Historical landmark
Mercat Cross
Octagonal Victorian platform crowned by a chained unicorn, still used for royal proclamations.
0:00≈ 2 min
Location
0:00≈ 2 min
About this audio guide
This guide to the Mercat Cross in Edinburgh opens with a chilling story from the eve of 8 September 1513: a voice chroniclers say rang out at midnight, summoning citizens by name before an unseen court as King James the Fourth's army mustered for war. It follows a former provost named Lawson, who ran to the cross to formally appeal the summons after hearing his own name called, and traces the cross's rebuilt Victorian platform and chained unicorn through centuries of royal proclamations.
This audio guide was created using AI.