No other Scottish monarch has left such a mark on Edinburgh as James IV. It was during his reign that work started on Holyrood Palace, the Great Hall of Edinburgh Castle and the crown spire of St Giles. In 1503 Edinburgh celebrated the Marriage of the Thistle and the Rose in Holyrood Abbey when James wed the 13 years’ old Margaret, daughter of Henry VII. His court attracted writers and poets such as William Dunbar and Gavin Douglas. He was a champion of education and in 1505, the Edinburgh Guild of Barbers and Surgeons was formally incorporated as a craft guild of the city. James also encouraged the opening of Scotland’s first printing press in the Cowgate in 1507. His good works were brough to a shuddering halt by his impetuous decision to invade England in 1513. James died fighting in the front rank of his army with perhaps as many as 10000 Scots killed. The Flodden Wall, built after the disaster, is a grim legacy of Scotland’s Renaissance king.

Speaker

Eric Melvin

Eric Melvin is our speaker. Eric graduated with First Class Honours in History and Political Thought from Edinburgh University in 1967. He qualified as a secondary teacher of History and Modern Studies at the then Moray House College of Education gaining a Dip. Ed. in the process and the Staff Prize. Eric later gained an M.Ed. from the University of Edinburgh. He retired from teaching in 2005, working latterly for the City of Edinburgh Council as Headteacher at Currie Community High School. Eric has had several books published on various aspects of Edinburgh’s rich history including books for young readers.