Old Town, Edinburgh

Category

Library Item

Item no

7812

Title

Old Town, Edinburgh

Description

Against a backdrop of tenement buildings and Old Town features which include the spires of the Tron Kirk and St Giles Cathedral is Waverley Bridge in Edinburgh and the railway track underneath it. Rolling stock and some carriages are on the railway lines, the ticket office for the railway is to the side of the road onthe bridge. Part of Princes Street Gardens are in view, mostly consisting of pathway.

Artist / maker

Wilson, George Washington

Date

1865

Size

10.9 x 16.9 cm

Type

Photograph

Location

Edinburgh and Scottish Collection

'Old Town' is the general name given to the original mediaeval centre of Edinburgh. It consists principally of the Royal Mile and the streets and closes leading from it, including those previously part of the separate burgh of Canongate. It also includes the Cowgate and the Grassmarket. The restricted size of the Old Town necessitated the construction of multi-storey 'lands' from the 1500's onwards, many of which still exist today. Eventually chronic overcrowding led to expansion of the city northwards past the Nor' Loch and southwards beyond the Flodden Wall. The Old Town area has now been classed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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Related subjects

Homes > Residential buildings > Tenements

Places > Edinburgh areas > Old Town

Places > Edinburgh areas > Princes Street

Places > Scotland > Edinburgh

Transport > Infrastructure > Railway

Transport > Infrastructure > Roads

Transport > Infrastructure > Stone bridges

Transport > Land > Rolling stock

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