About this Event
September 21st 1745: Battle of Prestonpans
September 21st 2024: Anniversary Walk through Jacobite Edinburgh.
Experts tell us that the secret to a long and happy life is to stay active, stay interested and stay connected. This walking tour to mark the anniversary of the Battle of Prestonpans in 1745 gives an opportunity to do all three!
The tour starts at 10.30 AM and will finish at midday, and is approximately 6,000 – 7,000 steps so a good contribution towards the daily recommended 10,000 steps, on an undulating route through the Royal Mile and Grassmarket good for cardiovascular fitness. There are a total of seven stops on our pilgrimage through place and time:
1. Starting at the Netherbow Port, broached by the Jacobites before dawn on Tuesday, September 17th 1745 (just outside the World's End public house - pictured).
2. Proceeding up the High Street to the Tron Kirk, where three days earlier members of the Edinburgh Defence Volunteers – the local "Home Guard" formed to resist the Jacobites – mustered to decide what to do next.
3. Then onto the Market Cross, where King James was proclaimed on Wednesday September 18th 1745.
4. Then round St. Giles Cathedral / Parliament Square (next to the Market Cross).
5. Onto the statue of David Hume, philosopher and member of the Edinburgh Defence Volunteers, whose thinking seems to have been influenced by his encounters with the Jacobites during their period of occupation.
6. From there, a walk to the Lawnmarket, from where Directors of the Royal Bank of Scotland led by John Campbell of Ardmaddie tentatively walked into the Castle on October 3rd 1745 to recover the bank’s gold reserves and pay off banknotes held by the Jacobites. The following night, it was the scene of a brutal street battle when the government soldiers trapped in a castle sought to break the Jacobite blockade late on October 4th / 5th 1745.
7. Down to West Bow to Lord Provost Archibald Stewart’s Land. Stewart was Lord Provost of Edinburgh at the time of Jacobite occupation and afterwards tried for treason for allegedly collaborating with the rebels. His home overlooked the Gallowgate in the Grassmarket, where General Henry ("Hangman") Hawley executed members of his own army who served as scapegoats for his defeat at Falkirk Muir on January 17th 1746.
The guide for the walk will be Michael Nevin, author of 'Reminiscences of a Jacobite', who, between 2016 and 2023, served as Chair of The 1745 Association SCIO. Michael's short films 'Kahneman, Tversky and Prince Charlie' (30 min, The Annual Culloden Lecture 2023), 'When Madame de Pompadour met Bonnie Prince Charlie' (24 min, 2021) and 'Remembering Dunkeld' (27 min, 2019) can be viewed on YouTube, as can his valedictory Chair's Report (14 min, Sept 2023).
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
World's End, 1 High Street, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
GBP 11.55
