'Lost Edinburgh' by Hamish Coghill

Another excellent 2nd hand book, dated 2008, reprinted several times, lastly 2016.  Is there any other way to find such books?  Bookshops close, prices rise, and Amazon and World of Books (via Amazon) are the best at the moment.

In my mind Edinburgh has always been an ancient city going back a thousand years or so.  The buildings on the High Street were to me very old and well able to speak of Kings and Queens, rich and poor, famous men abounding and history likewise.  

I was wrong!

While many buildings do indeed go back into the distant past so many were rebuilt during the 17th and 18th centuries, often because of fire and slum clearance, that so many aged buildings are in fact mere Victorian rebuilds.  The older ones, often of wood, long gone. 

From the days of 8500 BC when man created settlements, possibly temporary, down at Cramond, the area has always been inhabited.  The hills, some formed from hopefully still dead volcanoes, provided excellent sites for fortifications when families became tribes and the resources were sought by others. 

The most famous and longest lasting being Edinburgh Castle, a very strong fortification but unlikely to hinder anyone today, not with all these tourists in the way.

Hamish Coghill, a very Scottish name, begins his work in the distant past and takes us through the many famous buildings, now often discovered in ancient literature, informs us of their loss and what may have replaced them.   

The city was of course altered occasionally by English thugs, sometimes burning it to the ground because that is what the followers of St George do, and continue to do these days as we saw recently.  However, most alterations came through the need for improvements, slum clearance, fire, and occasionally a building collapsing because it was not cared for.  

Paisley Close marks the spot when in September 1861 a seven story tenement, dating back around 300 years, suddenly collapsed.  On the ground floor as in normal practice there were several shops including a bakers and a grocers.  The grocer, one Mr Cairns had become concerned about the cracks appearing in his shop and the paint beginning to loosen.  A builder was called who claimed it was not too serious and promised to return on the Monday with his men to deal with this.  There was also a rumour, but no evidence, that the baker had removed a supporting wall to enlarge his business, and some complained about creaking and rumbles in the wall.  However, the owner does not appear to have been informed or concerned and late at night the building and the 77 people within collapsed.  

Through the night rescuers fought to save those inside the ruins.  Among them a voice crying "Heave awa men, I'm no deid yet."  It is possible, but not proven, that this was Joseph McIvor, a 12 year old who had fallen down four storeys and had the rest of the house land on him.  It took some time to retrieve him as he was trapped by a large beam, but it appears his demeanour never let him down.  

Advocates Close, before clearances

Joseph was of course lucky, 35 others did not survive.  This however, caused consternation and gave great support to those who were already agitating for reforms in housing and health.  The aged city centre was by the 18th century mostly housing the lower orders, those who could moved into the more airier parts of town.  This left the poor in slumland and Dr Henry Littlejohn was appointed as the cities first Medical Officer of Health, a role arriving slowly throughout the land, in 1862 and three years later issued a report on the conditions in the town centre.  This led to many buildings being removed, wooden or stone built so many were unhealthy and dangerous, thus giving Edinburgh a cleaner healthier city.  

This was helped by fire, a constant threat in a closely bound city, and on occasions sever buildings were destroyed in this way and the inhabitants, both private and commercial are out on the street.  One such in 1824 took several days to die out, leaving huge areas of the Lawnmarket  destroyed.  The rebuilding was quick, the losses massive.

The 1865 report led to changes and was mostly responsible for the centre having this appearance, however, the creation of the North and then South Bridge again caused demolition of famous buildings.  The city then prospered enough to move out wider and wider, offering healthier living and less fire danger.

This has not stopped.  Edinburgh is much greater since I lived there.  Old buildings have been removed, many benefiting the city, some not so much.  Large housing estates arrived before and after the war, some of these have been amended since to provide better living areas and hinder the ever rising drug crime.  

The book Hamish has given us is very readable, it took me a short time to finish this.  The book is full of information, many illustrations reveal what was lost and what preserved, and Edinburgh remains one of the greatest tourists attractions in the world.

Read this book!