Besides, to the east of the town is the very august monastery of Holyrood, having the king's palace next to it and very pleasant gardens which a lake encloses at the foot of Arthur's Seat. In this hill are found precious stones, radiating on a clear day, especially adamants. In the town there are two great streets from the Castle ['Citadel of the Maidens'] to the monastery and the royal palace, laid out with square stones, especially the Royal Way. There is a suburb to the west, half a mile long, and called the Street of St Cuthbert. There are many monasteries and temples in the town, especially the Franciscans, the Dominicans, the church of [St] Mary of the Field, a college of priests, and another College of the Trinity, the Hospital of St Thomas. The town itself is not constructed from brick but from unhewn and square stones, so that even individual buildings can be compared with great palaces. In the middle of the town is the 'capitolium', and the collegiate church of St Giles.

Caeterum ad orientem urbis est augustissimum monasterium Sanctae Crucis, habens annexum palatium regis et amoenissimos hortos, quos claudit lacus ad fundum montis Cathedrae Arthuri. In hoc monte inveniuntur praetiosi lapides, clara die radiantes, adamantes praecipue. In urbe sunt duae magnae viae ab Arce Puellarum usque ad monasterium et regium palatium, lapidibus quadris stratae, praesertim Regia Via. Est suburbium ad occidentem, dimidio miliario longum, vocaturque Via Sancti Cuthberti. Sunt in urbe multa monasteria et templa, praesertim Franciscani, Dominicastri, ecclesia Mariae de Campo, collegium sacerdotum, et aliud Collegium Trinitatis, Hospitale S. Thomae. Urbs ipsa non est constructa ex coctis, sed naturalibus et quadris lapidibus, ut etiam singulae aedes possent magnis palatiis comparari. In medio urbis est capitolium, et ecclesia collegiata Sancti Egidii.