From the Archives: Edinburg, Scotland: Greetings, More photos from a dusty archival collection. These are from 1985 visit to a very interesting city. I hope you enjoy looking. Larry...

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From the Archives: Edinburg, Scotland

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Nov 9, 2022 15:35:38 #

HamBar06 Loc: Philadelphia, PA

Greetings,
More photos from a dusty archival collection. These are from 1985 visit to a very interesting city. I hope you enjoy looking.
Larry B.

History of Edinburgh
While the area around modern-day Edinburgh has been inhabited for thousands of years, the history of Edinburgh as a definite settlement can be traced to the early Middle Ages when a hillfort was established in the area, most likely on the Castle Rock. From the seventh to the tenth centuries it was part of the Anglian Kingdom of Northumbria, becoming thereafter a royal residence of the Scottish kings. The town that developed next to the stronghold was established by royal charter in the early 12th century, and by the middle of the 14th century was being described as the capital of Scotland. The area known as the New Town was added from the second half of the 18th century onwards. Edinburgh was Scotland's largest city until Glasgow outgrew it in the first two decades of the 19th century. Following Scottish devolution in the very late 20th century, Scotland's Parliament was established in Edinburgh.

Edinburg Castle
Following the ‘Union of the Crowns’ of 1603, Edinburgh Castle was rarely visited by the reigning monarch. From the 1650s it grew into a significant military base. Some 600 troops were housed in the New Barracks, built during the Napoleonic Wars with France and is still in use by the military today.
Not everyone who came to the castle enjoyed their stay. Life was truly grim for many of the prisoners who were locked up in the vaults below Crown Square. As a formidable stronghold, the castle was the most secure lock-up in Scotland. Between 1757 and 1814 the vaults became home to many hundreds of prisoners of war.

White Horse Close
Edinburgh’s Royal Mile is filled with hidden closes and courtyards that have unexpected and breathtaking views to discover. White Horse Close a hidden courtyard filled with quirky historic buildings and is also a fabulous photography location. Many believe that the close got its name from this area being a royal mews for Mary Queen of Scots. She would stable her favorite white palfrey here as the place was so close to Holyrood Palace.
White Horse Close wasn’t this courtyard’s first name. In fact, it was originally called Ord’s Close after the architect Lawrence Ord.

Knox house
The visitor's pamphlet states that the house "was Knox's home only for a few months during the siege of Edinburgh Castle, but it is believed that he died here. It appears to have become widely accepted as "John Knox's House" from the mid-19th century onwards, after Victorian writers like Robert Chambers and Sir Daniel Wilson had repeated the popular tradition, first recorded c.1800, of attaching Knox's name to it. After the Disruption in the Church of Scotland in 1843, the house was bought by the new Free Church, a fact which may have strengthened belief in its association with Knox.

St. Nicholas Church
This magnificent structure crowns a bold eminence, which rises abruptly from the surface of the river to near the center of the town. It presents from every point of view, a striking specimen of architectural skill. The old Norman church of St. Nicholas was, it is said, destroyed in the year 1216, and the present edifice was finished in 1350.

Princes St. Gardens
Princes Street Gardens is a popular park in Edinburgh. It is Edinburgh’s World Heritage Site. Edinburgh Castle overlooks the gardens and during spring photographers use the beautiful cherry blossom trees to frame the Castle. It is worth taking a walk around the gardens to find the photogenic Gardener’s Cottage. Located throughout this garden are a number of monuments such as a memorial to Robert Louis Stevenson, the Scottish novelist who wrote a very significant book about Edinburgh, Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.

Nelson Monument
The Nelson Monument is a commemorative tower in honor of Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson, located in Edinburgh, Scotland. It is situated on top of Calton Hill, and provides a dramatic termination to the vista along Princes Street from the west. The monument was built between 1807 and 1816 to commemorate Nelson's victory over the French and Spanish fleets at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, and his own death at the same battle.

National Museum of Scotland
Museums in Edinburgh don't charge an entry fee...The National Museum of Scotland has exhibits and collections on topics ranging from Scottish antiquities, anthropology, history, science and technology, as also world culture. Created after the merger of two museums, the National Museum of Scotland is massive, divided between two connected buildings.

Edinburg Castle.
Edinburg Castle....