Within the celebrated Georgian residential area of Edingburgh' s New Town, set amid magnificent architecture, there is another reason to celebrate.The completely refurbished Christopher North House Hotel exudes an air of grace that favours all who delight in the finer things in life.
It is actually a historic house which was once the former home of Christopher North, also known as Professor John Wilson, celebrated poet, writer and moral philosopher who lived here from 1823 to 1854.
John Wilson was born on 18 May 1785. His father, John, was a wealthy gauze manufacturer and his mother was descended from the Marquis of Montrose. Of the ten Wilson children, John was the fourth to be born and the first son. John Wilson' s own abilities as a naturalist were considerable. Wilson felt competent enough in natural history to review in Blackwood Magazin the works on ornithology by Audubon and by his fellow- townsman Alexander Wilson.
In romance he suffered an early disappointment.
The love of his youth was a girl named Margaret, whom he met whilst he was at Glasgow University.
In 1825 he was in a position to consider moving his wife and family of growing children to a more commodius house than No. 20 Ann Street. On 2nd March of that year he wrote to Robert Findlay that he was building a house in Gloucester Place, a small street leading from the Circus into Lord Moray' s grounds. No. 6 Gloucester Place was the home of Wilson from the end of 1825.