Heart of Midlothian Mosaic
Heart-shaped granite mosaic marking a demolished prison, spat on by tradition for good luck.
Location
About this audio guide
This guide to the Heart of Midlothian Mosaic in Edinburgh starts with the 1817 demolition of the Old Tolbooth, the squalid building beside Saint Giles' Cathedral that served for centuries as the city's courthouse, tax office and prison. You'll hear what conditions inside were actually like, and how Edinburgh's own citizens developed a habit of spitting at its threshold as an insult to the men held within. The guide also traces how Sir Walter Scott fixed this exact address in literary memory, naming a novel after it. Look down as you listen: the granite heart set into the cobbles in 1860 still marks the doorway's spot.
This audio guide was created using AI.