A tour of Edinburgh with Mary, Queen of Scots
LATE one night, at 2am on February 8, from a sparse room that had become her prison cell for months, a woman penned her last words and final will.
“I am to be executed like a criminal”, she wrote to her brother-in-law.
Six hours later, she was dead; executed by her captors at only 44 years old and after 19 years in captivity.
The year was 1587, and the woman was Mary, Queen of Scots, who remains one of Scotland's most beloved but also most controversial figures.
More than four centuries later, traces of her life still exist in the places she moved through – if you know where to look.
Walking through Edinburgh’s cobbled Old Town, it isn’t hard to envision a life from centuries ago or to imagine Mary herself passing through these same streets.
This year, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the National Library of Scotland, Mary's last letter is on display again, now at Perth Museum – the first time it has been shown outside Edinburgh – until April 26.
I have always been fascinated by Mary but, admittedly, had never spent time looking at her life in detail.
When I heard about the letter on display in Perth, it sparked a newfound interest and an opportunity for me to get to know Mary better.
Visiting sites with author Rosemary Goring
I met up with author Rosemary Goring in Edinburgh, the city Mary returned to reign after spending her childhood in France.
Before we hit the trail, I asked what is it that makes Mary’s legacy so enduring for so many.
Why Mary, Queen of Scots matters
Partly, it is her dramatic backstory: only six days old when she became Queen of Scotland after her father’s death, sent to France to grow up in safety.
