Edinburgh Castle from the Vennel

Category

Library Item

Item no

1971

Title

Edinburgh Castle from the Vennel

Description

Edinburgh Castle sits on the Castle Rock. In the foreground is a narrow downward sloping street called The Vennel. Houses lie on either side of the stairs and a metal handrail runs down the middle. Street lamps are along both sides of the lane.

Artist / maker

Gourlay, T. S.

Date

1955

Size

21 x 16 cm

Type

Photograph

Location

Edinburgh and Scottish Collection

The Vennel is a narrow street in Edinburgh leading from West Port near the Grassmarket to Heriot Place near George Heriot's School. 'Vennel' is a Scots word meaning 'steep lane'.

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.

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Related subjects

Homes > Residential buildings > Castles and palaces

Homes > Residential buildings > Houses

Places > Edinburgh areas > Old Town

Places > Scotland > Edinburgh

Transport > Infrastructure > Lanes