Edinburgh from the King's Park

Category

Library Item

Item no

15604

Title

Edinburgh from the King's Park

Description

A horse and cart travels towards Edinburgh which can be seen in the distance beyond open fields. The tenements, grand houses of the Canongate and the Palace of Holyroodhouse mark the edge of the City. Pottery kilns in Leith or Portobello can be seen in the distance with the coast of Fife beyond.

Artist / maker

Clerk, John

Date

1855

Size

6cm x 14.8 cm

Type

Etching

Location

Edinburgh and Scottish Collection

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.

This is a copy of an etching presented to George III in 1786 by John Clerk of Eldin.

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Related subjects

Places > Edinburgh areas > Old Town

Places > Scotland > Edinburgh

Places > Scotland > Fife

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