Edinburgh

High Street – North Side

The main building on the northern side of the High Street is the City Chambers, which were designed by John Adam as the Royal Exchange and later used as the offices of the town council. Below this is Mary King's Close; when work started on the City Chambers in 1753 the tops of the existing houses were removed as the new building was to be constructed on top of them.

The 17^th century Mary King's Close is possibly named after the daughter of Alexander King, the advocate to Mary, Queen of Scots. In 1645 this close was sealed off due to the outbreak of the plague – with the victims buried inside and left to die. It has now been nicknamed the street of sorrows and is supposedly haunted.

Beside the City Chambers is Anchor Close, site of William Smellie's printing works. He printed the first ever edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica here in 1768.

Just before the junction with Cockburn Street is Fleshmarket Close, which lead to the slaughterhouse at the side of the Nor’ Loch. It now leads to Market Street and Waverley Station, cutting through Cockburn Street.

Cockburn Street, which leads to Waverley Bridge and Market Street, gives access to the remaining section of Mary King’s Close. Many of the tenements in the Old Town were demolished in the 19^th century to allow Cockburn Street to be built.

At this point the northern side of the High Street is split by North Bridge, which runs down to the eastern end of Princes Street.

Just after the junction with North Bridge is Carrubber's Close, which is named after a merchant who lived nearby. Allan Ramsay, the poet, lived here, as did James Young Simpson – he discovered the anaesthetic properties of chloroform while running a dispensary here.

Further down is Paisley Close, which is named after Henry Paisley who bought the land from the original owner in 1711. In 1861 a 17^th century building that stood here suddenly collapsed, killing 35 people. As the rubble was being cleared away a voice was heard shouting, "Heave awa lads I’m no deid yet!" This belonged to Joseph McIvor, the only survivor and, in honour of his miraculous escape, the building that replaced it was called The Heave Awa Hoose. An ornate lintel with a carving of Joseph McIvor's head acts as a reminder of the event and underneath it reads Heave Awa’ Chaps, I'm No’ Dead Yet, an anglicised version of what he said. The collapse of the building prompted a public outcry and an enquiry into the appalling living conditions in the Old Town. The rich had long since moved out to the wide streets and open space of the New Town and there was no investment in the old tenements, which by this time were at least 300 years old and crumbling.

Next is Chalmers Close where the Brass Rubbing Centre is located, within Trinity Apse. Inside is a selection of Pictish standing stones and medieval church brasses, which you can take rubbings from and a shop, where rubbings can be purchased.

Trinity Apse the only surviving part of the Holy Trinity Collegiate Church, which was founded in 1460. That was demolished in 1848, to make way for an extension to Waverley Station, and the stones were carefully numbered and stored on Calton Hill so it could be reassembled at a later date. However many of the stones were stolen before sufficient funds could be raised and all that could be rebuilt was the apse.

In Trunk’s Close the first edition of The Edinburgh Review was published in 1802. Lord Heathfield, the governor of Gibraltar at the time of the siege, lived here while attending school. The Cockburn Association, the city's Civic Trust, is currently located here.

Moubray House dates from the middle of the fifteenth century and is the oldest occupied house in Edinburgh and was used by Daniel Defoe as an office during his stay in 1707. The Netherbow Wellhead, which stands outside Moubray House, was one of the wells erected c.1685 to supply water to the public.

John Knox’s House is owned by the Church of Scotland and is associated to the religious reformer and houses an exhibition about his life and work. James Mossman, the goldsmith to Mary, Queen of Scots, originally built this house in the 15th century. It was rebuilt in the 16^th century.

The Church of Scotland also owns the Netherbow Arts Centre, which houses a small theatre, art gallery, and restaurant. The original 17^th century bell from the Netherbow Port hangs in the courtyard to the rear of the building. Above the sign for the centre is a ‘model’ of the gate.

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