Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
(
www.camera-obscura.co.uk
;
Castlehill; adult/child £10.95/7.95; 9.30am-9pm Jul &
Aug, 9.30am-7pm Apr-Jun, Sep & Oct, 10am-6pm Nov-Mar)
Edinburgh's camera obscura
is a curious 19th-century device - in constant use since 1853 - that uses lenses and mir-
rors to throw a live image of the city onto a large horizontal screen. The accompanying
commentary is entertaining and the whole experience has a quirky charm, complemented
by an intriguing exhibition dedicated to illusions of all kinds. Stairs lead up through vari-
ous displays to the
Outlook Tower
, which offers great views over the city.
HISTORIC BUILDING
Gladstone's Land
(NTS;
www.nts.org.uk
; 477 Lawnmarket; adult/child £6/5; 10am-6.30pm Jul & Aug, to
5pm Apr-Jun, Sep & Oct)
One of Edinburgh's most prominent 17th-century merchants
was Thomas Gledstanes, who in 1617 purchased the tenement later known as Gladstone's
Land. It contains fine painted ceilings, walls and beams, and some splendid furniture from
the 17th and 18th centuries. The volunteer guides provide a wealth of anecdotes and a de-
tailed history.
MUSEUM
Writers' Museum
(
www.edinburghmuseums.org.uk
; Lady Stair's Close, Lawnmarket; 10am-5pm Mon-
Sat year-round, 2-5pm Sun Aug)
Tucked down a close just east of Gladstone's Land you'll
find Lady Stair's House (1622), home to this museum that contains manuscripts and
memorabilia belonging to three of Scotland's most famous writers: Robert Burns, Sir Wal-
ter Scott and Robert Louis Stevenson.
St Giles Cathedral
(
www.stgilescathedral.org.uk
;
High St; £3 donation suggested; 9am-7pm Mon-Fri, to
5pm Sat, 1-5pm Sun May-Sep, 9am-5pm Mon-Sat, 1-5pm Sun Oct-Apr)
Dominating the
High St is the great grey bulk of St Giles Cathedral. Properly called the High Kirk of Ed-
inburgh (it was only a true cathedral - the seat of a bishop - from 1633 to 1638 and from
1661 to 1689), St Giles Cathedral was named after the patron saint of cripples and beg-
gars. A Norman-style church was built here in 1126 but was destroyed by English in-
vaders in 1385; the only substantial remains are the central piers that support the tower.
The present church dates largely from the 15th century - the beautiful
crown spire
was
completed in 1495 - but much of it was restored in the 19th century. The interior lacks
CHURCH
