Waverley Bridge and the Old Town of Edinburgh

Category

Museums & Galleries Item

Item no

11570

Title

Waverley Bridge and the Old Town of Edinburgh from the Scott Monument

Description

A double image of the Waverley Bridge and Edinburgh's Old Town stretched out behind it. The stone bridge has several arched openings allowing trains to travel under it. The tracks are filled with train carriages. Many of the Old Town's tenements or lands can be seen in the background as well as the crown spire of St. Giles Cathedral and the spire of the Tron Kirk.

Artist / maker

Begbie, Thomas

Date

1858

Size

8.3 x 17.1 cm

Type

Glass negative

Location

City Art Centre

Copyright

The Cavaye Collection of Thomas Begbie Prints ; The City of Edinburgh Council Museums & Galleries

Despite living in the New Town, Stevenson was well acquainted with the shabby charm of Edinburgh's Old Town. The author was known to frequent some of the less respectable establishments in this area, especially during his bohemian university days. This image reflects the Old Town at this period, before the clearance of many old buildings in the 1870s.

This is a glass negative from the Thomas Begbie Cavaye Collection which is held by City of Edinburgh Museums and Galleries.

The original Waverley Bridge, a stone arch structure, was replaced during the extensive remodelling of the station in the late 1860's and early 1870's. This second bridge was in turn replaced by the current bridge which was completed in 1896. The vegetable market displaced by the construction of the second bridge was replaced by an indoor site designed by Robert Morham. This was demolished in 1974 and replaced by Waverley shopping centre, later called Princes Mall.

'Old Town' is the general name given to the original mediaeval centre of Edinburgh. It consists principally of the Royal Mile and the streets and closes leading from it, including those previously part of the separate burgh of Canongate. It also includes the Cowgate and the Grassmarket. The restricted size of the Old Town necessitated the construction of multi-storey 'lands' from the 1500's onwards, many of which still exist today. Eventually chronic overcrowding led to expansion of the city northwards past the Nor' Loch and southwards beyond the Flodden Wall. The Old Town area has now been classed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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Related subjects

Homes > Residential buildings > Houses

Homes > Residential buildings > Tenements

Places > Edinburgh areas > Old Town

Places > Edinburgh areas > Princes Street

Places > Scotland > Edinburgh

Religion > Religious facilities > Protestant churches

Transport > Infrastructure > Stone bridges

Transport > Land > Trains

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