Edinburgh, Cowgate, Cardinal Beaton's House — Report the wrong picture

What is recorded here

Cardinal Beaton's House stood on Cowgate as a bishops palace during the 16th Century, a tall stone presence in Edinburgh. It may have echoed with whispered prayers, sudden commands or the scrape of heavy chairs. Beaton moved through those rooms with confidence, surrounded by symbols of power that marked him as exceptional. The building no longer exists, but its absence still shapes the street because it once occupied so much of the local imagination.

Scotland's National Record of the Historic Environment records Edinburgh, Cowgate, Cardinal Beaton's House as Bishops Palace (16th Century). The official map says its point is accurate as follows: NGR given to the nearest 1m. The record does not by itself mean that the public may enter the place.

Cardinal David Beaton, Archbishop of St Andrews, built the house in the 16th century as a residence in Edinburgh. It is remembered as part of the historical network of religious and political power in 16th-century Scotland.

The historic-place record does not grant public access. Check current conditions and ownership before entering land or a building.