Forgotten Edinburgh Street Revealed Behind National Library Door

A forgotten street, offering insight into Edinburgh’s appearance centuries ago, is situated behind a door deep within the lower levels of the National Library of Scotland. This street, Libberton’s Wynd, located in the old city’s core, was dismantled in the 1830s to facilitate the construction of George IV Bridge; however, a section of it persists. It is accessible via a concealed door, nestled between the bridge walls and the library structure. Library personnel have designated this corridor “The Void,” and it is not publicly accessible. Nevertheless, BBC Scotland News was granted permission to view its interior. Its discovery occurred in the 1990s when library officials breached a small hatch in a wall located behind filing cabinets and subsequently entered. Inside, they encountered a passage featuring arches leading into chambers and rooms, believed to have served as storage within the bridge. Bill Jackson, the library’s former director, informed BBC Scotland News that he discovered antique, decayed furniture, ledgers, shoes, and a slate urinal, all exceeding 100 years in age, yet waterlogged and compromised. Jackson recounted his initial experience: “My torch was hardly illuminating anything, it was very dark when I went through and a bit scary and I wanted to get out of there.” He added, “It was fascinating though.” Subsequently, he installed lighting and an additional door at The Void’s Cowgate extremity. The library’s rooms were constructed upon the visible foundations of structures that were razed in Libberton’s Wynd to accommodate George IV Bridge. Robbie Mitchell, a reference assistant at the library, noted that within the passageway, one can observe the brickwork of the library’s lower sections and the bridge’s stonework. Mr. Mitchell stated, “Although not a preserved street like Mary King’s Close, this nevertheless offers us a glimpse of the Edinburgh of centuries ago.” He continued, “There are several maps and accounts of the Old Town in the library’s collections which help us build an atmospheric picture of the neighbourhood on which both George IV Bridge and the library now stand, and what was there before The Void.” George IV Bridge was erected to link Edinburgh’s center, the Royal Mile, across the valley of the Cowgate, to the city’s south side. Its arches incorporated multi-story chambers designed for storage by shops situated at the bridge’s summit. Prior to its demolition for the bridge’s construction, Libberton’s Wynd served as the path from the Cowgate to Edinburgh’s gallows, located in The Lawnmarket section of the Royal Mile. Subsequently, The National Library of Scotland was constructed atop the bridge, with its floors extending downwards into the Cowgate below. The bridge itself was built upon Libberton Wynd’s foundations, which remain visible within The Void. The corridor spans several hundred feet and descends at a steep incline. Officials have expanded the entry point, resulting in a full-sized door. Currently, some of the chambers house large water tanks for the library’s sprinkler system. Mr. Mitchell noted that substantial crowds, frequently numbering in the thousands, gathered for executions held at the city gallows where Libberton’s Wynd met the Lawnmarket. Among the most notorious individuals executed at this site was the body-snatcher and murderer William Burke, in January 1829. Libberton’s Wynd was additionally renowned for hosting one of Edinburgh’s most recognized taverns, initially named The Mermaid, later becoming Johnnie Dowie’s Tavern. Taverns constituted significant elements of Edinburgh’s Old Town communities, frequently attracting patrons from diverse social strata. Historical accounts characterized John Dowie as “the sleekest and kindest of landlords.” His attire consistently included “a cocked hat, buckles at the knees and shoes, as well as a cross-handled cane, over which he stooped in his gait.” Mr. Mitchell indicated that the most favored beverage was Edinburgh Ale, brewed and provided by Archibald Younger. This ale was characterized as “a potent fluid which almost glued the lips of the drinker together, and of which few, therefore, could dispatch more than a bottle.” Mr. Mitchell stated that descriptions of the tavern, situated on the ground floor of a tall tenement, conveyed a sense of the Old Town’s cramped conditions. Its main room, facing the Wynd, could accommodate approximately 14 individuals, while its other rooms were reportedly so confined that each could hold no more than six people. These rooms were depicted as “so dingy and dark that, even in broad day, they had to be lighted up by artificial means.” The Tavern itself was characterized as an establishment of “much respectability” and served as a frequented gathering spot for Edinburgh’s “chief wits and men of letters.” Writers, such as poet Robert Fergusson, artists, and numerous members of the judiciary, regularly patronized it. Its smallest, windowless chamber, an irregularly shaped oblong box, was commonly known as “the Coffin” and was thought to be Robert Burns’ preferred spot within the Tavern. Libberton’s Wynd was initially documented in the late 15th Century, but by 1835, it had been demolished. Local historian Jamie Corstorphine described his entry into The Void as among the most thrilling experiences of his life. Corstorphine suggested, “The name of the wynd probably came from Henry Libberton, who had a large property on the wynd – or if not him, then his family, who remained in the house for many years after his death in 1501.” He added, “The street had merchants, barbers, a shoemaker, grocers, custom house, vinters, cork-cutters, silver turners, hosiers and glaziers.” Concluding, he stated, “It was a very busy street that would have been full of life at the time.”