|
|
Edinburgh Recollections
Holyrood Park
Holyrood Park is also known as King's
Park and (now) Queen's Park
|
|
Recollections of Holyrood Park
|
|
1.
|
Bob Henderson
Burdiehouse, Edinburgh
|
The Cat's Nick |
|
2.
|
Roberta
Luciani
Thorold, Ontario, Canada
|
Napoleon's Hat
Daisy Hill
Swing Park
Plantation
St Margaret's Loch |
|
3.
|
Joan Martin (nee Hogg)
Beckenham, Kent
|
Arthur's Seat
David Hogg
Telescope |
|
4.
|
Bryan Gourlay
Biggar, Lanarkshire, Scotland
|
The Gutted Haddie
Bonfire
Health & Safety
Rifle Range |
|
5.
|
Bryan Gourlay
Biggar, Lanarkshire, Scotland
|
The Gutted Haddie
|
|
6.
|
Alex Jackson
Edinburgh
|
Allotments
|
|
Recollections
1.
Bob Henderson
Burdiehouse, Edinburgh |
|
Thank you to Bob Henderson
who wrote:
|
|
The Cat's Nick
"We roamed over every inch of the park, the
vast majority of times unaccompanied by an adult. We were really rather
wild and adventurous pre-1950.
To
be able to call yourself 'one of the gang' you had to scale the Crags at
the 'Cats Nick'.
Even
as a young man, I was not very tall, 5 foot six when I went for my army
medical at 18 . I certainly would not contemplate trying it now, so we
must have been really wanting to join that gang."
|
|
Recollections
2.
Roberta Luciani
Thorold, Ontario, Canada |
|
Roberta Luciani now lives in
Canada. She used to live at Dumbiedykes.
Roberta wrote:
|
|
Napoleon's Hat
"I was fortunate enough to visit that area in
2007. I toured the New Parliament Buildings, and while there,
looking out over to the Park I happened tell the Guide that I learned to
ride my first bike at the roundabout in the park outside Holyrood Palace,
and that we used to call it 'Napoleon's Hat' because of it's shape.
The Guide was unaware of the name. I wonder
if anyone else remembers the name?"
|
|
Daisy Hill - Swing Park -
Plantation - St Margaret's Loch
"Looking back, we had a wonderful playground.
In those days, it was called the King's Park. We had our special
places like the Daisy Hill, the Swing Park, the very scary Plantation and
of course, St. Margaret's Loch and the swans."
|
|
Roberta Luciani, Thorold, Ontario, Canada: February
10, 2008.
|
|
Recollections
3.
Joan Martin (nee
Hogg)
Beckenham, Kent
|
|
Thank you to Joan Martin
(nee Hogg) for
sending me her recollections of Holyrood Park.
Joan wrote:
|
|
Arthur's Seat
"I loved looking at the photo of Arthur's
Seat, taken on the 7th of January this year:
©
Along with many other Southsiders, I often
climbed Arthur's Seat, mostly taking the easy route from the back,
although if you were feeling particularly brave, you could tackle it by
way of the 'Gutted Haddie' (I think), which
was a very rocky climb up the front of the hill to the top, where, of
course, you were rewarded with a magnificent view of the city.
I don't know if the tradition still exists of
doing the climb on the morning of May 1st, and on reaching the top,
washing your face in the morning dew!"
Yes the tradition still continues. I was there myself
to see dawn on May 1, 2007, after having had a few hours' sleep following
the Beltane Festival on Calton Hill the night before.
- Peter Stubbs: February 16, 2008
|
|
David Hogg
"Another reason for feeling nostalgic
about Arthur's Seat is the fact that the ashes of my young brother,
David Hogg, were scattered around various places in Holyrood Park.
He died on 20th February, 1991, in the USA, as
a result of a tragic motorway accident whilst driving home to his wife
Rosemary and family in Carmel, Indiana, after a business trip to Chicago.
But on a happier note, he was indeed a true
son of Edinburgh, who treasured his roots, firstly attending Preston
Street Primary School. He is second from the left in the second back row of
this photo:
©
He
went on to attend Boroughmuir School then Edinburgh University to take a
degree in Physics, where a school romance blossomed with Rosemary who was
also studying for her degree."
|
|
Telescope
"We had such great fun as young
teenagers, sprawled on top of the Salisbury Crags, looking through David's
telescope late at night, identifying the stars and wondering what life was
all about!"
|
|
Joan Martin, nee Hogg ('Hoggy'), Beckenham, Kent:
February 12, 2008 |
|
Recollections
4.
Bryan Gourlay
Biggar, Lanarkshire, Scotland |
|
Thank you to Bryan Gourlay
who sent me an extract from an 1849 Ordnance Survey map of Holyrood
Park, and replied:
|
|
The Gutted Haddie
"Joan Martin’s memory of the name of the very
rocky climb up to the top of Arthur’s Seat was absolutely spot on – 'The
Gutted Haddie.' It’s quite clearly marked on the 1849 and 1876
Ordnance Survey maps."
|
|
Bonfire
"I’ve made the trip a few times. It’s a
bit scary in the dark though. A bunch of us kids climbed up that way
one night to see a bonfire at the top." |
|
Health & Safety
"I’m sure that last time I looked at the
gully, the health and safety creatures had put in stepping stones here and
there. No doubt an escalator will be there before much longer." |
|
Rifle
Range
"Another section of the map shows the rifle
range that was in Hunter’s Bog, behind the Crags, where as young CCF
cadets (Combined Cadet Force) we were let loose with our World War I & II
rifles that had a kick like a mule." |
|
Bryan Gourlay, Biggar, Lanarkshire, Scotland:
February 18, 2008 |
|
Recollections
5.
Bryan Gourlay
Biggar, Lanarkshire, Scotland |
|
After commenting on the
'Gutted Haddie' (4 above) Brian Gourlay wrote:
|
|
The Gutted Haddie
"This 1943 photo of me, my mother, grandmother and great grandmother
provides a good look at the Gutted Haddie route to the top of Arthur’s
Seat (at the top of the picture)."
©
"I’m not sure of exactly where we’re sitting, but it can’t be too far from
Jeannie
Deans Cottage and the 'Slidey
Stane'.
The photo was taken by the family’s trusted Box Brownie camera that was
used for over 50 years and was eventually left behind in India in the
early 1970s." |
|
Bryan Gourlay, Biggar, Lanarkshire, Scotland:
March 2, 2008 |
|
Recollections
6.
Alex Jackson
Edinburgh |
|
Thank you to Alex Jackson for
sending the two photos and comments below. I like the smart outfit,
Alex!
Alex wrote: |
|
Holyrood Park
"These photos were taken in Holyrood Park on
Easter 1950:
1. with
St Anthony's Chapel in the background.
2. with tenements of Royal Park Terrace
in the background.
I'm the small child in the photos. My
Mum, who is also in one of the photos is Jessie Jackson."
©
© |
|
Holyrood Park Allotments
"What I find fascinating is that in both these
photos, a large part of the area historically known as the Parade Grounds
seems to have been allotments, presumably still there after the war.
I wonder how long they remained there. I
played in the park as a child but can't remember them being there."
|
|
World Cross Country Championships
2008
"I was involved in the organisation of the
2008 World Cross Country Championships in Holyrood Park. It's
strange to think that top athletes including Kenenisa Bekele were running
over land that was once allotments."
|
|
Alex Jackson, Edinburgh: August 15, 2008 |
|
