Publication Account
Date 1951
Event ID 1096445
Category Descriptive Accounts
Type Publication Account
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1096445
230. The Citadel, Johnstone Street.
After the battle of Dunbar, fought in 1650, Cromwell took possession of Leith and introduced a number of English settlers. As might be expected, differences soon arose between the incomers and the natives. The English minority, having failed to get their case considered by a Commission set up for the purpose, which consisted of two Scottish judges together with General Monk representing Commonwealth interests, laid a petition before the Council of State setting forth the grievances under which they laboured. When the Town Council of Edinburgh heard of this latter step they were not unnaturally alarmed; it was rumoured that the English were about to fortify Leith and they feared that Edinburgh might not only be deprived of its rights and superiority but might even lose possession of the port that was essential to its trade. A Commission was thereupon appointed by the magistrates to treat with General Monk. At a meeting which took place at Dalkeith Monk informed the Commissioners that he had been instructed either to fortify the whole town of Leith or to erect a citadel therein, the choice of site in N. or S. Leith being left to him. Pointing out that the major proposal would certainly prejudice the rights and privileges of Edinburgh, he drove a hard bargain, demanding, as his price for proceeding with the minor scheme, that Edinburgh should contribute £5,000 sterling towards the cost of the citadel. Faced with these alternatives the Town Council chose the lesser evil, stipulating, however, that their rights and privileges in Leith were to be confirmed. Monk agreed to this condition; the matters in dispute were settled in favour of Edinburgh, and the money was handed over in three instalments.
The Citadel was constructed at the N.W. corner of N. Leith, partly on the parish burial-ground. According to Maitland (1) it was pentagonal in shape with a bastion at each corner and one gateway, which faced E. When the Restoration was an accomplished fact it was decided to demolish the Citadel; but Lauderdale, scenting a handsome profit, obtained a grant of the place from the Crown, together with another grant of a free burgh of regality and barony, and offered the whole to Edinburgh at an exorbitant price. Fearing to incur the displeasure of the most powerful minister in the kingdoms if they refused, the Town Council of Edinburgh paid £6,000 in 1663 for the Citadel which had been erected at their own expense. Commenting on the whole transaction less than a century later Maitland (2) says "This Bugbear, which cost the Edinburghers no less a Sum than Eleven thousand Pounds Sterling, is, in a short Time, likely to become a Prey to the Sea; for, by its violent Attacks, it has already strip'd it of its strong stonern Wall on that Side, and destroyed its two Northern Bastions." Arnot (3) reports in 1779 that apart from "a strong gate with portcullices" most of the Citadel had already been demolished. The substructure of this gate still survives and gives access from Dock Street to Johnstone Street. It consists of a vaulted pend, at either end of which is an arched gateway surmounted by a hood-mould. The gateway to the N.E. has provision for a double door, no doubt the "portcullices" mentioned by Arnot. The superstructure has been rebuilt as a house of two storeys.
RCAHMS 1951, visited c.1941
(1) History, p. 499. (2) Loc. cit. (3) History, p. 572 .
