History of the Royal Company of Archers

Earlier this month the Royal Company of Archers held its shoot for the Edinburgh Arrow in the Meadows, the 300th anniversary of the presentation of the Arrow by the magistrates of the city of Edinburgh.

The first formal record of the Royal Company was in 1676 but there are grounds to believe its beginnings were a century and a half earlier. The right to use the Meadows can be traced back to 1813 when the town councillors dealt with a petition from the residents of Buccleuch Place regarding the neglect of a piece of land known as the Archers' Butts. The Royal Company of Archers gave up rights for use of the Butts in exchange for their rights to use the Meadows being approved and secured.

The Archers are currently mulling approval of plans to develop their property off Buccleuch Street