Edinburgh [antikvár]

IntroductionAny man, however little of a historian he may be, may stand on the pavement of Princes Street and trace for himself the growth of Edinburgh. Let him first obliterate every building in his mind's eye and imagine the terrain as it was a thousand years or more ago. Even then the Castle Rock commanded the scene, though yet uncrowned by its ramparts and strongholds of defensive masonry. From it the ridge swept downwards to the boggy land at the foot of Arthur's Seat. In the valley where the railway now runs a loch glittered and all round lay the wild, un/ reclaimed land of Lothian, although the Romans knew the port of Cramond, now within the city's boundaries, and the British tribes who held this land had no doubt built their primitive settlements of rude, impermanent huts.Now, in his mind's eye, let him begin to build. The noble defensive position of the Castle begins to be fortified. A township begins to grow under its pre tective eye and creeps slowly down the spine towards the east. A pious king founds the Abbey of Holyrood and another so likes to reside there that he decides to build his palace on this site. So, over the centuries, there comes into being that long narrow street we call the Royal Milethree streets in reality, the Lawn' market, the High Street and the Canongate, with the High Kirk of St Giles reminding us of early Christian tradition as well as of the stormy times of John Knox. City walls are reared up and demolished. Then the citizens build the North Bridge and stride across the ravine to found the New Town, of which Princes Street is the fringe.