Mercat Cross, Edinburgh

Category

Library Item

Item no

2862

Title

Mercat Cross, Edinburgh

Description

The Mercat Cross stands on the cobblestones of the High Street in the Royal Mile with the City Chambers behind. The Cross has a unicorn sculpture at the top of a column and has heraldic symbols carved into the stonework.

Artist / maker

Chrystal, Francis M.

Date

1912

Size

21.2 x 16 cm

Type

Photograph

Location

Edinburgh and Scottish Collection

Edinburgh's Mercat Cross stands at the east end of St Giles Kirk on the High Street. The original cross stood nearby but was dismantled in 1756 and taken to Drum House. William Gladstone instigated the erection of the current cross in 1885, which incorporates some parts from its much larger predecessor. The Mercat Cross is the traditional centre of the city market, a meeting place for merchants, a place of execution and the site of official proclamations.

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.

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Related subjects

Business > Service industry > Mercat Crosses

Places > Edinburgh areas > Old Town

Places > Edinburgh areas > Royal Mile

Places > Scotland > Edinburgh

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