John Knox's House, Edinburgh

A topographical carte-de-visite showing a view of the house in Edinburgh long associated with the Protestant reformer John Knox, although in reality there is no evidence to connect him with the building. Nonetheless, by the mid-19th century it had become widely accepted as 'John Knox's House'.

The building immediately to its left is Moubray House, one of the oldest buildings on the Royal Mile and one of the oldest occupied residential buildings in Edinburgh. Its foundations were laid around 1477 and its façade dates from the early 17th century. At the time this photograph was taken, the ground floor was occupied by the Netherbow Restaurant, according to the signage above the entrance, and its upper stories were occupied by Knox's Lodgings offering 'temperance refreshment', rooms and lodgings. A sign painted on the roof also mentions Knox's Coffee House and Lodgings.

Photographed by George Washington Wilson of Aberdeen.