#cowgate

[scotianostra]

On February 3rd 1700, a fire broke out on the north side of Cowgate in Edinburgh's Old Town.

From there the flames spread and burnt down the close and its close surroundings, including the merchant’s Exchange building, where the Three Sister bar now is.

The fire extended rapidly up hill to involve the tall tenements on the south and east sides of Parliament Square. One, fifteen storeys high, the tallest building in Edinburgh, was reduced to a heap of ashes and ‘made a prodigious blaze"

The buildings were densely occupied and about three or four hundred families lost their homes, including many notables such as the President of Parliament, the President of the Court of Session and other Lords, lawyers, clerks and poorer families. Several lives were lost and a great number seriously injured.

Offices of businesses were destroyed including the recently opened Bank of Scotland – the only bank in Scotland at that time. Mercifully the Parliament Hall and St Giles escaped major damage. The Advocates, who lost their library in the fire, were given space in the Laigh Hall below Parliament House.

Although it escaped major damage the fire allowed the council to rebuild the Parliament “in a uniform style of architecture” regulating the buildings appearance to prevent fire. The rest of the close was given a grand entry and the courtyard was rebuilt uniformly with a continuous arcade along the front.

Cassells Old & New wrote this short account bout the Parliament building:

This magnificent hall and the buildings connected with it had a narrow escape in the “Great Fire” of 1700. It broke out in Lord Crossrig’s lodging, at Mr. John Buchan’s, near the meal-market, on a night in February; and Duncan Forbes of Culloden asserts in a letter to his brother the colonel, that he never beheld a more vehement fire; that 400 families were burned out, and that from the Cowgate upwards to the High Street scarcely one stone was left upon another.

A broadsheet entitled Fire! Fire! stated that the fire had been started by someone throwing a bottle of whisky into an open hearth.. The fire engines were of little or no use, water being scarce and the old closes so narrow that they could not gain access. As mentoned in Cassells. Duncan Forbes wrote to his brother that it was the greatest fire he ever saw ‘notwithstanding I saw London burne’, It reads;

All the pryde of Edenr. is sunk; from the Cowgate to the High Street all is burnt, and hardly one stone left upon another…the Parliament House very hardly escapt; all Registers confounded; Clerks Chambers, and processes, in such confusion, that the Lords and Officers of State are just now mett at Rosse’s Taverne, in order to adjourneing the Sessione by reason of the disorder…twenty thousand hands flitting ther trash they know not wher…These babells, of ten and fourteen story high, are down to the Ground, and their fall’s very terrible….This Epitome of dissolution I send you, without saying any more, but that the Lord is angry with us, and I see no intercessor.

Of course the clergy couldn't let this go without blaming someone, preaching sermons in which they attributed the fire to God’s punishment for the wickedness of the populace. The Town Council also took to preaching and on 4th December 1702 introduced an ‘Act anent suppressing Immoralities,’ which contained the following:-

…considering the great growth of immoralities within the City and Suburbs, and the fearful rebukes of God, by a dreadful Fire in Parliament Close….which happened about midnight upon 3rd February 1700….also, remembering the terrible Fire….on the north side of the Lawn market….28 October 1701 with several lives lost. Likewise reflecting upon other Tokens of God’s wrath lately come upon us… We…being moved with the zeal of God….do in the Lord’s strength resolve to be more watchful over our hearts and ways than formerly; And each of us in our several capacities, to reprove vice with due zeal and prudence as we shall have occasion…. under penalty of Twenty Merks Scots.

The height of the new tenements was restricted to eleven storeys rather than the fifteen storeys of their predecessors but even so Tobias Smollett writing in 1770 observed that ‘I cannot view it without horror; that is, the dreadful situation of all the families above, in case the common stair-case should be rendered impassable by a fire in the lower stories’.

The council's supposed "fireproofing" of the Parliament meant little as 124 years later a large section of the High Street went up in flames in "The Great Fire"

[lastweeksshirttonight]

if you could force john oliver to acknowledge 1 (one) tumblr post-literally any tumblr post/thread- which would you choose?

I know you were probably hoping I would share a meme post for this, but I immediately knew the answer was, by a large margin, @tellthemeerkatsitsfine 's comprehensive summary of Cowgate.

I could force John to answer why he, David O'Doherty, Daniel Kitson, and Demetri Martin dismantled a fiberglass cow at Late n Live at Edinburgh in 2003. All other posts are irrelevant!

(It would be hilariously sad if the answer is that he'd completely forgotten about this and had no answer.)

[outofangband]

This is SO specific but if anyone has read the version of The Children of Húrin in the book of lost tales in a language other than English, I am so curious if the description of the theft of Morwen’s livestock specifies if the English “flock” refers to sheep or birds or does anyone have an opinion about this?

That passage is bizarre enough for reasons I have gotten into but yeah I’m just curious about that

Edit: thank you SO much to @maironite for your explanation! Sheep one, birds zero

[fictionalred]

Best corner of Edinburgh?!?

