It is an area steeped in history. When Edinburgh City Council were developing the Grassmarket a few years ago, archaeologists found evidence of early human life. Carbon dating revealed that the area was in use by humans over 3,000 years ago, in the Middle Bronze Age, around 1500 to 1300 BC.
Formerly called Newbygging, it became one of the Edinburgh’s main market places in the latter half of the 15th century. Historians can't seem to agree where the name Grassmarket comes from, with some claiming it relates to the grass that the livestock for sale fed upon.
Take a look through our photo gallery to see the Grassmarket in the 1950s and 1960s, when it looked very different to how it does today.
1. Victoria Day
To mark Victoria Day in May 1952, locals gathered around a bonfire on the Grassmarket. Photo: Unknown
2. In the Beehive
Here was can see the stunning bar at the Grassmarket's Beehive Inn. This photo was taken in August 1956. Photo: Unknown
3. Evacuated
Two policemen are seen here guarding a Grassmarket tenement in November 1959. Residents had to be evacuated after a large crack appeared in the building. Photo: Unknown
4. Miners protest
Pictured is a miners protest rally about pit closures on the Grassmarket as workers made their way towards the Usher Hall on Lothian Road in January 1962. Photo: Unknown