Timeline of Edinburgh history facts for kids

A great view of Arthur's Seat from Edinburgh Castle

This article shares a timeline of the exciting history of Edinburgh, Scotland. It shows how Edinburgh grew from an old hill fort and a royal home to the busy capital city it is today.

Ancient Times (Before 1000 AD)

• Around 600 BC: Old weapons from the late Bronze Age were found in Duddingston Loch. Traces of four Iron Age forts have been found on Arthur's Seat, Dunsapie Crag, Salisbury Crags, and Samson's Ribs.
• 2nd century AD: The Romans built and used forts at Cramond and Inveresk, which are now part of modern Edinburgh.
• Around 600 AD: An old Welsh poem, Y Gododdin, tells about a military campaign that started from Edinburgh, then called "Din Eydin."
• Around 638 AD: Edinburgh was attacked by unknown forces. Many believe this meant the Angles from Northumbria took control of the fort.
• 731 AD: Edinburgh was the most northern point of the Anglian kingdom of Northumbria, as recorded by the historian Bede.
• 840s–850s: Cinaed mac Ailpin (Kenneth MacAlpin), king of the Scots, raided the area around Edinburgh.
• 854 AD: A church in "Edwinesburch" was mentioned by a chronicler.
• 934 AD: Athelstan, king of the Saxons, attacked the Scottish kingdom up to Edinburgh.
• Around 960 AD: Edinburgh came under Scottish rule during the time of King Indulf.

The Middle Ages (1000s - 1400s)

11th Century: Royal Connections

• Around 1018: Malcolm II made Lothian (the area around Edinburgh) part of his Scottish kingdom after the Battle of Carham.
• 1074: Malcolm III started making Edinburgh Castle stronger and used it more often as a royal home.
• 1093: Queen Margaret died in the castle.

12th Century: New Beginnings

• 1124 to 1127: King David I gave a special paper (Royal Charter) that might have made Edinburgh a Royal Burgh, which is a type of town with special rights.
• 1128: King David I started Holyrood Abbey.
• Around 1130: St Margaret's Chapel was built inside Edinburgh Castle. It's the oldest building still standing in Edinburgh.
• Around 1143: David I allowed the Augustinian canons of Holyrood to create a new town, which became the burgh of Canongate.
• 1162: Edinburgh became the main town for the Lothian area.

13th Century: Growth and Challenges

• 1230: Alexander II founded a large Dominican friary (a type of monastery). A hospital also opened.
• 1243: Edinburgh's main church was dedicated to St Giles.
• 1296: Edward I of England captured Edinburgh Castle after a three-day siege using catapults.

14th Century: Wars and Recovery

• 1314: Edinburgh Castle was captured by Thomas Randolph, 1st Earl of Moray. The castle was then partly destroyed by orders of Robert the Bruce so that English forces couldn't use it again.
• 1328: The Treaty of Edinburgh was signed, which officially recognized Scotland's independence.
• 1329: Robert I gave Edinburgh a charter that confirmed its status as a royal burgh and gave it control over the port of Leith.
• 1334: Scotland lost Berwick and Edinburgh Castle to the English.
• 1341: The Scots took back the castle from the English.
• 1349: The terrible black death plague arrived in Edinburgh.
• 1356: Edward III of England burned the town but then left because he ran out of supplies.
• 1357: David II returned to Scotland after being held captive in England for eleven years.
• 1360: The castle became the usual royal home and was made stronger with stone.
• 1365: A French historian, Jean Froissart, visited Edinburgh and called it the "capital of Scotland" and the "Paris of Scotland."
• 1371: David II died unexpectedly at the castle.
• 1385: Richard II of England burned the town.
• 1387: Five new chapels were added to the Church of St Giles after the English attack.
• 1398: Edinburgh bought land at Leith to build wharves and roads for trade.
• 1400: Henry IV tried to attack the castle.

15th Century: Becoming the Capital

• 1403: The "Old Tolbooth," an important town building, was first mentioned.
• 1427: The "King's Wall," an early town wall, was first recorded.
• 1437: After the murder of James I in Perth, Edinburgh became the main royal residence and the place where Parliament met. This led to it being seen as the capital of Scotland.
• 1440: The Earl of Douglas and his brother were murdered at the castle.
• 1450: James II gave permission to build a defensive town wall.
• 1457: The huge siege gun "Mons Meg" arrived at the castle.
• 1460: Trinity College Kirk and Hospital were founded by Mary of Guelders.
• 1467–1469: St Giles' Church became a collegiate church, meaning it had a group of priests.
• 1477: King James III confirmed the locations of markets in the town.
• 1482: James III gave the crafts (guilds) of Edinburgh a special flag called the 'Blue Blanket'.
• 1485: Stone buildings with multiple floors (tenements) started appearing in the town.
• 1500: Edinburgh paid 60% of Scotland's customs taxes, showing its importance in trade.

