History of Leith, Edinburgh

The Parliament of Scotland, officially the Estates of Parliament, was the legislature of the independent Kingdom of Scotland.

The unicameral parliament of Scotland is first found on record during the early thirteenth century, and the first meeting for which reliable evidence survives (referred to, like the contemporaneous Parliament of England, as a colloquium in the surviving Latin records) was at Kirkliston (a small town now on the outskirts of Edinburgh) in 1235, during the reign of Alexander II of Scotland. for more click here

The Scottish Parliament, like other such institutions, evolved during the middle ages from the king’s council of bishops and earls. for more click here

A number of attempts at union occurred before 1707, but it was the constitutional and economic factors of the early 1700s that brought the issue to the fore. for more click here

Get a unique perspective on the Scottish Parliament with our online panoramic photo tour. Begin your 360° tour in the main hall of the Parliament or by selecting another area via the detail images below. for more click here

First Minister Alex Salmond has recorded a special St Andrew’s Day Message for the country’s National Day and decided to fly the banner of the Royal Arms of Scotland, which shows a lion rampant, outside the Scottish Government headquarters in Edinburgh.

The FM, as Keeper of the Great Seal of Scotland, is one of the Crown representatives permitted to use the Royal Arms of Scotland. The banner shows the Royal Coat of Arms of the Kingdom of Scotland, and forms part of the Royal Arms. for more click here

The Bass Rock, or simply The Bass,is an island in the outer part of the Firth of Forth in the east of Scotland, approximately one mile off North Berwick.

The island is a volcanic plug and stands over 100 m high in the Firth of Forth Islands Special Protection Area which covers some, but not all of the islands in the inner and outer Firth. The Bass Rock is a Site of Special Scientific Interest in its own right, due to its Gannet colony. It is sometimes called “the Ailsa Craig of the East”. It is of a similar geological form to nearby North Berwick Law, a hill on the mainland. for more click here

Newhaven c1900

Welcome to our Gazetteer! On these pages you will find a listing of all the places covered by The Francis Frith Collection’s online content. The gazetteer can guide you to the town or village you are looking for. for more click here

Inchcolm is an island in the Firth of Forth in Scotland. Repeatedly attacked by English raiders during the Wars of Scottish Independence, it was fortified during both World Wars to defend nearby Edinburgh. Inchcolm was now attracts visitors to its former Augustinian Abbey. for more click here

List of Information about Celtic Saints. for more click here

Address: Restalrig Collegiate Church (now St Margaret’s) off Restalrig Road South, east Edinburgh

The lower part of a chapel built by James III, housing the shrine of St Triduana, a Pictish saint. The Hexagonal vaulted chamber is reputedly unique. for more click here