There aren’t many places in Edinburgh where someone who lived here in the 1600’s would feel at home today.
Most of the City, its streets and buildings have changed so much over the last 400 years that a time traveller transported from the 1600’s to the 2000’s would barely recognise their City. Buildings have been knocked down and rebuilt, streets have been created and other streets lost. The City Walls and Gates have mostly gone, replaced with lots of traffic, jostling crowds and brightly lit shops. Even the Castle, St Giles and the High Street in between, look completely different today than they looked in the 1600’s.
But there are still a few corners of Edinburgh where that time traveller would feel at home. Where they would instantly recognise familiar scenes, barely changed over the centuries. Parts of Greyfriars Kirkyard would certainly count amongst these places. A Time Traveller arriving here from the 1600’s would recognise the ostentatious monuments, feel at home amongst the gravestones and grass, with the Kirk and Heriot’s School creating familiar backdrops.
We need to remember just how rare and precious it is to be able to see so much that has stood for 400 years in its original form & beauty. But we can’t take for granted that it will remain recognisable for years to come. We need to look after this space, conserve it, celebrate it, share it responsibly and recognise how valuable & vulnerable it is.