The Early Modern Era (1500s - 1700s)

16th Century: Reformation and Royal Drama

• 1501-1505: James IV built Holyrood Palace.
• 1503: James IV married Margaret Tudor, an English princess.
• 1505: Barber surgeons formed a group, which later became the Royal College of Surgeons.
• 1507: James IV allowed the first printing press in Scotland to be set up in Edinburgh.
• 1513: After a big defeat at the Battle of Flodden, a new southern wall, called the Flodden Wall, was started to protect the city.
• 1520: A street fight between the Douglas and Hamilton clans, known as "Cleanse the Causey," happened on the High Street.
• 1532: The Court of Session, Scotland's highest civil court, was created.
• 1544: The Earl of Hertford burned the town, including Holyrood Palace and Abbey.
• 1547: The Scottish army was defeated by the English at the Battle of Pinkie, just east of Edinburgh.
• 1558: The Flodden Wall was finished. Edinburgh's population was about 12,000.
• 1559: The town council appointed John Knox as minister at St. Giles.
• 1560: The Scottish Reformation Parliament ended the Pope's authority in Scotland.
• 1561: Mary, Queen of Scots returned to Scotland.
• 1562: Queen Mary allowed the town to use the Greyfriars grounds as a new burial place.
• 1566: Queen Mary was held captive in Holyrood Palace by Scottish nobles but escaped.
• 1569: The city was hit by an outbreak of the plague.
• 1573: The "Queen's Men" were removed from the castle, ending the Marian civil war.
• 1582: The University of Edinburgh was founded, becoming Scotland's fourth university.
• 1592: The first Edinburgh census counted 2,239 households with 8,003 adults.
• 1599: The Scottish Parliament decided that the new year should begin on January 1st instead of March 25th.

17th Century: Union of Crowns and Troubles

• 1603: King James VI of Scotland also became King of England and left Edinburgh.
• 1608: Bonfires were lit to remember the Gunpowder Plot.
• 1614: Napier's book on logarithms was published.
• 1617: James VI visited Edinburgh for the only time after the crowns of Scotland and England were united.
• 1624: A plague epidemic hit the city.
• 1632: Work began on the new Parliament House for the Scottish Parliament.
• 1633: Edinburgh became a bishopric (an area managed by a bishop).
• 1637: Riots happened because a new Prayer Book was introduced.
• 1638: The National Covenant was signed in Greyfriars Kirkyard.
• 1640: Parliament House was completed.
• 1645-1646: Another outbreak of plague occurred.
• 1650: Oliver Cromwell's forces captured Edinburgh Castle. Much of Holyrood Palace was destroyed by fire.
• 1652: A stagecoach service to London was introduced, taking two weeks.
• 1660: The Mercurius Caledonius, possibly Scotland's first newspaper, was published.
• 1674: A piped water supply was created, bringing water from Comiston Springs to Castle Hill.
• 1679: About 1200 Covenanters were imprisoned at Greyfriars after the Battle of Bothwell Brig. The Town Guard was formed to prevent crime.
• 1681: The Royal College of Physicians was founded.
• 1682: The Advocates' Library, which later became the National Library of Scotland, was founded.
• 1689: The Scottish Parliament accepted William of Orange as king.
• 1695: The Bank of Scotland was established. The Company of Scotland planned the Darien Scheme.
• 1698: Five ships sailed from Leith to start a Scottish colony in Panama.
• 1700: A fire destroyed some of Edinburgh's tallest buildings. The Darien venture failed.

