John Knox House

You're looking at one of Edinburgh's oldest houses. Its core goes back to the late 15th century, and its timber galleries leaning out over the street give you an idea of what the Royal Mile looked like before stone made everything uniform.

1The queen's goldsmith

What is documented is that in the 1550s the house belonged to James Mossman, goldsmith to Mary Queen of Scots, and his wife Mariota Arres. Their initials and coat of arms are still on the façade. Mossman stayed loyal to the queen to the very end: during the Lang Siege he minted coins inside the castle for her supporters, and when the fortress surrendered in 1573 he was executed for it.

2And Knox?

The irony is that the house is named after John Knox, the preacher who attacked the Catholic queen relentlessly. Tradition says Knox lived and died here in 1572, but historians have found no solid evidence. That tradition, however, saved the building: in the mid-19th century, when it was due to be demolished, Knox's fame rallied local people and the house was preserved.

'Lufe God abufe al and yi nychtbour as yi self': love God above all and thy neighbour as thyself.

3What to look out for

• The gilded inscription in old Scots running along the façade.
• The sun on the corner, with the word God in Greek, Latin and English.
• The initials and arms of Mossman and Arres between the windows.

A few steps further down, brass markers set into the road show where the Netherbow Port, the old town gate, once stood.