Gladstone's Land

Edinburgh / Vereinigtes Königreich

Gladstone's Land is a surviving 17th-century high-tenement house situated in the Old Town of the city of Edinburgh, Scotland. It has been restored and furnished by the National Trust for Scotland, and is operated as a popular tourist attraction. The "Land" was originally built in 1550, but was bought and redeveloped in 1617 by a prosperous Edinburgh merchant and burgess, Thomas Gledstanes, and his wife, Bessie Cunningham. The work was completed in 1620. Its prominent siting and the extent of its accommodation mark out the affluence of its mercantile owner. However, not only did Gledstanes reside there, he let out parts of the building to an assortment of tenants of different social classes . Thus the restored building allows an insight into varieties of Edinburgh life of the period. The cramped conditions of the Old Town, and the physical size of the lot, meant that the house could only be extended in depth or in height. As a result, the house is six storeys tall.In 1934, the building was condemned and scheduled for demolition, until it was rescued by the National Trust for Scotland. Under the auspices of the Trust, restoration of the building was carried out by the architect, Sir Frank Mears, in consultation with the Ancient Monuments Department of the Ministry of Works in Edinburgh. Original renaissance painted ceilings were uncovered in the process. Today the restored premises offer a glimpse of 17th-century life, with open fires, lack of running water, and period decoration and furniture. At ground level, there is an arcade frontage and reconstructed shop booth, complete with replicas of 17th-century wares. This would originally have provided shelter for the merchant's customers. On the left of the building, a curved stone forestair with iron railings leads from the street to a door at 1st floor level. The sign above the entrance to the building displays the date 1617 and a gilt-copper hawk with outstretched wings. Although not an original feature, the significance of this is that the name "Gledstanes" is derived from the Scots word "gled" meaning a kite or hawk.By the late-18th century, Edinburgh's Old Town was no longer a fashionable address. Increasing pressures from population growth encouraged the flight of the affluent from cramped conditions to the developing New Town. Today, visitors to the city can contrast Gladstone's Land to the Trust's restored example of a New Town residence, The Georgian House, at No. 7 Charlotte Square.

Forestry Commission

Edinburgh / Vereinigtes Königreich

Bei der 1919 gegründeten Forestry Commission handelt es sich um ein nicht-ministrielles Regierungsdepartment in Großbritannien. Sie ist die zuständige Behörde für die Forstwirtschaft und hat die Aufgabe, den Wald zu schützen, zu erweitern und seinen Wert für die Gesellschaft und die Umwelt zu steigern.

Historic Scotland

Edinburgh / Vereinigtes Königreich

Historic Scotland ist eine Mitgliederorganisation, die freien Eintritt zu den für Besucher geöffneten historischen Denkmälern Schottlands in Staatsbesitz bietet. Mit dem Logo Historic Scotland werden diese Denkmäler, Gärten und historische Stätten gekennzeichnet. Zur Mitgliedschaft gehören weitere Rabatte auf Produkte und Dienstleistungen. Bis 2015 war Historic Scotland auch der Name der zuständigen Behörde, die die staatlichen Denkmäler betreut. Nach einer Reorganisation heißt diese Behörde seit dem 1. Oktober 2015 Historic Environment Scotland. Seither ist Historic Scotland eine untergeordnete Marke von Historic Environment Scotland. Zu den über die Mitgliedschaft zugänglichen historischen Stätten gehören unter anderem: Edinburgh Castle St Mungo’s Cathedral Stirling Castle Urquhart Castle Linlithgow Palace Caerlaverock Castle Skara Brae Jarlshof Loch Leven Castle

Northern Lighthouse Board

Edinburgh / Vereinigtes Königreich

Die Behörde Northern Lighthouse Board ist eine öffentliche Körperschaft . Sie ist zuständig für die Leuchttürme und anderen navigatorischen Hilfsmittel , um eine sichere Navigation im Küstengebiet von Schottland und der Isle of Man zu gewährleisten. Das Hauptquartier und der Behördensitz des NLB liegt im Zentrum von Edinburgh in der George Street, einem Gebäude im georgianischen Baustil. Das NLB betreut eine Gesamtfläche von 77.700 km² und 790 Inseln.

Royal Scots Dragoon Guards Museum

Edinburgh / Vereinigtes Königreich

The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards is a cavalry regiment of the British Army, and the senior Scottish regiment. The regiment, through the Royal Scots Greys, is the oldest surviving Cavalry Regiment of the Line in the British Army. The regiment is currently based at Leuchars Station, as part of the Scottish 51st Infantry Brigade.