The Age of Enlightenment (1700s - 1800s)

18th Century: A New City Emerges

• 1707: The Act of Union was passed, joining the parliaments of Scotland and England.
• 1711: David Hume, a famous philosopher, was born.
• 1715: Jacobites occupied Leith Citadel but did not try to enter Edinburgh.
• 1726: The poet Allan Ramsay opened Britain's first circulating library. The Edinburgh Medical School was founded.
• 1729: The city's first hospital (infirmary) opened.
• 1736: The Porteous Riots caused unrest in the city.
• 1738: Edinburgh was known as the "world's leading medical centre."
• 1741: The Royal Infirmary, designed by William Adam, opened.
• 1745: Charles Edward Stuart (Bonnie Prince Charlie) entered the city during the Jacobite rising.
• 1752: Plans were made to drain the Nor Loch and expand the city.
• 1754: Building of the Royal Exchange (now Edinburgh City Chambers) began. Mons Meg was moved from the castle to the Tower of London.
• 1763: Draining of the eastern Nor Loch began, and construction of the North Bridge started. St Cecilia's Hall, Scotland's first purpose-built concert hall, was built.
• 1766: James Craig won the competition to design the New Town.
• 1767: Construction of the New Town began.
• 1768-1771: The first edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica was produced in Edinburgh.
• 1771: Sir Walter Scott, a famous writer, was born.
• 1772: The North Bridge was completed.
• 1773: The Penny Post was started by Peter Williamson.
• 1781: Construction of "The Earthen Mound" began, connecting the Old and New Towns.
• 1783: The Royal Society of Edinburgh was created to advance learning.
• 1784: James Tytler made the first hot-air balloon ascent in Britain from Edinburgh.
• 1785–1788: The South Bridge was built.
• 1786: The famous poet Robert Burns was celebrated by the city's elite.
• 1788: William "Deacon" Brodie, a leader of a gang of robbers, was executed. The first stone of Edinburgh University's Old College was laid.
• 1791: A census showed the city's population was 82,706.
• 1792: Charlotte Square was designed by Robert Adam.

The Modern Era (1800s - Present)

19th Century: Industrial Growth and Victorian Edinburgh

• 1802: Demolition of the Luckenbooths (shops) in the High Street began.
• 1805: The Edinburgh Police Act created Police Commissioners to manage policing, cleaning, and lighting.
• 1813: The Royal Edinburgh Hospital, a mental health hospital, opened.
• 1814: Waverley, the first of Sir Walter Scott's famous novels, was published.
• 1817: The first copy of The Scotsman newspaper was published. The Old Tolbooth was demolished.
• 1818: The Union Canal was started. The Scottish royal jewels were found in Edinburgh Castle. Gas lighting appeared for the first time.
• 1820: The remaining western end of the Nor Loch was drained. The Royal Botanic Garden began moving to Inverleith.
• 1821: The official census put Edinburgh and Leith's population at 138,235.
• 1822: King George IV visited Edinburgh and wore a kilt. The Union Canal opened.
• 1824: The ""Great Fire of 1824"" destroyed buildings near the Tron Kirk.
• 1829: Building of George IV Bridge and Dean Bridge began. Walter Scott arranged for Mons Meg to be returned to Edinburgh Castle.
• 1831: A major outbreak of cholera occurred. The Edinburgh and Dalkeith Railway (the "Innocent Railway"), the first railway into the city, opened using horse-drawn carriages.
• 1833: The city went bankrupt, partly due to the development of Leith docks.
• 1842: The Edinburgh-Glasgow railway line opened. Queen Victoria visited the city for the first time.
• 1843: The Disruption of the Church of Scotland happened.
• 1844–1846: The Scott Monument was built.
• 1847: Dr. Simpson discovered the anesthetic properties of chloroform. Alexander Graham Bell, inventor of the telephone, was born in Edinburgh.
• 1850: Robert Louis Stevenson, author of Treasure Island, was born. The foundation stone of the Scottish National Gallery was laid.
• 1856: The Edinburgh Municipal Extension Act included Canongate, Calton, and Portsburgh into the city.
• 1859: The National Gallery opened. Arthur Conan Doyle, creator of Sherlock Holmes, was born.
• 1861: The Industrial Museum (later the Royal Scottish Museum) began construction. The "one o'clock gun" was first fired from the castle.
• 1867: The Edinburgh City Improvement Act started the rebuilding of the Old Town.
• 1869: Sophia Jex-Blake became the first female medical student.
• 1870: Fettes College opened.
• 1871: The first street tramway opened. The Greyfriars Bobby Fountain was erected. The first international rugby match (Scotland vs. England) was played.
• 1874: Heart of Midlothian F.C. was formed.
• 1875: Hibernian F.C. was formed.
• 1879: The Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh moved to Lauriston Place.
• 1885: Heriot-Watt College was formed. The reconstructed Mercat Cross was given to the city.
• 1886: The Edinburgh International Exhibition of Industry, Science and Art took place in the Meadows.
• 1888: The Flying Scotsman train reached Edinburgh from London in a record time.
• 1890: The Central Library opened.
• 1891: The Scottish National Portrait Gallery opened. The census showed Edinburgh's population as 269,407.
• 1895: The Royal National Observatory was built on Blackford Hill. The first electric street lighting was installed.
• 1896: The first female doctors graduated from the University of Edinburgh. Portobello became part of Edinburgh.
• 1897: The rebuilt North Bridge opened.
• 1900: Actor Alastair Sim was born.

