D 2447

This watercolour shows Edinburgh's Grassmarket beneath the Castle Hill at the end of the day, as the setting sun casts long shadows and a red glow across the city. The square structure to the right is the Bowfoot Well, a simple ashlar box with a panelled concave pyramid top and a swagged urn finial. Dating from 1681, the Bowfoot Well was one of ten wells that supplied the city with water. It still stands today, but is no longer connected to the water supply. Just behind the well was the site of the public gallows. The whole of the south side of the Grassmarket was eventually pulled down and renovated by the end of the nineteenth century.

• Material: Pen, brown ink, watercolour and bodycolour over pencil on paper
• Size: 22.90 x 33.20 cm
• National Galleries of Scotland

early 1820s

D 2463

The High Street forms part of Edinburgh's famous Royal Mile, which leads from the Castle to the Palace of Holyroodhouse. Duguid's view looks towards the Castle, which is concealed by the distant buildings. In the foreground people gather for water at one of the wells. The brown building on the right is one Edinburgh's oldest and was supposedly once the home of Protestant Reformer John Knox, however it is unlikely that Knox ever actually lived there. Dominating the skyline are the spires of the Tron Kirk and the High Kirk of St Giles where Knox preached his famous sermons. This drawing is likely to date from the early 1820s, as it shows the original steeple of the Tron Kirk, which was destroyed in the Great Fire of 1824 and subsequently re-built.

• Material: Watercolour over pencil on paper
• Size: 25.80 x 37.50 cm
• National Galleries of Scotland