Edinburgh Castle from the Grassmarket

Category

Library Item

Item no

1939

Title

Edinburgh Castle from the Grassmarket

Description

A photograph of Edinburgh Castle from a stereographic negative. At the bottom of the sloped ground below the Castle is a drying area for washing, with poles and lines visible. A road cuts between this area and a group of houses, another road with cobblestones runs alongside the buildings. There is a horse and cart travelling along the cobblestone road.

Artist / maker

Burns, Archibald

Date

1868

Size

11.5 x 18.1 cm

Type

Photograph

Location

Edinburgh and Scottish Collection

Edinburgh Castle is perhaps the city's most famous landmark. It stands on top of the remaining core of an extinct volcano. Excavations suggest the site was inhabited by Bronze Age man as early as 900 BC, and was fortified by Iron Age man roughly 2000 years ago. The oldest part of the present day Castle is St Margaret's Chapel, built in the early 12th century. The Castle holds the Honours of Scotland and more recently has welcomed back the Stone of Scone otherwise known as the Stone of Destiny.

The Grassmarket is a central area situated below Edinburgh Castle. A weekly market was held there from 1477 until 1911. The area continues to be a popular area for socialising. The Grassmarket was also the site of many public executions

The word cobble has been used here to help with searching, an alternative term is sett. Sett stones describe both the type of stone and the method in which they are used.

Find out more about visiting Edinburgh Castle at Historic Environment Scotland.

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Related images

Related subjects

Homes > Residential buildings > Castles and palaces

Homes > Residential buildings > Houses

Places > Edinburgh areas > Old Town

Places > Scotland > Edinburgh

Transport > Infrastructure > Cobbled streets

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