Advocate's Close, High Street

Category

Library Item

Item no

6951

Title

Advocate's Close, High Street, from the upper end

Description

A delicate line drawing of Advocate's Close, Edinburgh. The image depicts the tall lands or tenements with their crumbling stonework and crooked windows and doorways.

Reproduction of a drawing by Bruce J Home

Artist / maker

Home, Bruce James

Date

1905

Size

30.3 x 22.8 cm

Type

Reproduction

Location

Edinburgh and Scottish Collection

This image has been chosen for the Edinburgh - Past and Present Exhibition by Aileen Paterson, Artist and Author - "Drawing is my pleasure, and I've drawn this close several times. Our Old Town is a precious gem. This view captures the old High Houses, and has one of those narrow Edinburgh vistas, promising mysteries beyond &" Aileen Paterson.

First Series

Advocate's Close runs steeply downhill from the High Street in Edinburgh, opposite St Giles Kirk, to Cockburn Street. It takes its name from Sir James Stewart of Goodtrees, Lord Advocate of Scotland between 1692-1709, and 1711-1713, who was resident here. It had also been home to his father Sir James Stewart of Coltness, Lord Provost of Edinburgh. Advocate's Close lost its lower section in the construction of Cockburn Street, and its west side was demolished in the 1880's. Despite this it remains one of the prettiest closes in Edinburgh's Old Town.

Exhibitions with this item

Other views of this item

Related images

Related subjects

Homes > Residential buildings > Tenements

Places > Edinburgh areas > Old Town

Places > Edinburgh areas > Royal Mile

Places > Scotland > Edinburgh

Transport > Infrastructure > Streets