Catholic Church of the Sacred Heart, Edinburgh
A.M.D.G.
Grassmarket, Lauriston and Tollcross
| A view of Edinburgh's historic Grassmarket looking north west towards Edinburgh Castle under which the Grassmarket has sheltered for many years. | |
| This it is the relatively modern crossroads of Tollcross - now a meeting point for some major roads into and out of the city. The name Tollcross originally applied to an area close to where the church now is. The crossroads and the surrounding area acquired the name as it developed during the 19th century. You see it on a Sunday morning. It is a lot more freneteic during the remainder of the week. The building with the green dome is the Methodist Central Hall (opened in 1901) - one of our sister churches in Tollcross Churches Together. On the right is the brand new Princes Exchange - a modern office building completely different from the tenements and shops that used to stand there. | |
| The High Riggs runs from Tollcross to the Main Point at the junction of the West Port and Lauriston Street. At the Tollcross end it is completely redeveloped with the new Princess Exchange and new housing replacing the crowded tenements of the last centuries. Mostly pedestrianised, it narrows towards the top end where the 18/19th century houses still stand. Its character changes completely as Edinburgh Castle starts to loom over it. | |
| Here we look south from the Esplanade of Edinburgh Castle over the Grassmarket and towards Tollcross. The large building in the left centre of the photo is the main building of Einburgh College of Art which was built in the ealy 1900s on the site of the cattle mart. The large spire in the middle of the photograph is that of Barclay Church of Scotland - another of our sister churches in Tollcross Churches Together. This view is quite different from what it would have been at the time of the building of the Sacred Heart Church - a lot of the tenement flats were demolished in the 50s and 60s and replaced by the office blocks you now see. The Sacred Heart Church is hidden behind the dark office block in the right centre of the photo. |
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| The next two pictures are taken looking east along Lauriston Place with Tollcross behind us.
Firstly, close to Tollcross with the former Fire Brigade and the Hunter Building of Edinburgh College of Art at the rear of the picture. Standing near the College of Art, we see parts of Edinburgh Royal Infirmary on the right with Arthur's Seat showing itself in the distance. | ![]()
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