The late music icon had a deep affection for Scotland that persisted long after he left for New York in the early 1970s.
As a young boy, the future Beatle would often travel up from Liverpool to come and stay with his aunt and uncle in their terraced house in upmarket Murrayfield before heading up north to the family croft in Durness.
John even continued to visit at the height of Beatlemania; residing at his cousin Stan’s house in Currie after a famous Beatles show at Edinburgh’s ABC cinema in 1964.
Lennon’s last trip to Scotland in 1969 ended with an unexpected stay at the Lawson Memorial Hospital near Golspie. He had been travelling north in an Austin Maxi with wife Yoko, his son Julian and Yoko’s daughter Kyoko, when the car crashed near Loch Eriboll in Sutherland. All except Julian required stitches.
On the 40th anniversary of his tragic death, we take a look at 13 places north of the border that have a link to John Lennon.
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. John Lennon and Yoko Ono in Shandwick Place in Edinburgh
John Lennon and Yoko Ono in Shandwick Place in Edinburgh, 1969. Photo: Bob Webb
. 15 Ormidale Terrace, Edinburgh
John's Aunt Mather and Uncle Bert Sutherland's house at 15 Ormidale Terrace, where the Beatles song Rain was reportedly written. Photo: Ian Georgeson
1. 15 Ormidale Terrace, Edinburgh
John's Aunt Mather and Uncle Bert Sutherland's house at 15 Ormidale Terrace, where the Beatles song Rain was reportedly written. Photo: Ian Georgeson
2. Alloa Town Hall
Alloa Town Hall, where the Beatles, then named the Silver Beetles, played their first ever show in front of an audience, supporting singer Johnny Gentle, in May 1960. Photo: Creative Commons
3. Bryce Crescent, Currie
Bryce Crescent in the Edinburgh suburb of Currie, where John's cousin Stan Parkes lived in the 1960s. John spent the night here after a Beatles show at the Capital's ABC cinema in April 1964. Photo: Geograph/Creative Commons
4. Roxy Cinema, Edinburgh
John was said to have frequented the Roxy Cinema in Gorgie Road while in Edinburgh during his childhood. The cinema has since been closed down and converted into accommodation. Photo: UNKNOWN