Historic cross on Edinburgh's Royal Mile covered in tarmac

Council says it was a trip hazard

The cross in the roadway marks the old boundary between Edinburgh and the burgh of Canongate

A HISTORIC paved cross embedded in the roadway of the Royal Mile has been covered over by tarmac.

The multi-coloured St John’s Cross – which marks the old boundary between Edinburgh and the former burgh of Canongate – is located just down from the junction of New Street with the Canongate and close to St John Street.

Kiltmaker Nikki Laird, who spotted the covered-up cross and posted a picture on Twitter, said: “I was pretty shocked, especially with it being on the Royal Mile.”

The cross has been covered in tarmac Picture: Nikki Laird

The city council said the cross had been covered up because it was judged to be a trip hazard, but insisted it would be reinstated “as soon as possible”.

The Maltese-style cross marks the original site of the standing cross of St John, a traditional meeting place where proclamations were read out. The Ancient Order of St John is thought to have owned land and property next to the cross during the Middle Ages.The cross was installed in 1987 by the Venerable Order of St John of Jerusalem to mark the 40th anniversary of the re-establishment of the order in Scotland.

A council spokeswoman said: “We would like to reassure residents that this is not a permanent repair - this is an urgent temporary measure as the setts had significantly deteriorated and were posing a trip hazard to pedestrians. We are working with relevant partners to implement a permanent solution to reinstate the St John’s Cross as soon as possible.”

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