From the Author
The book is the definitive account of the Nor Loch which once occupied the site of the now world famous Princes Street Gardens ,situated in the heart of Edinburgh.
Unlike most of Scotland's lochs ,it was an artificial body of body created in the Middle Ages,probably to enhance the defences of the town and its castle.Its history was bound up with many events that shaped Scotland's history. Early cannon fought artillery duels across the Nor Loch when Edinburgh Castle was besieged in the 16th and 17th centuries.
Scenes of civil disorder also took place on its banks. In 1558 anti- Catholic demonstrators stole the statue of St.Giles and threw it into the Nor Loch.Witches were burnt on Castlehill overlooking this body of water.The unfortunate victims were sometimes first thrown into it ,the test their guilt .If they floated it was taken as positive proof they were in league with the dark forces.Their fate was then sealed and they were then sentenced to the flame.
Criminals were occasionally punished by being drowned in the loch.A dooking stool,however,was frequently used to punish minor offencers. They were usually released after being aquainted with its waters of the loch.Fornicators,crooked tradesmen and drunks were among the felons who received this form of punishment.
The book also contains details of the economic role of the Nor Loch in the life of Scotland's capital city.A ramshackle collection of buildings including slaughter houses and tanning pits huddled round the edge of the loch.Over time its waters became more and more polluted.Complaints about the smell and its hazard to health hastened the loch's demise in the late 18th century.By the early years of the following century ,the Nor Loch was nothing more than a memory.The valley at the foot of Edinburgh Castle was then in the process of being transformed into ornamental gardens.
The book contains a comprehensive appendix.In this section there are descriptions of all other lochs,past and present in the vicinity of Edinburgh.In addition there is a comprehensive account of both private and public ornamental ponds.The evolution of Edinburgh's water supply is also briefly related. Finally the book The Nor Loch-Scotland's Lost Loch contains numerous illustrations and plans.
