place

Edinburgh town walls

Category A listed buildings in EdinburghCategory B listed buildings in EdinburghCity walls in the United KingdomFortifications in ScotlandGeographic coordinate lists
History of EdinburghLists of coordinatesOld Town, EdinburghScheduled monuments in ScotlandUse British English from February 2017Walls in Scotland
Edinburgh Town Walls 011
Edinburgh Town Walls 011

There have been several town walls around Edinburgh, Scotland, since the 12th century. Some form of wall probably existed from the foundation of the royal burgh in around 1125, though the first building is recorded in the mid-15th century, when the King's Wall was constructed. In the 16th century the more extensive Flodden Wall was erected, following the Scots' defeat at the Battle of Flodden in 1513. This was extended by the Telfer Wall in the early 17th century. The walls had a number of gates, known as ports, the most important being the Netherbow Port, which stood halfway down the Royal Mile. This gave access from the Canongate which was, at that time, a separate burgh. The walls never proved very successful as defensive structures, and were easily breached on more than one occasion. They served more as a means of controlling trade and taxing goods, and as a deterrent to smugglers. By the mid 18th century, the walls had outlived both their defensive and trade purposes, and demolition of sections of the wall began. The Netherbow Port was pulled down in 1764, and demolition continued into the 19th century. Today, a number of sections of the three successive walls survive, although none of the ports remain.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Edinburgh town walls (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Edinburgh town walls
Lauriston Place, City of Edinburgh Tollcross

Geographical coordinates (GPS) Address Website Nearby Places
placeShow on map

Wikipedia: Edinburgh town wallsContinue reading on Wikipedia

Geographical coordinates (GPS)

Latitude Longitude
N 55.94622 ° E -3.19698 °
placeShow on map

Address

George Heriot's School

Lauriston Place
EH3 9EQ City of Edinburgh, Tollcross
Scotland, United Kingdom
mapOpen on Google Maps

Website
george-heriots.com

linkVisit website

Edinburgh Town Walls 011
Edinburgh Town Walls 011
Share experience

Nearby Places

Lauriston
Lauriston

Lauriston is an area of central Edinburgh, Scotland, and home to a number of significant historic buildings. It lies south of Edinburgh Castle and the Grassmarket, and north of The Meadows public park. Lauriston is the former location of the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, which moved to the area in 1879 in search of fresher air at the edge of the city. Rather than build entirely new facilities, the Infirmary incorporated George Watson's Hospital into the new David Bryce-designed complex. The Infirmary operated as a voluntary hospital and teaching hospital for the University of Edinburgh Medical School until 2003, when operations were moved and the buildings sold to a private developer. The complex underwent major renovations to a design by architects Foster and Partners, resulting in the £750 million mixed-use development branded as the Quartermile. As of 2021, the University of Edinburgh is investing £120 million to convert the remaining main Infirmary buildings to house the Edinburgh Futures Institute, an interdisciplinary academic hub.Lauriston is also home to the Edinburgh College of Art in its campus based on Lauriston Place. In 2017 it acquired the former headquarters of the Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service including the Museum of Fire.George Heriot's School, an independent primary and secondary school is located in Lauriston Place opposite the Old Royal Infirmary. Founded by royal goldsmith George Heriot, the school's main building from the mid-to-late 17th century is one of the finest remaining Scottish examples of late Renaissance architecture. Buildings in Lauriston