43 - 45 High Street, Edinburgh Old Town EH1 1SR | |
01315569579 | |
John Knox House Website | |
Follow JohnKnoxHouse on Twitter | |
Facebook information can be found here | |
Walk in the footsteps of its famous inhabitants and hear the drama unfold in every room. Look out for the tricks and traps to fool intruders; hunt for the devil hiding in The Oak Room ceiling and try your hand at our portrait puzzles that have stumped many visitors in the past.
John Knox House dates back to 1470, which makes it and Moubray House which is attached, the only original medieval building surviving on the Royal Mile. The house is associated with one of the most dramatic and turbulent times in Scottish History - The Scottish Reformation - which resulted in the outbreak of civil war and the abdication of Mary, Queen of Scots.
Although John Knox only stayed in this house for a short time before his death in 1572, it was his association with the house that saved it from demolition in the 1840s. During an excavation of the house, time-capsules were found buried in the gable wall of the house to commemorate the moment the building was saved. One of these time capsules is displayed in the window of our bookshop.
James Mosman - jeweller and goldsmith to Mary, Queen of Scots - lived in the house in the 1550s until his execution in 1573. He was extremely loyal to Queen Mary and was part of the ‘Queen’s Men’ who seized Edinburgh Castle in an attempt to restore Mary to the throne after her forced abdication in favour of her protestant son James VI. Explore the house to find out the fate of James Mosman.
The Scottish Storytelling Centre is a vibrant arts venue with a seasonal programme of live storytelling and theatre, music, workshops and festivals.
READ MOREConnecting Scotland to the world and the world to Scotland.
READ MOREExplore the magnificent ruins of the birthplace of Mary Queen of Scots. Linlithgow Palace was built and added to over two centuries by the Stewart kings, resulting in a superb Renaissance residence.
READ MOREDirleton Castle hase some of the oldest castle architecture surviving in Scotland – the de Vaux towers, built around 1240.
READ MORESet in beautifully landscaped parkland overlooking the River Forth, this fascinating laird’s house near Linlithgow has been the home of the Dalyells for over 400 years.
READ MOREThe Tron Kirk, or Christ’s Kirk at the Tron, has stood in the heart of Edinburgh’s Old Town for almost 400 years.
READ MORESurgeons' Hall Museums is home to one of the largest and most historic collections of surgical pathology in the World, open to the public since 1832.
READ MOREBlackness Castle stands by the Firth of Forth, at the port that served the royal burgh of Linlithgow in medieval times.
READ MOREThe Palace of Holyroodhouse, commonly referred to as Holyrood Palace, is the official residence of the British monarch in Scotland.
READ MOREHave fun discovering Edinburgh with two self-guided, heritage walks with an optional treasure hunt... buy or instantly download & get curious!
READ MORESteeped in some of Edinburgh's greatest history, Greater Grassmarket is only a minutes' walk from the popular Royal Mile and visitor favourite, the National Museum of Scotland.
READ MOREWelcome to Greyfriars Kirk, a worshipping congregation of the Church of Scotland in the heart of Edinburgh’s Old Town where a church has stood since 1620.
READ MOREThe Museum of Childhood has a place in the hearts of millions. The first museum in the world dedicated to the history of childhood, it displays toys and...
READ MORE