The 1544 plan of Edinburgh: Mary Queen of Scots, and the Anglo-Scottish wars of the 1540s

To coincide with theBritish Library on Tour [https://talesofonecity.wordpress.com/2026/08/05/exploring-edinburghs-maps/]digital display of the earliest known accurate depiction of Edinburgh showing in Central Library's front hall, Dr Andrea Clarke will draw on the British Librarys outstanding collections to place the 1544 plan in its historical context and to reveal its connection to the struggle for the marriage of Mary Queen of Scots.Dr Andrea Clarke is Lead Curator of Medieval and Early Modern Manuscripts at the British Library. She has curated major exhibitions on Henry VIII, Elizabeth I and Mary, Queen of Scots, and Leonardo da Vinci and has overseen the digitisation of over 600 early modern manuscripts.Image caption:
Birds-eye view of Edinburgh by Richard Lee, May 1544. Cotton MS Augustus I.ii.56. British Library Board