History of Leith, Edinburgh

Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots, (1542-1587), allegedly played golf at Musselburgh in 1567. This claim is apparently derived from a charge that the Earl of Moray put before the Westminster Commissioners in the ‘Articles’ in 1568. He accused Mary of playing golf at Seton House only a few days after the murder of her husband, Lord Darnley, in which he claimed she was implicated. The original Seton home (above), now destroyed, was 4 miles east of Musselburgh and it is possible that Musselburgh would have been another place where she played golf. It is likely she played golf, or else the charge would have had no credibility. for more click here

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(c) John Arthur

Translation-“This Collegiate Church was commenced
in the year of our Lord 1429, and that
same year Master Nicholas Bannachtyne
was provost of the said College, who,
lying here below, died in the year
147-. Commemoration of him and his
successors shall be celebrated and
observed on the 14th day of June
for which a yearly rent of £4 is set
apart from the lands of Kirk Cramond.
Pray for the Pope and for him.”

Click on image to enlarge
(c) John Arthur
Source-A.S.Cowper,Historic Corstorphine and Round About

Click on image to enlarge
Source-A.S.Cowper,Historic Corstorphine and Round About

Rosslyn Chapel has been in the ownership of the St Clair family since its foundation in 1446.

In 1995 the present Earl of Rosslyn established the Rosslyn Chapel Trust to oversee the continuing programme of conservation and became Chairman of its Trustees. for more click here

There are many references to this Earl Henry in addition to the foregoing. On the 24th March 1405, be receives a payment for Sir John Drummond, and on the 28th May following witnesses the grant of a cocker to the Bishop of St.Andrew’s, On the 15th March 1406, Henry IV from Westminster, gave a safe conduct to Henry, Earl of Orkney, and Walter, Lord Haliburton, to come in to England with forty persons, to remain till the feast of St.John the Baptist. His seal is appended to a charter he gave to Forrester of Corstorphine, of date 26th November 1407. for more click here

The Collegiate Church of St John the Baptist, Corstorphine, is intimately associated with the Forrester family. Adam Forrester, a burgess and provost of Edinburgh, acquired the manor in the year 1376, and the title of Lord Forrester of Corstorphine continued in the family till the year 1763. for more click here

Seton Collegiate Church, known locally as Seton Chapel, is a collegiate church south of Port Seton, East Lothian, Scotland. It is adjacent to Seton House.

The church consists of the complete eastern limb and the two transepts of a cruciform church, the crossing-tower as high as it was built (the completion of the spire was precluded by the Reformation), and the dubious foundations of the nave, which was not built. for more click here

The Dower House, standing back from Corstorphine High Street on the edge of St. Margaret’s Park, is owned by the City of Edinburgh Council. for more click here

Our Museum and Archive Room can be visited on the upper level of the Heritage Centre. Here you will find many things relating to Corstorphine past and present. for more click here