I13 QUEENSFERRY TO MUSSELBURGH.
Wooin’ at her, puin’ at her,
Courtin’ her, and canna get her.
Filthy self! it’s for her pelf
That a’ the lads are wooin’ at her.’
Young Logan enrolled himself in the list of her admirers, and had not much
difficulty in carrying her off from all the other competitors for her hand. It
is said that he built, wifh the mong ske brought him, a large handsome house
at the head of the’shirra Brae fronting the Coalhill, in which they resided,
and which continued to be shown as an object ‘of interest until 1845, when it
was removed to make room for other erections.
As however we
cannot possibly advert to them all, we shall, for that reason, just select for
description what are considered the most prominent of them.
The Exchange, in Constitution Street, facing westward into Bernard
Street, is an extensive and handsome structure in the chaste Grecian style.
It rises to the height of three stories, is adorned with-Ionic columns, and
contains a large assembly-room and a public reading-room, together with a
number of offices. Then immediately opposite, and in the south-east corner
of Baltic Street, stands the Corn Market, a large and substantial edifice, with
a side-wall, looking into Constitution Street, of polished stone beautifully
ornamented with cherub-like figures in basso-reZimo-some busily engaged in
carrying sacks of grain, others in whirling along barrow-loads of the same
produce, and others again in ploughing or driving the harrows. It is an
attractive erection of highly dressed ashlar, surmounted by a dome of very
fine proportions, with a number of spacious business-rooms, well lighted and
comfortably ventilated. So also the Banks, of which there are no fewer than
seven or eight, principally in Bernard Street, are all very substantial buildings
-the RoyaZ, of an ornate and handsome appearance, and the NafionaZ, with
its semicircular projecting front, ribbed wi’th Ionic columns and crowned with
a dome, are especially interesting specimens of architecture, and quite ornamental
to the locality. Nor are the Court House, the Trinity House, andthe
Custom House in any way inferior in these respects. The first mentioned
is a compact, massive structure of four stories, with an elegant Ionic
fagade on the side of Constitution Street, and a fine Doric portico on that
of Charlotte Street. The Council Chambers are very handsomely fitted up,
and, among other pictures, contains a large painting of the landing of
George IV. In like manner the Trinity House, situated in Kirkgate, and
just opposite the church, is a graceful edifice of the Grecian type. It stands
The public buildings of Leith now deserve our notice.