20th Century: Modern Times and Festivals

• 1901: The name 'Royal Mile' was first used to describe the main street of the Old Town.
• 1902: The new Waverley Station was completed.
• 1903: The world's first floral clock was installed in West Princes Street Gardens.
• 1910: The first electric trams ran.
• 1910–1913: The Zoological Park (Edinburgh Zoo) was laid out.
• 1914: Sixteen players from Heart of Midlothian F.C. joined the army for the Great War. Seven of them were killed.
• 1916: A Zeppelin raid caused 11 deaths.
• 1920: The Edinburgh Extension Act incorporated several surrounding towns like Leith and Corstorphine into the city.
• 1923: Edinburgh's last cable-hauled tram operated.
• 1925: The National Library of Scotland was formed. Murrayfield Stadium opened.
• 1928: The first non-stop Flying Scotsman train from London to Edinburgh cut the journey time to 7 hours 30 minutes. The city's first traffic lights were installed.
• 1929: The Playhouse cinema opened.
• 1930: Actor Sean Connery was born in Fountainbridge.
• 1934: King George V and Queen Mary visited.
• 1939: The Bank of Scotland had 266 branches.
• 1947: The first Edinburgh International Festival was launched. Turnhouse aerodrome became Edinburgh's civil airport.
• 1948: The first Military Tattoo was performed at the castle.
• 1951: The March of the Thousand Pipers and Gathering of the Clans took place.
• 1953: Queen Elizabeth made her first royal visit to Edinburgh after her coronation.
• 1955: The Museum of Childhood, the world's first museum dedicated to childhood, opened.
• 1956: The tram system stopped operating. The National Library of Scotland opened.
• 1961: Muriel Spark's novel The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie was published.
• 1964: The rock group The Beatles performed in Edinburgh. The Rolling Stones also performed.
• 1965: Princes Street railway station closed. Plans for an inner ring road were abandoned after public opposition.
• 1966: Heriot-Watt gained university status.
• 1970: Edinburgh hosted the 9th Commonwealth Games.
• 1972: The Eurovision Song Contest was held in the Usher Hall.
• 1975: Local government was reorganized, and towns like Balerno and South Queensferry were included in the city boundary.
• 1985: The city's population was 440,000.
• 1986: Edinburgh hosted the 13th Commonwealth Games.
• 1988: Eleanor McLaughlin became Edinburgh's first female Lord Provost.
• 1993: The first organized Edinburgh Hogmanay Street Party was held.
• 1996: The City of Edinburgh Council was created. The Stone of Destiny was brought from Westminster Abbey to Edinburgh Castle.
• 1998: The Museum of Scotland was built as an extension to the Royal Scottish Museum.
• 1999: The Scottish Parliament was opened by Queen Elizabeth in the Assembly Hall.

21st Century: Recent Events

• 2002: A major fire destroyed part of the Cowgate and buildings on the South Bridge.
• 2003: The MTV Europe Music Awards were held at Ocean Terminal in Leith. The Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh moved to Little France.
• 2004: The Scottish Parliament Building officially opened.
• 2005: An estimated 225,000 people marched through the city as part of the "Make Poverty History" campaign.
• 2008: Work began on a new tramway.
• 2010: Pope Benedict XVI was received by Queen Elizabeth at Holyrood Palace.
• 2011: The Scottish National Portrait Gallery reopened after renovation. Two giant pandas, Yang Guang and Tian Tian, arrived at Edinburgh Zoo.
• 2012: The Edinburgh Agreement was signed, setting the terms for the Scottish independence referendum.
• 2013: A minute's silence was held at the Mercat Cross to mark 500 years since the Battle of Flodden.
• 2014: The new tramway between the city centre and Edinburgh Airport was completed.

|