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Edinburgh Town Wall, Flodden Wall, Johnston Terrace to Grassmarket is a sixteenth-century defensive wall built to protect Edinburgh's southern approaches following the Scottish defeat at Flodden in 1513. This section of the wall, which extends from Johnston Terrace to the Grassmarket, represents a significant portion of the fortification constructed in the decades after the battle. The wall was built from stone quarried from the local area, sitting upon foundations of Inverclyde Group sandstone, siltstone and mudstone that underlie the city centre.
The wall's construction reflects the military vulnerability that the Scottish kingdom experienced in the early modern period. Its southern alignment protected the expanding town from cavalry raids and incursions across the border. The Grassmarket location is historically significant as a major commercial and public space, and the wall's presence here demonstrates how defensive requirements shaped Edinburgh's urban development during this period.
The surviving section is now designated as a scheduled monument under Historic Environment Scotland reference SM3012. This protection recognises the wall's importance as physical evidence of sixteenth-century Scottish military architecture and Edinburgh's strategic position during a critical phase in the nation's history. The stones themselves contain within them the geology of the Midlothian landscape that has supported the city's growth for centuries.
Edinburgh Town Wall, Flodden Wall, Johnston Terrace to Grassmarket is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM3012. View the official record →
Edinburgh Town Wall, Flodden Wall, Johnston Terrace to Grassmarket is a sixteenth-century defensive wall built to protect Edinburgh's southern approaches following the Scottish defeat at Flodden in 1513. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM3012.
Edinburgh Town Wall, Flodden Wall, Johnston Terrace to Grassmarket is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic Environment Scotland — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in Scotland. The official designation reference is SM3012.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Galachlaw,cairn (5 km), Caiy Stane,standing stone,Fairmilehead (5.1 km), Caerketton Hill,fort (7.2 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Edinburgh Town Wall, Flodden Wall, Johnston Terrace to Grassmarket's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Edinburgh Town Wall, Flodden Wall, Johnston Terrace to Grassmarket stands on Inverclyde Group, bedrock that formed in the Osagean. The rock here is sandstone, siltstone and mudstone.