s or Bess Wynd	17
Bell’s Wynd	27
Blackfriars Wynd	41
Blair’s or Baird’s Close	1
Blyth’s Close	2
Bristo	N
Bristo Port	O
Brodie’s Close	9
Brown’s Close	3
Byres’s Close	22
Calton Burying-Ground	t
Candlemaker Row	T
Canongate Church	58
Canongate Churchyard	q
Cant’s Close	37
Carrubber’s Close	42
Castlehill	B
Castlehill Walk or Esplanade	A
Castle Wynd	74
Chalmers’ Close	46
Chessels’s Court	53
College Wynd	71
Council Chambers	red G
County Buildings	red I
Court of Session	red K
Cowgate	J J
Cowgate Port	L
Cross	x
Dickson’s Close	35
Dunbar’s Close	20
Established Church Assembly Hall	red h
Fishmarket Close	23
Fleshmarket	m
Fleshmarket Close	88
Free Library	red L
General Post-Office	red E
Golfers’ Land	62
Gordon’s (Duke of) House	b
Greenmarket	n
Guard House	i
Halkerston’s Wynd	40
Heriot’s Hospital	V
Heriot-Watt College	red n n
High School Wynd	72
High Street	E E
Holyrood	G
Hope’s Close	15
Horse Wynd	70
Hyndford’s Close	47
Jack’s Land	54
Jackson’s Close	36
James’s Court	10
John Knox’s Manse	p
Lady Stair’s Close	12
Lauriston	M M
Lawnmarket	D
Leith Wynd	48
Liberton’s Wynd	13
Luckenbooths	f
Lyon Close	34
Magdalen Chapel	66
Marlin’s Wynd	31
Mary King’s Close	28
Mary of Guise’s House, Site of	c
Mint Close	45
Mint, The Old	o
Moray House	63
Morocco’s Land	50
Mutrie’s Hill	u
Mylne’s Court	8
Nairn’s Close	4
Nether Bow Port	F
New Street	52
Niddry’s Wynd	33
Old Bank Close	11
Old Playhouse Close	57
Panmure House	60
Parliament Close	19
Parliament House	k
Paterson’s Court	18
Peebles Wynd	29
Pleasance	R
Portsburgh	H
Post-Office Close	80
Potterrow	P
Potterrow Port	Q
Queensberry House	69
Register House	red A
Riddel’s Close	7
Royal Exchange	26
Royal Infirmary	K
Royal Scottish Academy Galleries	red B
St Cecilia’s Hall, Site of	l
St Giles’—
Haddo’s Hole Church	g
Tolbooth Church	h
St John’s Close	59
St John’s Street	61
St Mary’s Wynd	51
Scottish National Gallery	red C
Scott’s (Sir Walter) Monument	red D
Sheriff Court House	red M
Speaking House	65
S.S.C. Library	red J
Strichen’s Close	39
Surgeons’ Hall	red o
Tailors’ Hall	68
Todrick’s Wynd	43
Tod’s Close	6
Tolbooth	e
Tolbooth Wynd	56
Trinity College Church	S
Tron Church	j
Tweeddale Court	49
Upper Baxter’s Close	14
Wardrop’s Court	16
Water Gate	r
Webster’s Close	5
Weigh-House	d
Weir’s Close	55
West Bow	C C
West Port	I
White Hart Inn	73
White Horse Inn	64
Writers’ Court	24

Traditions of Edinburgh

About This Book

CONTENTS.

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

EDINBURGH OLD AND NEW.