spw027315 SCOTLAND (1929). Murrayfield Rugby Football Ground, Roseburn Street, Edinburgh. An oblique aerial photograph taken facing south-east. This image has been produced from a damaged negative.

This image was taken less than ten weeks after Scotland recorded their third successive win against the English on the new SRU HQ, this time by 12 points to 6. The match report states that more than 80,000 spectators saw Scotland overtake England in the last 15 minutes of the match to win the championship, on a cold, grey day. In those early days, there was precious little covered accommodation or seating, but world record crowds assembled on the vast terraces to witness a succession of fine Scottish performances throughout the interwar period.

The Scottish Football Union, (which changed its name to the Scottish Rugby Union in 1924), acquired Murray's Field from the Edinburgh Polo Club at the end of 1922. The first international rugby match played at the ground was a 14-11 victory for Scotland over England on 21 March 1925 (just four years before this photo).