Cassell's Old and new Edinburgh: its history, its people, and its places . ogether such as brethren unity to One of the most complete of the few rare relicsof the Citys old municipal institutions was thecourt-room where the bailies of the ancientPortsburgh discharged their official duties. Thebailies bench, seats, and other court-room fittings the site upon which it was built was sold byroup for city improvements. In the middle of the West Port, immediatelyopposite the Chalmers Territorial Free Churchand Schools, and running due north, is a narrowalley, called the Chapel Wyn
Cassell's Old and new Edinburgh: its history, its people, and its places . ogether such as brethren unity to One of the most complete of the few rare relicsof the Citys old municipal institutions was thecourt-room where the bailies of the ancientPortsburgh discharged their official duties. Thebailies bench, seats, and other court-room fittings the site upon which it was built was sold byroup for city improvements. In the middle of the West Port, immediatelyopposite the Chalmers Territorial Free Churchand Schools, and running due north, is a narrowalley, called the Chapel Wynd. Here, at the footthereof, stood in ancient times a chapel dedicatedto the Virgin Mary, some remains of which werevisible in the time of Maitland about 1750. Nearit is another alley—probably an access to it—named the Lady Wynd. Between this chapel andthe Castle Rock there exists, in name chiefly, anancient appendage of the royal palace in thefortress—the kings stables, although no hoof ofthe royal stud has been there for well-nigh three !< : liiiir I I irm. I. H o X z o m a< 2O Q O 01 West Port.] THE TILTING GROUND. 225 centuries, and the access thereto from the Castlemust have been both inconvenient and circuitous. It has been supposed that the earhest buildingson this site had been erected in the reign of JamesIV., when the low ground to the westward was thescene of those magnificent tournaments, which drewto that princely monarchs court the most brilliantchivalry in Europe, and where those combats en-sued of which the king was seldom an idle spectator. This tilting ground remained open and unen- appointed for triell of suche matters. Latterlythe place bore the name of Livingstones Yards. We have mentioned the acquisition by the cityof the kings stables at the Restoration. LordFountainhall records, under date nth March,1685, a reduction pursued by the Duke of Queens-berry, as Governor of the Castle, against ThomasBoreland and other possessors of these stables, a
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