This fine early birds-eye view of Edinburgh is from the ‘Civitates Orbis Terrarum’ which was compiled by George Braun (1541-1622) the Canon of Cologne Cathedral. Braun produced a total of over 500 city views and maps published in six parts between 1572 and 1617. Most of the engraving was the work of Simon Novellanus and Frans Hogenberg (1535-1590), many after drawings by George Hoefnagel although this one is unidentified. It was first published in the third volume first issued in Latin in 1581. This printed plan of Edinburgh is only predated by that of the siege of the Castle included in Holinshed’s ‘Chronicles’ of 1577. It is from that plan that this is derived lacking of course the military action. Four figures displaying the costumes of the day are attractively placed in the foreground. The verso includes descriptive text of the city which is the work of Alexander Alesius with minor amendments which was first published in Sebastian Munster’s ‘Cosmography’ printed in Basle 1550. The bird’s-eye perspective illustrates well the old city dominated by the hilltop castle ‘Castrum puellarum’ meaning ‘Castle of the Maidens’. Pict Princesses were supposed to have live there. The city is viewed from the south and displays the old medieval walls enclosing at its centre the Cathedral of St. Giles. Barrott ‘An Atlas of Old Edinburgh’ p. 6; Cowan ‘Maps of Edinburgh 1544-1929’ no. 3a; Fauser, A. 3417; Fleet, Wilkes and Withers p. 43; Fordham ‘Town Plans of the British Isles’, in ‘Map Collectors’ Circle’ no. 22 p. 5; Goss, J. (Euro cities) pl. 18; Koeman II B & H 3 no. 4; Tooley, R.V. (M&M) illus no. 14.