How did heart of midlothian get its name?
Incongruously located just to the west of St. Giles Kirk in Edinburgh is the Heart of Midlothian, which consists of a heart-shape set in the cobble-stones of the street. Despite Edinburgh having been very much the centre of Midlothian for hundreds of years, local government boundary changes in 1974 established a separation between Edinburgh and its Midlothian hinterland. The past connection between Edinburgh and Midlothian can also be seen through the old Midlothian County Chambers, located on George IV Bridge, temporarily used as a visitor centre for the new Scottish Parliament (1999-2004) The heart we see today set into the Royal Mile records the position of the 15th Century Tolbooth of Edinburgh, demolished in 1817, which was the administrative centre of the town, prison and one of several sites of public execution.
