Date: Thursday 20th February 2014
Start Time: 10:45 (please note earlier start)
Duration: Approximately 2.5 hours
Meet at: Chambers Street Museum, Ground Floor (by the cafe)
This was a guided walk (by Blue-Badge Guides) through parts of Old Edinburgh. We started the walk in the ‘Old Quad’ at the University Of Edinburgh, next to the Museum. The Quad
was the site of Kirk O’ Fields, where plotters tried to blow up Lord Darnley (husband
of Mary Queen of Scots). We moved on to the site of the Argyle Brewery tucked
in behind the buildings in Chambers
Street, opposite the Museum. It seems to be theme
on these walks to find old breweries.
On down Guthrie Street, named after Dr Thomas Guthrie Minister and Moderator of
the Church of Scotland as well as founder of ‘Ragged Schools’ for poor
children. It was in this area that Sir Walter Scott lived as a child. From
there we continued down to the Cowgate, aptly named as the way into town for
the cattle on market days. At one point this was where the rich people of
Edinburgh lived, it then became the home to migrating Irish during the potato
famine and the local church, St Patrick’ s, was where Hibernian FC was started.
Irish freedom fighter James Connelly was born in the Cowgate in 1868.
We then went into Magdalene Chapel, started in 1541, with the only remaining
pre-Reformation stained glass windows left in Scotland, home to the Hammerman
Crafts. Well worth a visit to find out about its history and its links with
Covenanters as well as the Brods on the walls.
On to the Grassmarket to hear more about the Covenanters and Rabbie Burns, to
see the insignia for Glasgow on one of the walls
to show where the coach left from to go to Glasgow. Down Kings Stables Road oddly enough
site of where the Royal Stables were and also the jousting grounds for the army.
We paused on our way into the Princess
Street Gardens
at the statue of ‘Bum’, a three legged dog and San Diego’s version of Greyfriars Bobby, and finished
at St Cuthbert's Church. It was here that Agatha Christie was married in
secret. It also contains a plaque to John Napier founder of the University and
logarithm expert. The church also has a magnificent marble and alabaster Pulpit
with beautiful painted ceiling as well as a Tiffany stained glass window. There
is also a marble lined Memorial Chapel to those who fell in the wars.
Many thanks to Drew and to our two guides on this interesting walk. Here’s to
the walk in March, round Silverknowes and Cramond.
