Skinnergate is a street in the city of

Perth Perth () is the list of Australian capital cities, capital city of Western Australia. It is the list of cities in Australia by population, fourth-most-populous city in Australia, with a population of over 2.3 million within Greater Perth . The ...

, Scotland. Along with

Watergate The Watergate scandal was a major political scandal in the United States involving the administration of President Richard Nixon. The scandal began in 1972 and ultimately led to Nixon's resignation in 1974, in August of that year. It revol ...

, it is one of the oldest streets in the city. It runs for around from Bridge Street in the north to

High Street High Street is a common street name for the primary business street of a city, town, or village, especially in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth. It implies that it is the focal point for business, especially shopping. It is also a metonym fo ...

in the south. Its name is derived from the process of skinning animals and the tanning of their hides during the Middle Ages. Between the 9th century and 1313, Perth Castle stood at the northern end of Skinnergate. Nothing remains of it above ground. In medieval times, Skinnergate was the main route into the city from the north. Several crafts and trades associated with Perth were established here, just inside the burgh walls. These include those associated with leather, such as the Glovers Incorporation, founded in 1210. Skinnergate formerly connected Kirkgate and

St John's Kirk St John's Kirk is a church in the Scottish city of Perth, Perth and Kinross. Of Church of Scotland denomination, it is located in St John's Place, just southeast of the city centre. It stands on the former site of a church dating to 1126. Today ...

with a gateway through the city walls known as the Red Brig Port. The Old Ship Inn, established in the late 19th century, stands at the corner of High Street and Skinnergate. It occupies the site of a previous Old Ship Inn, dating from at least 1665.Civic History of Perth from Medieval Times
– Perth Civic Trust In the first half of the 20th century, artist John Guthrie Spence Smith (1880–1951) painted the

oil-on-canvas Oil painting is a painting method involving the procedure of painting with pigments combined with a drying oil as the binder. It has been the most common technique for artistic painting on canvas, wood panel, or copper for several centuries. ...

"Skinnergate, Perth". It is now in the possession of the Wardlaw Museum.

Archaeology

When a building in Skinnergate was demolished in 1854, around 300 coins dating to the reigns of

Edward I Edward I (17/18 June 1239 – 7 July 1307), also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots (Latin: Malleus Scotorum), was King of England from 1272 to 1307. Concurrently, he was Lord of Ireland, and from 125 ...

and others were found. During archaeological work in Skinnergate between 1991 and 2013, a bone whistle was discovered.

References

{{reflist Streets in Perth, Scotland