Old Photograph Mercat Cross Edinburgh Scotland

Old photograph of the Mercat Cross in Edinburgh, Scotland. The Market Cross of Edinburgh stands in the city's Parliament Square next to St Giles Kirk, facing the High Street, part of the Royal Mile. As elsewhere in Scotland, important civic announcements were made at the mercat cross. In Edinburgh, royal and parliamentary proclamations that affected all of Scotland were publicly read. The practice of announcing successions to the monarchy and the calling of parliamentary general elections is continued to this day by heralds of the Lord Lyon King of Arms. The Protestant reformer John Knox relates that for one hour and four hours on two separate days in 1565 Sir James Tarbet was tied to the Cross and pelted with eggs for saying the Mass, which had been banned by the Scottish Parliament five years previously. After the surrender of the " Queen's Men " ended the " Lang Siege " of Edinburgh Castle William Kirkcaldy of Grange, his brother James and the two jewelers Mossman and Cokke, who had been minting coins in the Queen's name inside the castle, were hanged at the Cross on 3 August 1573.



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