I am writing a novel partially set in Edinburgh, Scotland and am trying to get a feel for the city's atmosphere in the late 19th century. Any information people have to offer on any aspect of late 1800's scotland is welcome.
EDIT: Not sure how to get rid of the literature tag
11th April 1895 at 8:00pm. They were switched on by Mrs McDonald the wife of The Lord Provost. She switched them on from a room in the Rutland Hotel overlooking Princes Street. The crowds were so large that traffic had difficulty passing. At that time they only installed lights on the north side of Princes Street. Power was generated by a power station in Torphichen Street and Dewar Place. It was supplied with coal by its own railway siding from the Caledonian Railway. The plan was that half of the lights would be turned off at midnight to save money
Gas street lighting was first introduced in 1819 in Edinburgh.
Initially cabling ran from Dewar Place to Fountainbridge, Haymarket, Dean Bridge, Princes Street and streets north of it, the GPO The Tron and the new university buildings. The voltage was 115v.
Princes Street had arc lamps set on ornamental brackets 23 feet high, about 50 yards apart. It was said to be the best lit street in Europe at the time.
The other streets has lamps 60 yards apart So the extent at first was - Haymarket Station to Waterloo Place
West End to Dean Bridge
Lothian Road to Barclay Church
Fountainbridge
East End of Princes Street to Theatre Royal - which stood near to the roundabout outside the Omni Centre
South from Princes Street to Clerk Street and Hope Park Terrace
Lawnmarket to Holyrood
Waverley Bridge, George IV Bridge, Cockburn Street, Forrest Road.