[thedaily-beer]

Walkie Talky It Takes 2 Double IPA on tap at Brewdog Cowgate in Edinburgh. A 3 of 4. A nice, standard West Coast IPA -- mostly orange citrus and pine in the nose, and a solid firm bitterness towards the finish. Slightly sticky, and well-done.

[embraphotos]

Cowgate, EH1

[unfolk]

Cowgate

[gaytobymeres]

i like that the pub in good omens is on 'goat gate' which is obviously a play on cowgate which is a real street in edinburgh and is the main centre for pubs and clubs at night (except goat gate looks a lot more salubrious than any part of cowgate)

[becausegoodheroesdeservekidneys]

if I remember right, a year or two ago you made a list of recommendations for the Edinburgh Fringe. Any recommendations for this year? Already got Steffan on the list, obviously

I did! Okay, okay, here's what I've got this year. Caveat: I personally have not been up there yet (I'm going in a few days), but these are things I saw in preview/have heard great things about.

Steffan Alun: Free Standup, but at What Cost

Venue 156: PBH's Free Fringe @ Banshee Labyrinth - Banquet Hall, 21.30-22.30

Back again! Eighth Fringe, this. The show is an hour, but that includes a 15 minute warm-up act, then Steff for 45 mins. He does this so that reviewers won't come and ruin the vibe.

Anyway this year he talks a bit about being Welsh and how he is therefore grumpy with Bristolian Tesco self-checkout machines

.

Jake Baker: Rule Breaker!

Venue 78: PBH's Free Fringe @ Canons' Gait - Lower, 16.30-17.30

I love Jake, he's lovely. He's a gentle soul and has an excellent delivery style; very warm and deceptively witty. Normally he goes with Just The Tonic and is given a searing hot basement in the sky that smells of mould for a room, but this year he's in Canons' Gait, which is much much nicer.

His blurb: A rule-breaker, a risk taker, a wave-maker and a convention-shaker – all phrases never before used to describe Jake Baker. But when a frustrating game of Alan Turing-themed Monopoly leaves him questioning the laws of the game, he finds himself turning that analytical impulse to bigger things.

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Stephanie Laing: Rudder

Venue 300: Underbelly, George Square - The Wee Coo, 14.50-15.50

This show is particularly Tumblr-friendly, actually; it's described as 'neurodiversity-led'. However, it's a show with a content warning, although all the ticket page is saying is "themes" (insert Stephen Fry meme here); so, <SPOILER> she talks about withdrawing consent while sleeping with a FIB, and him continuing anyway. She talks about it in a very gentle way, avoiding Big Words, and it's very heavy on aftercare </SPOILER>

Her blurb: A comedy dance show about balance. Stephanie has a history of falling over a lot, accidentally kneeing herself in the face, and falling in love with total kn*bheads. In this show she uses a mixture of stand-up and dance to talk about bodies, sex, dancing, liking yourself, consent and healing. Also, there are cartoon bears and burlesque.

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Erin McKinnie: The Faff Chronicles

Venue 108: Hoots @ The Apex - Hoot 4, 16.50-17.50

An Edinburgh local! Good solid standup for those who like such things. New-ish, but one to watch, she's very good. Don't be surprised to see her take off

Her blurb: What a faff! Erin McKinnie, a rising star on the Scottish comedy circuit, talks about faffing through early adulthood – from rogue adventures to living the "below-deck life" on cruise ships – she finds the funny in every bizarre encounter in this uplifting show that asks: Do we really need a life plan? Or... are we all just winging it? A brilliant, snort-worthy giggle-fest about exiting your 20s, facing life indecision and chasing answers for those big questions, all the while trying to convince your mother that this is a real job...

.

Alexander Bennett: Emotional Daredevil

Venue 24: Gilded Balloon Patter House - Coorie, 18.20-19.20

Dark feelings show with a really positive, optimistic message and a fun concept. It uses audience participation, but that's not compulsory, you're safe.

Blurb: I'm the emotional daredevil, and for my next feat, I need someone's help. A show about risk, for the unsatisfied and traumatised, from a Chortle Award nominee

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Alex Franklin: Gurl Code

Venue 61: Underbelly, Cowgate - Delhi Belly, 20.25-21.25

Alex does a fun thing each year where she takes her publicity budget and rather than spending it on publicity, she hides it somewhere in Edinburgh and then reveals a clue to its location every day. This tells you something about her, I think

Her blurb: In 2024, trans girl Alex (me) started HRT. Now she (me) feels the most alive she's (me's) ever felt; and she wants to make you feel alive too, or die trying. A ludicrous, musical, chaotic, joyful show about the colours of the world becoming slowly brighter and giving people furniture via the tube. Also being trans.

