The Cowgate, Edinburgh – Watercolour with ink highlights on a Watercolour Moleskine

If you look at a map of Edinburgh you might notice that some streets cross over each other. Parts of the old town were built well below the High Street and the Castle but, when the town needed to expand thoroughfares were built, on bridges, above the old parts. This scene shows, I hope, the Cowgate where animals would be driven towards the Grassmarket which is just visible through the arch. The Grassmarket lies at the foot of the south side of Edinburgh Castle. It gained notoriety as a place for public executions, a fact that is marked by a brass plaque inserted into the ground at the end of this large, rectangular square. North Bridge, crossing over the Cowgate, is supported by the arch. There are many such bridges in the city and these, themselves, have become built upon over the centuries. It can be a bit confusing, albeit exciting and interesting, for visitors to find their way around this area. Just another way in which my adoptive city oozes historical charm.