Video: Dramatic flythrough of Edinburgh in 1544

A screengrab of the virtual flythrough video of Edinburgh

A fascinating video released by thew University of St Andrews shows the lost townscape of sixteenth-century Edinburgh, in a virtual time travel flythrough

The new digital reconstruction is the first to be created of the period, and is based on a drawing from 1544, thought to be the earliest accurate depiction of the capital.

An app highlighting the use of the time travelling tech will be released in May. It provides a unique window into the capital around the time of the birth of Mary Queen of Scots.

The new reconstruction gives an overview of the townscape of the entire sixteenth-century city, with a particular focus on the Royal Mile – the historic spine of Edinburgh.

The video flies up the High Street through the Netherbow Port – the ancient gateway into the city.

Before descending down the Z-Shaped West Bow down towards the Grassmarket. We are then treated to a bird’s eye view of the old city and can clearly make out fascinating historic landmarks such as the city walls and Greyfriars Kirk.

It is the result of a collaboration between St Andrews historians, art historians, computer scientists and University spinout company Smart History.

The result is an interactive tour of Edinburgh as it appeared in 1544, just before the city was sacked and burned by an English army led by Edward Seymour, Earl of Hertford.

Dr Bess Rhodes, an expert on sixteenth-century Scottish history who collaborated on the reconstruction, said: “For the first time visitors and residents can compare the city they know with the capital of James V and Mary Queen of Scots.

“It has been amazing seeing the recreation of a lost townscape.

“I hope this project makes the public more aware of the layers in the capital’s history, and furthers understanding of the complex way in which Edinburgh evolved.”