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Character Building Experience

Venue 49: Bedlam Theatre - Bedlam Theatre, 20.00-21.00

It's a D&D show - the MC Sasha Ellen makes a bunch of 40-minute simple campaigns and a selection of pre-rolled characters to do them, and then gets three comedians each time to play them. You know the drill. Good quality fun, and different each time, since you'll never see the same campaign/comedian mix.

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2 Truths, 1 Lie

Multiple venues and times (search the EdFringe app or website to see them all), but I recommend catching the 3pm show on either the 25th or 26th August at Venue 108: Hoots @ The Apex - Hoot 1 for reasons I shall not share here (ooh, mysterious)

Fun panel-like show! Often MC'd by Steff, especially if you catch one of the 3pm shows. The format is:

Three comedians each declare a statement. Two are true, but one comedian is lying. The MC doesn't know the liar, nor does the audience. The audience gets to ask questions of the comedians; at the end, they vote on who they think the liar is.

(The prize for winning is a smug sense of satisfaction.)

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Anyway, once I'm up there I will possibly have more, but currently, that's my list

[scotianostra]

Bulls Close, Cowgate, Edinburgh1868.

A section of Bull's Close in Edinburgh showing dilapidated buildings. The houses have been built from different materials, with a wooden structure standing beside a stone building. The stone building is whitewashed and has a small external staircase. In the foreground we can see a chimney and a slate covered roof/

Archibald Burns was a professional photographer in Edinburgh, best known for his landscape and architectural images. He published an illustrated book in 1868, called 'Picturesque Bits from Old Edinburgh'. This was a photographic guide to the Old Town, which paid attention to social issues such as overcrowding and poor sanitation.

[cyman]

This is Scottish tourism recomendation for Aabria (@quiddie), Erika and any other Dropcrew currently in Scotland.

Stirling is a piece of crap city, BUT it has a banging castle. It's got improv actors and everything. There's a fun graveyard to walk through, and if you'd like some free noodles, I am willing to accommodate. I'd tell you where to go but there's exactly one takeaway noodle shop in the city so it isn't hard to find lmao.

That's all, if you're staying in Edinburgh, then Cowgate has some banging clubs, including a trad scottish one that does ceilidhs on Thursdays(?) Called Stramash.

Anyway, have a banging time in Scotland, you've managed to get here in time for perfect weather 🤷‍♂️

[outofangband]

@avantegarda BoLT!Brodda needs to get on this level (explanation here sort of and in the BoLT part here)

[tellthemeerkatsitsfine]

I found it!!!

Behold, the ruins of Cowgate, where on this month twenty-one years ago, five brave men, maybe seven if I'm right in thinking Flight of the Conchords were on stage, also there were other people around, possibly one or two Umbilical Brothers - but it was mainly about the five brave men, who performed a violent, vital ritual. Sacrificing a mighty mammal to the gods of the Fringe in exchange for the kind of success that would change the course of comedy forever - they got out of it some Emmys, an MBE, some Perrier Awards (a couple of those actually came through before they performed the ritual, the magic works retroactively).

The Gilded Balloon Teviot, currently closed for renovations because they heard I was coming and knew that if they denied me entry to this historic site this year, I'll have to come back another time and spend more tourist money. But I know that's the location where it happened, because I went to that site with old Edinburgh programme archives and screenshotted the 2003 one to check the venue:

"Metro Gilded Balloon". It sure was the Metro place that night. As we know from the recent archeological breakthroughs into the origin story of the cow (thanks, @linkeightvideo )

Okay, you know what's fucking weird? There were cow references around there. We were near Cowgate (the street/square), but not actually on it - I named the event Cowgate because it happened at the Teviot venue that was built to replace to original building that was in Cowgate and burned down (I also named it that because cow+scandal, it's very clever). So while I think of the event as being Cowgate, we weren't in Cowgate in real life.

I think it's because it was right next to a hub of Underbelly rooms, and apparently that venue might be cow themed? There were things like this all over:

Whatever the reason, it was fucking weird to go to a venue that I strongly associate with cows, but I know that association is just me having an extremely weird 21-year-old fixation and I'll go to the physical spot that means no such thing to anyone else, and then I get there and there actually are cow-based signs everywhere. Genuinely creeped me out.

Anyway it's been an incredible day and I saw Nish Kumar perform in a dark basement where he absolutely killed it, I could have stayed there listening to him all night. It's the best thing I've ever seen. I know I said that about his show last week, it was true then and he outdid it today.

What an exciting day so far.

[yama-bato]

The Cowgate in Edinburgh is a chasm of Nothingness by day. By night it houses Edinburgh’s clubland, the essence of Being for the young.

             Photographe :      grenville

[unfolk]

Bill’s 44th

[gaytobymeres]

ive spent so many years moaning about the festival 'oh its to busy, cant do anything uptown for the whole of august, there are so many tourists blah blah' and whilst that's true i decided to embrace it this year and yknow what i ended up having fun and seeing a lot of cool shows and meeting up with friends and enjoying the atmosphere