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...

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 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...

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...

The historic county of Lothian lies along the south side of the broad estuary of the Forth. Its strategic location and political and economic importance, with Edinburgh at its centre, has made the county witness to some of the most significant events in Scottish history. This is reflected in the remarkable wealth of architectural heritage spanning thousands of years. Castles, royal palaces, churches and industrial buildings of national importance abound in the county. Author Jack Gillon se...

Perth History Tour provides a fascinating glimpse into the past of ‘The Fair City’. It was once the capital of Scotland, was given Royal Burgh status in the early twelfth century under King David I and developed as one of the most affluent towns in Scotland. Perth’s position on the River Tay ensured that it became a busy trading port, exporting salmon and wool and importing claret from Bordeaux. In this pocket-sized guide, Jack Gillon offers a tour around Perth’s streets and buildings, sho...

Falkirk is a small town with a big history. Its strategic location, at the crossroads of lowland Scotland, contributed to its key role in Scotland’s history. The Romans were the first to make a significant mark on the district, William Wallace and Bonnie Prince Charlie fought the English nearby, cattle were driven from all over Scotland to the great trysts in the area, central Scotland’s canals came together at Camelon, and local foundries fuelled the Industrial Revolution. Secret Falkirk ...

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 in the nation’s past have taken place, from housing the Scottish court to witnessing civil war, acting as the port of call for royal arrivals and becoming its own burgh until the amalgamation with Edinburgh in 1920. The 1950s brought the final days of the old and ancient thoroughfares in the heart of Leith: the Kirkgate, St Andrew Stree...

Ayr has always been an important economic centre on Scotland’s south-west coast. The town was established as a royal burgh in 1205, serving as the county’s central marketplace and harbour throughout the medieval period and has remained an important port throughout its history. With the expansion of the railway during the nineteenth century, Ayr soon developed into a popular seaside resort. Ayr remains an elegant county town and a bustling regional shopping centre with a long history and a ...

The Midlothian town of Dalkeith has had an eventful history. Cromwell’s officer, General Monck, was Commander in Scotland, and the government of the country was based out of Dalkeith Castle. In the seventeenth century, Dalkeith had one of Scotland’s largest markets in its exceptionally broad High Street. In 1831 Dalkeith was linked to Edinburgh by a railway line that transported coal, minerals and agricultural produce. Two decades later, in 1853, a corn exchange, at the time the largest in...

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...