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The Canongate is a former burgh and township with its own administrative set-up which has now been swallowed up by a growing Edinburgh, in 1856. Much to the displeasure of its townsfolk . The main street running through the area is also called Canongate. This street, forms the lower part of the Royal Mile in Edinburgh's historic Old Town. The Canongate takes its name from the Augustinian canons of Holyrood Abbey who were granted a charter in 1128 by King David I to form a burgh between the Abbey of Holyrood and the town of Edinburgh. Gate is taken from the Scots word gait meaning "road" or "walk".

Writing in 1823, Robert Chalmers says 'As the main avenue from the palace into the city, it has born upon its pavements the burden of all that was beautiful, all that was gallent, all that has become historically interesting in Scotland for the last six or seven hundred years'.

With the expansion of the palace of Holyroodhouse in the 16th century, the burgh of Canongate grew enormously in terms of size and status due to the people living there being connected with the royal court .

The Canongate started to decline after the accession of King James VI of Scotland to the throne of England in 1603. The loss of the royal court from the Palace of Holyroodhouse inevitably had an impact of the surrounding area. This was exacerbated following the construction of Edinburgh's New Town. However the Canongate was an important district during the Scottish Enlightenment with founding of the Canongate Theatre by Lord Monboddo, David Hume and other intellectuals of that era.

Notable Buildings

Canongate Tolbooth. The Tolbooth was built in 1591 originally as a place where public dues or tolls were collected. The Canongate Council met there. The distinctive coat of arms of the Burgh a "stag's head and cross" denotes the legendary tale of the founding of the abbey and the town itself. The People's Story Museum is now located within the Canongate Tolbooth.

Mercat Cross. Canongate had its own Mercat Cross which stood in the roadway, but has been moved a number of times, being attached to the Tolbooth, then in front of the Canongate Kirk. It currently is situated in the south-east corner of Canongate Churchyard to the right hand side of the entrance to Canongate Kirk. The base of the Octagonal shaft is relatively new dating from 1888. The burgh had two further crosses. The Girth Cross, its site now marked by a circle of cobbles lay at the foot of the Canongate and St John's Cross which lay near the head of the Canongate now marked by a maltese falcon. The Girth Cross marked the eastern boundary at the Abbey Santuary of Holyrood, established by King David, where a person could have the protection of the church. St John Cross was associated with the order of St John and marked the western boundary with Edinburgh. Proclomations and executions were carried out next to these crosses.

Canongate Kirk. Originally, the people of the Canongate worshipped in the Holyrood Abbey, but in 1687 James VII ordered that the nave be converted to into a chapel for the Order of the Thistle. The Lord Commissioners of the Treasury asked James Smith to design a new church and it was opened in 1691. It's plan is unique amongst Scottish 17th century churches - a Latin cross with an aisled nave, transepts, chancel and apse. The church is still used for Sunday services as well as weekday concerts. A detached part of the parish of Canongate also covered Edinburgh Castle, hence a large common grave area for soldiers at the lower end of the churchyard.

Moray House. One of the grandest of the Canongate mansions is Moray House with first floor balcony and entrance gatepiers with pyramid filials. It was built in 1628 for Mary, Dowager Countess of Home, was visited by Charles I and was occupied by Cromwell. On his wedding day, the Marquis of Argyll, watched James Graham, Marquis of Montrose being wheeled to his execution. Tradition has it that within a summerhouse within its garden, the Treaty of Union was being signed, until an angry mob drove the signatories to seek shelter elsewhere. Moray House was used as part of Moray House Institute for Education until this merged with Edinburgh University in August 1998.

Queensberry House. Another of the Canongate mansions is Queensberry House. Originally built in 1681 by Charles Maitland of Hatton, it was sold in 1681 to the first Duke of Queensberry and remained in the Queensberry family until 1801. The second Duke of Queensberry was a commissioner in the Treaty of Union with England, accepting a bribe of over £12,000 to see the Treaty passed. His son was insane. Whilst the Duke was out signing the Treaty, his son left in the house, roasted a young kitchen boy alive, and was found eating him when discovered. Queensberry House is today incorporated within the Scottish Parliament.

Order of St John. In the 18th Century St John Street was a fashionable address. However, the only remaining 18th Century House, on the west side of the street is now used as the Headquarters of the Priory of Scotland of the most venerated order of St John, a 13th Century order of chivalry revived in 1947.

Canongate Kilwinning Lodge. Also in St John Street, the oldest building, the Masonic Canongate Kilwinning Lodge, built in 1786 and believed to be the oldest Masonic Lodge-room in the world. Robert Burns paid his first visit to the Lodge on the 1st March 1787 when he was affiliated as a member

Royal Mile Primary School is a state school providing education for 5-11 year old children. Formerly, the school was known as Milton House Public School (and can still be seen incised on the stonwork) and was built in 1888. It's name derived from Andrew Fletcher of Milton, Lord Justice Clerk of Scotland who had a house here. Lord Milton was a nephew of Andrew Fletcher of Saltoun the Scottish patriot who tried to prevent the Treaty of Union with England. As the school is central and historic, its pupils are often involved in events at the Scottish Parliament and Edinburgh Castle.

Huntly House. One of the finest of the preserved houses is Huntly House which originally comprises of three adjoining timber tenements built in 1517 and rebuilt in stone in 1570. It takes its name from the first Marquis of Huntly who is supposed to have lived here in the late 16th Century. In 1647 it was bought by the Incorporation of Hammerman (smiths) of the Canongate who used it as their headquarters. It is currently used as the Museum of Edinburgh.

Panmure House is a rare survival of a 17th C. town house in the Old Town. It was built in 1691-93 for Lt Col. George Murray who sold it in 1696 to James Maule, 4th Earl of Panmure (1658-1723). It remained the city residence of the Earls of Panmure until it passed to the Earls of Dalhousie in 1782. It was rented by the economist Adam Smith (1723-90) when he was Commissioner of Customs. In the 1830s, the grounds were occupied by the Panmure Iron Foundry. The L-shaped two-storey building fell into ruins by the 1950s but was restored in 1957 and is now A-listed. For a time it became the home of Canongate Boys Club and was later occupied by the Social Services Department of the City of Edinburgh Council, who sold it in 2008. It is now owned by Edinburgh Business School, part of Heriot-Watt University, and has been redeveloped to become a centre for economics teaching and research.

Whiteford House

Callander House

Reids Court'

Nisbet of Dirlton's House

White Horse Close

Scottish Parliament

Dynamic Earth

Many of the Canongate buildings are 20th century reconstructions of 17th and 18th century tenement blocks, built to harmonize with the street, rather than copy those they replace. Such a block is Morocco Land (nos 265-7 Canongate) rebuilt 1957 but retaining some of the original stones, including the effigy of a moor which gives the block its name. An interesting legend is attached to this moor. A young man Andrew Gray was condemned to death for leading a riot but escaped to Morrocco. He returned in 1645 to demand a pardon, but on learning that Edinburgh's Provost was dying of the plague, he offered to cure her. She was cured and he won his pardon, they married and lived in a house on this site.

Walter Scott named Chronicles of the Canongate (1820s) after the area.

http://maps.nls.uk/towns/detail.cfm?id=426 Map of the Canongate 1813