Library Item

Castlehill

1840

This image has been chosen for the Edinburgh - Past and Present Exhibition by Geoffrey Nicholsby, Managing Director of Geoffrey (Tailor) Kiltmakers & Weavers - "'This seems to be an old picture of the Castlehill reservoir, and is an interesting print" Geoffrey Nicholsby.

Reverse of item is annotated as follows "The first Waterhouse or Reservoir, Castlehill, with works & stores, here was kept for a long time one of the Fire Engines of the City, the gate of which was hung over by a bell which was rung to alarm the firemen & other assistants in the district to turn out the engine which was usually followed by crowds of urchins & yelping curs of all sorts. the firemen were distinguished as men of the red and men of the blue from the colour of their helmets to mark their seperate divisions -
The Old City Wall is seen as it went down Ramsay Lane to the North Loch. no portion of it remains here since the last reservoir had it altogether removed for its foundations.
Previous to 1681, the inhabitants were supplied with water from pump-wells in the south side of the Cowgate.
The white house nearest the castle was called Warrender House probably the same warrender who was Lord Provost at one time & got that slice of the Bruntsfield Links wiled from the Corporation, and now called Warrender Park - "

Castlehill is the section of the Royal Mile running from Castle Esplanade to the Lawnmarket in Edinburgh.