Down the centuries Edinburgh has witnessed numerous terrible tragedies and disasters, that have shaken and shaped the Scottish capital.
Stretching back to the Medieval era and into modern times, the city has faced sieges, mighty fires and building collapses that caused multiple fatalities and widespread damage to buildings and infrastructure.
We've taken a look back through the annals of history and recalled a few of Edinburgh's worst ever disasters.
READ MORE: Edinburgh weather: Five of the worst disasters to hit the capital in living memory
The Burning of Edinburgh
In May 1544, an English army led by the Earl of Hertford gathered on the outskirts of Edinburgh and prepared to attack the city. Vast swathes of what is now the Old Town were burned to the ground on May 7, but the citadel at Edinburgh Castle thankfully held firm and managed to repel the aggressors. Exact details of the number of casualties are hard to determine, but it is thought many hundreds died in the fires.
North Bridge collapse
Disaster occurred shortly after the completion of the first North Bridge on August 3, 1769 when the southern portion of the stone structure collapsed claiming five lives. It would be another five years before the bridge reopened.
READ MORE: The loved Edinburgh places lost forever after the Cowgate fire in 2002
The Great Fire of Edinburgh
On November 15, 1824 a fire broke out that would last for five days straight and wipe out much of Edinburgh's Old Town. Dubbed The Great Fire of Edinburgh, the event claimed the lives of 13 people, destroyed dozens of buildings and made hundreds of people homeless. One good thing emerged from the embers, however, with Edinburgh becoming the first city in the world to create a municipal fire service.
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Tenement collapse
The death toll was heavy on November 24, 1861, when a historic seven-storey tenement at Paisley Close in the Old Town suddenly gave way and collapsed to the ground. Thirty-five lives were lost, with the incident paving the way for extensive housing reforms and the improvement of living conditions.
C&A fire
On November 10, 1955, Edinburgh witnessed one of its grandest department stores, C&A Modes, on Princes Street, go up in smoke. The epic blaze brought down the spectacular shopping palace within hours and was replaced by a new build. What is it with Edinburgh and history-defining disasters occurring in November?
Cowgate fire
One of Edinburgh's worst disasters in living memory occurred just over 20 years ago on the evening of December 7, 2002, when one single spark from a faulty fuse box in Hastie's Close off the Cowgate resulted in 13 buildings being razed to the ground. While there were fortunately no casualties, the huge gap site between South Bridge and Cowgate would take more than a decade to fill.
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