Heart of Midlothian (Royal Mile)
| Heart of Midlothian | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
  Heart of Midlothian | |
| Year | 1860 |
| Medium | Mosaic made with coloured granite setts |
| Location | |
The Heart of Midlothian is a heart-shaped mosaic, formed of coloured granite setts, located outside St Giles' Cathedral in Edinburgh. It marks the site of the entrance to Edinburgh's Old Tolbooth, which was demolished in 1817.[1] Sir Walter Scott would immortalise the Tolbooth in his 1818 novel The Heart of Midlothian, which centres on a girl who is wrongfully imprisoned there. The mosaic has marked the former Tolbooth's location since 1860.[2]
Locals will often spit upon the heart, an action which is said to bring good luck; although it may have originated as a sign of disdain for the executions that took place in the Tolbooth.[3] The Edinburgh football club Heart of Midlothian F.C. takes its name and crest from the mosaic.[2]
References
[edit]- ^ Cosh, Mary (2014). Edinburgh: The Golden Age. Birlinn. p. 542. ISBN 978-1-78027-258-0. OCLC 908403124.
- ^ a b "Club History". Heart of Midlothian Football Club. Retrieved 19 June 2026.
- ^ Turnbull, Michael (1989). Monuments and Statues of Edinburgh. Chambers mini guides. Chambers. p. 17. ISBN 978-0550200501.
External links
[edit]- A short documentary with both locals and tourists giving their differing views about the origin of spitting on The Heart.
- Picture of the Tolbooth in Edinburgh City Libraries' Capital Collections
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