These wonderful dark rooms of arched ceilings, fireplaces and 18th century wine vaults lie beneath the South Bridge, one of the city's main thoroughfares.
The late 18th century was a time of great expansion and innovation in Edinburgh. It was here that thFar below the busy, bustling Edinburgh streets there lies a dark, quiet and forgotten place. No natural light ever reached these rooms. To the immediate south stands Infirmary Street, where Edinburgh's medical school used to be. Today, though lit safely, the unique candlelit atmosphere is retained in the vaults.
But, there was a darker side too. By 1790 there were almost one hundred businesses active on the South Bridge with their workshops in the underground Vaults below. To improve access from the Old Town to the new developments two enormous structures were built, the North and South Bridges .
The rooms, both small and large, were used as cellars, workshops and houses by those with businesses on the bridge above