Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Gladstone's Land
Run by the National Trust for Scotland, which rescued the
property from demolition in the 1930s, this 17th-century merchant's house is deco-
rated in period-style furnishings. It's not big and is worth a visit if only to get a feel-
ing of the confined living conditions 400 years ago--even for the reasonably well off.
Gladstone (then spelled Gledstane) expanded the original 16th-century structure he
purchased in 1617 both upwards and toward the street. Above the ground floor, in
the front room that he added, you can see the original exterior with its classical
friezes of columns and arches. Here, as well, is the sensitively restored timber ceil-
ing, looking suitably weathered and aged, with colorful paintings of flowers and fruit.
Last admission is 30 minutes prior to closing.
477B Lawnmarket.
&
0131/226-5856.
www.nts.org.uk/visits. Admission £5.50 adults, £4.50 seniors,
students, and children, £15 families. MC, V. Apr-June and Sept-Oct daily 10am-5pm; July-Aug daily
10am-6:30pm. Bus: 23, 27, 41, or 45.
Writers' Museum
This remnant of a 17th-century house contains a trove of
portraits, relics, and manuscripts relating to Scotland's greatest men of letters: Rob-
ert Burns (1759-96), Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832), and Robert Louis Stevenson
(1850-94). The Writers' Museum is often a surprisingly uncrowded space. The
basement is perhaps best, with a good deal of items from the life of Stevenson
(including his fishing rod and riding boots), as well as a gallery of black-and-white
photographs taken when he lived in the South Pacific. The main floor is devoted to
Scott with his dining room table from 39 Castle St., his pipe, chess set, and original
manuscripts. Another set of rooms gives details of Burns's life (note his page-one
death notice in a copy of London's
Herald
on July 27, 1796), along with his writing
desk, rare manuscripts, portraits, and other items. The premises, Lady Stair's House,
with its narrow passages and low clearances, was originally built in 1622 for Edin-
burgh merchant Sir William Gray. Outside in the Makars Close, flagstones have
been engraved with the words of Scotland's best writers.
Lady Stair's Close, off Lawnmarket.
&
0131/529-4901.
www.cac.org.uk. Free admission. Mon-Sat
10am-5pm (also Sun noon-5pm in Aug). Bus: 23, 27, 41, or 45.
St. Giles' Cathedral
A brief walk downhill from Edinburgh Castle, this
church—and its steeple in particular—is one of the most important architectural
landmarks along the Royal Mile. Here is where Scotland's equal to Martin Luther,
John Knox, preached his sermons on the Reformation. Also known as the High Kirk
of St. Giles, the building combines a dark and brooding stone exterior (the result of
a Victorian-era restoration) with surprisingly graceful buttresses. Only the tower
represents the medieval era of the church. One of its outstanding features is the
Thistle Chapel, housing beautiful stalls and notable heraldic stained-glass windows.
High St.
&
0131/225-9442.
www.stgilescathedral.org.uk. Free admission, but £3 donation suggested.
May-Sept Mon-Fri 9am-7pm, Sat 9am-5pm, Sun 1-5pm (and for services); Oct-Apr Mon-Sat 9am-
5pm, Sun 1-5pm (and for services). Bus: 23, 27, 28, 35, 41, or 42.
The Real Mary King's Close
Beneath Edinburgh's City Chambers lies a warren
of now hidden alleys where once people lived and worked. When the Royal
Exchange (now the City Chambers) was constructed in 1753, the top floors of the
existing buildings were torn down and the lower sections were left standing to be
used as the foundations. This left a number of dark, mysterious passages largely
intact. These underground “closes,” originally very narrow walkways with houses on
8
