Edinburgh
Town Guide
Edinburgh Town Guide, Gladstone's Land, 6K

Located on the Lawnmarket section of the Royal Mile, Gladstone's Land is one of the most interesting buildings in the Old Town. For this one house exemplifies Edinburgh society in the 17th century.

Edinburgh Town Guide, The House, 1K The house used to belong to the Gledstane family, a family of merchants who lived in Edinburgh in the 17th century. As the family's wealth increased they transformed a once modest house into the six-storey mansion you see today.

The Gledstanes only occupied one floor, however, preferring to lease out the others to tenants. The leasing of houses has been common practice in Edinburgh for many hundreds of years and similar tenements are still a distinct feature of today's city.

But more importantly, the house is one of the few buildings in Edinburgh that still has an arcaded ground floor. At one time most of the buildings in the Royal Mile used to have similar arcades, which were used as shops, but Gladstone's Land is one of the few surviving examples.

The interior of the house has been carefully restored with 17th century fittings and furnishings and so the overall effect is a wonderfully historic house that gives you a fleeting glimpse of Edinburgh past.

Gladstone's Land is open daily between April and October, from 10am to 5pm. Entrance costs around £3 for adults.




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