Not all of Edinburgh’s history is well known; some of it has remained a secret, lost behind the façades of the familiar and hidden from view … until now. Fascinated by Edinburgh’s hidden history, author Jack Gillon has plundered the records in a quest for the lesser-known side of Scotland’s capital city. Secret Edinburgh tells the tales of the Arthur’s Seat coffins, the Great Lafayette and his dog Beauty, the Six Foot High Club, the first balloon ascent, a Patent Rotary Boat, bizarre perfo...

Edinburgh has always been a city of unusual characters and has its own distinct, often peculiar, history. Quirky Edinburgh delves into lesser-known but fascinating tales from Edinburgh’s past. Readers will discover stories of the sedan chairs that transported the gentry around the city in the eighteenth century, horse racing on Leith Sands, the open-air Royal Patent Gymnasium that delighted its Victorian visitors with rides on the Great Sea Serpent and Giant See-Saw, an exploding postbox, ...

Edinburgh, Scotland’s capital city, has a dramatic cityscape and its wealth of historic streets and buildings make up the UNESCO Old and New Towns World Heritage Site. The city has also been subject to a myriad of changes through the years. This book features several landmark buildings but concentrates attention on areas which have been subject to change through redevelopment.Edinburgh Reflections features a collection of historic and modern pictures that are individually merged to...

The 1960s, 1970s and 1980s were decades of great change. Many towns and cities were redeveloped with projects that dramatically affected the character of the place. People’s shopping habits were altered as supermarkets took over from traditional stores and corner shops. Leisure habits were changing too, as cheap air travel led to the arrival of the foreign package holiday and a new range of leisure facilities were developed at home. Fashions, as ever, were changing in this period, reflecti...

Edinburgh’s South Side has contributed much to the rich story of the city. In 1766, Edinburgh made its first ambitious expansion beyond the city walls with the planned development of George Square. The construction of the North and South Bridge, linking the New Town, Old Town and South Side, was a further boost to development in the area. Nineteenth-century industrialisation resulted in tenement housing, workshops and factories filling most of the available space between elegant Georgian b...

Stirlingshire is central to Scotland and its history. Spanning the boundary between the Highlands and Lowlands, and standing at the heart of Scotland, the town of Stirling was ‘the key of the Highlands’. Granted city status in 2002 as part of the Queen’s Jubilee celebrations, it is a thriving city with a proud and distinctive identity, which retains much of its ancient character and a wealth of fine heritage buildings. Cattle were driven from all over Scotland to the great trysts at Falkir...

Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, has much to celebrate. The city has been central to Scottish life and its history for many centuries. Its festivals attract visitors from all over the world, the quality of its architecture has been awarded the highest accolade of World Heritage status, and nature also gifted Edinburgh with the most stunning of settings. Its eminent scientists, engineers, philosophers and men of letters are internationally renowned. It is this combination of factors that...

The historic county of Fife is a natural peninsula on the east coast of Scotland, bordered by the Firth of Forth and the Firth of Tay. Alongside its three largest settlements of Dunfermline, Kirkcaldy and Glenrothes it is also home to the ancient city of St Andrews, with its world-famous golf course and university. The often turbulent history of Fife is reflected in its royal palaces, castles and other ruins, such as Ravenscraig Castle and Dunfermline Abbey. Fife’s picturesque coast draws ...

Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, has been central to Scottish life and its history over the centuries. It is the seat of the Scottish government, the Scottish parliament, the supreme courts of Scotland, many national institutions, and a major educational, medical and financial centre. The Palace of Holyroodhouse is the official residence of the monarch in Scotland. The Old Town retains much of its medieval character and the Georgian New Town, with its regular facades and major neoclassi...

In 1560, Mary of Guise moved the Scottish Court to Leith, a site that is now Parliament Street, off Coalhill. Serving Edinburgh’s shipbuilding and repair facilities, in subsequent centuries Leith’s port saw the opening of a new Wet Dock, the first of its kind in Scotland. Leith has played a long and prominent role in Scottish history. As the major port serving Edinburgh, it has been the stage on which many significant events have taken place. From housing the Scottish Court to seeing civil...

Having been granted city status during the Golden Jubilee celebrations in 2002, Stirling is Scotland’s smallest city, but has an enthralling wealth of architectural and historic heritage that would be the envy of much larger places in the country. Stirling’s heritage dates from the thirteenth century, when it was granted a royal charter and became a significant medieval settlement. Its strategic importance as the ‘Gateway to the Highlands’ also made it the much-fought over ‘Cockpit of Scot...

The ‘Fair City of Perth’ is aptly named. Situated on the banks of the Tay, Scotland’s longest river, Perth and its surrounding area boast some of the most beautiful scenery in the country. The city’s position on the River Tay ensured that it became a busy trading port, exporting salmon and wool and importing claret from Bordeaux. Its bustling harbour remains in use, the only inland harbour in Britain. Perth was once the capital of Scotland and there are many interesting historical sights t...