Lamb's House facts for kids
Lamb's House is a really old and special building in Leith, which is a part of Edinburgh, Scotland. It's known as an "A-listed" building, which means it's super important for its history and architecture. For hundreds of years, it's been a home and a place to store goods. This house shows us what buildings looked like in port towns around the North Sea in the early 1600s.
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A Glimpse into History
This house was once owned by a rich merchant and shipowner from Edinburgh named Andrew Lamb. A merchant is someone who buys and sells goods, and a shipowner owns ships used for trade. The Lamb family was quite important! People say they even hosted Mary, Queen of Scots, nearby when she returned from France in 1561. Records from that time mention that the young queen "stayed in Andrew Lamb's house for about an hour." She was waiting there while messages were sent to Edinburgh to let the nobles know she was back.
Andrew Lamb's Ships and Famous Guests
Andrew Lamb owned a ship called the Mary Grace. In January 1581, this ship sailed to Flanders (a region in Europe) carrying a servant of Esmé Stewart. Esmé Stewart was a very important noble at the time.
Later, in November 1583, Andrew Lamb's ship had even more famous passengers. It carried an important group of people on a trip to France. This group was led by Lord Seton, along with his son Alexander Seton, and a famous architect named William Schaw. It's pretty cool to think about all the important people who might have passed through or been connected to the owner of this house!
Where is Lamb's House?
Lamb's House is located at the corner of Burgess Street and Water Street in Leith. The front of the house faces a sunken courtyard. This courtyard is a bit lower than the street level, almost like a small, private area.
Protecting a Historic Treasure
For a long time, Lamb's House was owned by the National Trust for Scotland. This is a special organization that works to protect and care for Scotland's important historic places and beautiful natural areas. They make sure these places are kept safe for everyone to enjoy and learn from.
Eventually, Lamb's House was sold to a group of architects who specialize in saving and restoring old buildings. This shows how important it is to keep places like Lamb's House in good condition so they can tell their stories for many more years.
