image copyright Rachel Windsor

Traditionally believed to have been the residence of John Knox, the building was actually the home of James Mossman, jeweller to Mary, Queen of Scots.

Now part of the Scottish Storytelling Centre, the building is one of the oldest on the High Street, and can owe its continued existence to its supposed former inhabitant. When the street needed widening, it was planned to demolish the house, but due to its reputation it survived, and presents a window into the past for residents and tourists to this day.

John Knox studied in Europe, and returned to his native Scotland to assist the Reformation here. On his arrival in Edinburgh, he is known to have lived at Writers' Court, roughly in the position of Roxburgh Court. He was minister at St Giles Cathedral and a decrier of Mary, Queen of Scots, who was a Catholic brought up in France, and widely considered to be a woman of little moral standard.