Streets of Edinburgh Volume II

Updated July 2024Edinburgh's Old Town is characterized by Closes and Wynds alleyways accessing tall tenements in which people lived. Leading off either side of the central spine the Royal Mile these alleyways viewed from above form a fish skeleton. Many closes and wynds survive offering interesting insights into old Edinburgh and the city today. Illustrated verses explore the closes and wynds explaining the differences between the terms.Visionary residents established gardens in the Old Town. Further verses explore these surprising gardens and the pioneers who saw nature as a way of softening the often harsh built-up Old Town environment.In the deep valley south of the Royal Mile we find the Grassmarket and Cowgate areas whose fortunes have changed over centuries. On its southern slopes are a prominent school dating back to the 17th-century Greyfriars kirk and parts of Edinburgh University. They and their origins are explored.A companion volume Volume I The Royal Mile describes that historic street. A further companion volume Volume III The New Town describes the development of new towns to the north from the late 18th-century. Each is self-contained able to be read and enjoyed on its own.