Mercat Cross and City Chambers from Parliament Square

Category

Library Item

Item no

2876

Title

Mercat Cross and City Chambers from Parliament Square, Edinburgh

Description

The City Chambers and Mercat Cross on the High Street Edinburgh. The Mercat Cross has a unicorn sculpture at the top of a column. It has heraldic symbols carved into the stonework. A horse-drawn carriage waits on the cobblestone road. Shops have canopies over their windows.

Artist / maker

Wilson, Alexander

Date

1885

Size

16.6 x 21.3 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.

City Chambers was designed by John Adam and built between 1753-61. It was intended as premises for a merchant exchange, but this was not entirely successful and the building was overtaken by Edinburgh's Council during the 19th century. The council instigated significant extensions to the building in the years around 1900. The building was constructed over several Old Town closes. One of these subterranean streets, Mary King's Close, is now open to the public.

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Related subjects

Business > Service industry > Mercat Crosses

Places > Edinburgh areas > Old Town

Places > Edinburgh areas > Royal Mile

Places > Scotland > Edinburgh