History of Leith, Edinburgh

Mary as the Dauphiness of France by Clouet. Her Coat of Arms can be seen at South Leith Parish Church

Source-wikipedia

The Death Mask of Mary, Queen of Scots is now at Lennoxlove which is the seat of the Hamilton Family. Perhaps the Death Mask tells us really how she looked rather then from the many portraits which exist.

The Death Mask of Mary, Queen of Scots

Her Coat of Arms can be seen in the West Porch at South Leith Church.

At 2am on Wednesday 8 February 1587, Mary Queen of Scots picked up her pen for the last time. Her execution on the block at Fotheringay Castle was a mere six hours away when she wrote this letter, addressed to her former brother-in-law, Henri III of France. for more click here

On the 20th August 1561, Queen Mary landed at the Town to take possession of the throne of her ancestors. The time was about eight in the morning and Leith must have presented a different aspect from the proceeding year when the canon of the besiegers thundered against the walls. (more…)

The Hanseatic League (German: die Hanse, Dutch: de Hanze, Estonian: hansa, Polish: Hanza, Danish: Hansestæderne, Swedish: Hansan) comprised an alliance of trading guilds that established and maintained a trade monopoly over the Baltic Sea, to a certain extent the North Sea, and most of Northern Europe for a time in the later Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, between the 13th and 17th centuries. for more click here

Links between Scotland and Norway go back centuries, so it’s only fitting that His Majesty The King’s Guard should be parading at this year’s Edinburgh Military Tattoo to mark Norway’s centenary of independence. But why will the Royal Guard be visiting one particular penguin at Edinburgh Zoo? for more click here