Let us suppose, then, that we take our stand in the centre of Castle
Street in the year 1800, and that we are looking due west. We have on
our right hand the New Inn, the Tolbooth, and the Town-House; and on our
left the houses on the south side of Castle Street on the same line as
at present. But between these two lines, instead of the open prospect to
the west which is now so much admired, we can see before us only a big
block of common-looking houses, having shops in the ground floor, which
completely obstructs the view.