Page 95 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Europe

EDINBURGH  93

rib-vaulting and 5 Greyfriars Kirk
carved heraldic Greyfriars Place. Tel 0131-225 1900.
canopies. It honors Open Apr–Oct: Mon–Sat; Nov–Mar:
the knights of the Thu pm. 8 7
Most Ancient and
Most Noble Order of Greyfriars Kirk played a key
the Thistle. Just past role in Scotland’s history. In
St. Giles, the Italianate 1638, the National Covenant
Parliament House, was signed here, marking
built in the 1630s, has the Protestant stand against
housed the Scottish Charles I’s imposition of an
Courts since the 1707 Thistle Chapel, St. Giles Cathedral, Royal Mile episcopal church. Throughout
Act of Union with the wars of the 17th century,
England and Wales. behind a profusion of statues and the kirkyard was used as a
Farther east, opposite John period furniture. Some of the mass grave for executed
Knox’s House (1450), is the highlights among the Scottish Covenanters.
excellent Museum of Child­ works are the society portraits by The Martyrs’
hood, while The People’s Story Allan Ramsay and Henry Raeburn, Monument
(1591) tells the social history including the latter’s Reverend is a sobering
of Edin burgh. Robert Walker Skating on reminder of the
Duddingston Loch (c.1800), an many Scots who
P Gladstone’s Land image reproduced annually on lost their lives.
477B Lawnmarket. Tel 0844 493 2120. thousands of Christmas cards. Greyfriars is also
Open Apr–Oct: 10am–5pm daily (Jul– German works include Gerard known for its
Aug: 10am–6:30pm daily). & David’s almost comic-strip association with
treatment of the Three Legends of a faithful dog,
4 National Gallery St. Nicholas, dating from the early Bobby, who
of Scotland 16th century. Italian paintings lived beside
include a fine Madonna by
his master’s
The Mound. Tel 0131-624 6200. Raphael, as well as works by Titian grave from 1858
Open daily. Closed Dec 25 & 26. 8 and Tintoretto. From Spain there to 1872. Greyfriars Greyfriars
by appt. 7 ∑ nationalgalleries.org is a delightful genre painting of Bobby’s statue Bobby
An Old Woman Cooking Eggs by stands outside
One of Scotland’s finest art Velázquez (c.1620). Greyfriars Kirk.
galleries, the National Gallery An entire room is devoted
of Scotland has an impressive to The Seven Sacraments by 6 National Museum
collection of British and European Nicholas Poussin, dating from
paintings. Designed by William around 1640. Dutch and Flemish of Scotland
Henry Playfair, it was opened in painters represented include Chambers St. Tel 0300-123 6789.
1859. Many of the works of art are Rembrandt, Van Dyck, and Open 10am–5pm daily. Closed Dec
still exhibited as they were in the Rubens, while among the British 25. 8 7 - = ∑ nms.ac.uk
19th century. Serried ranks of offerings are important works
paintings hang on deep red walls by Reynolds and Gainsborough. A great Victorian glass palace,
completed in 1888, houses
the National Museum of
Scotland. It started life as an
industrial museum, but over
time acquired an eclectic array
of more than 20,000 exhibits,
ranging from stuffed animals
to ethnographic artifacts.
In 1993, work began on a site
next door, to display Scotland’s
impressive array of antiquities.
The resulting collection, opened
in 1998, tells the story of the
country, starting with its geology
and natural history, through to
later industrial developments.
Among its many stunning
exhibits is St. Fillan’s Crozier,
said to have been carried at
the head of the Scottish army
An Old Woman Cooking Eggs by Velázquez, National Gallery of Scotland at Bannockburn in 1314.

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