Edinburgh's New Town in One Day
A Walking Tour through the Georgian Centre
Edinburgh's New Town delights with Georgian architecture and quaint, cobbled streets. This tour shows you the highlights in just one day.
Having just one day for sightseeing isn't such a problem in a compact city like Edinburgh. A stroll through the New Town can make you feel like a character out of a Jane Austen novel one minute, then serve up the best in designer stores and stylish bars and restaurants.
Of course, the name is misleading: designed in the 1700s, the New Town is one of the best examples of Georgian architecture you’ll find in any city. Overcrowding had become a problem in the Old Town, and a competition was launched to find a design for a new burgh on the north side. The design of young architect James Craig won the day, and the New Town sprang into stately being.
Calton Hill
Calton Hill makes an ideal starting point. Diagonally opposite Edinburgh Castle, this monument to monuments is an eccentric collection of memorials to characters as diverse as Lord Nelson, architect Thomas Playfair and philosopher Dugald Stewart. Most obvious, and visible from most parts of the city, is the Parthenon-like row of columns, the National Monument, built to commemorate those who served in the Napoleonic Wars. Originally intended to be a full replica, it ground to a halt when funding vanished, and remains as it was when the workmen downed tools.
Princes Street and Scott Monument
The hill also offers one of the iconic views of the city, with the mile-long stretch of Princes St framed by the Balmoral clock and the Scott Monument. And it is down Princes St, shopping hub of the city, that the tour continues, past Waverley Station and the expanse of the Princes St Gardens. Once the fetid Nor Loch (North Lake) this dumping ground for refuse from the Old Town closes was drained in the 1820s and eventually transformed into a park for the people. Close to its eastern entrance sits the Scott Monument, a dark, pointed edifice described as “a Gothic rocket ship” by author Bill Bryson. Characters from the great Scot’s books populate every nook of the memorial, and the upstairs balcony offers a fine view of the city for those still with a spring in their step after the short climb up Calton Hill. Open Mon-Sat 9am-6pm (3pm Oct-Mar) and Sun 10am-6pm (3pm Oct Mar). Admission $6.
Hanover Street, George Street
Turning right up Hanover Street takes you into the heart of the New Town. Architect James Craig had envisaged a pure symmetry to the city grid: domed churches were meant to face each other at either end of the main thoroughfare, George Street. Look left towards Charlotte Square, and that is indeed what you see. Look right towards St Andrew’s Square, however, and you’ll see that his plan was stymied. An noted businessman, Sir Laurence Dundas, decided his mansion should take pride of place at the eastern end, resulting in the more modest, un-domed building that now houses the headquarters of the Royal Bank of Scotland.
Now a major shopping and entertainment precinct, George Street is the perfect place for a little window shopping. But if lunch or a coffee are calling, stay on Hanover Street and head over the hill. On the left you'll find Herderson's Table (no. 94), a basement cafe with healthy, wholesome vegetarian food, or Urban Angel on the right (no. 121), which offers something a little more special.
Heriot Row
Continuing along Hanover St, past the private Queen St gardens (private gardens are a feature of this high density city) brings you to the famous Heriot Row, one of the jewels of Edinburgh’s Georgian heritage, and home to the famous author Robert Louis Stevenson (number 17).
While strolling past the townhouses of Heriot Row, picture the sedan chairs that thronged the streets until the late 1800s. After depositing their exalted customers at their refined lodgings, they may well have continued to another hire in nearby India Street, another Georgian gem. Turn right and drink in the charm of this much admired street before turning left into Gloucester Place, following it as it becomes Doune Terrace.
Moray Place
By now, you may think by now that you’ve seen the best Edinburgh has to offer. Hold onto your hat! Stepping from Doune Terrace into Moray Place elevates you from admiration to utter awe. This 12-sided Roman Doric circus and its neighbours, Ainslie Place and Randolph Crescent, were built between 1822 and 1855, and epitomise the grand elegance of Georgian style. Head left around Moray Place, then through Great Stuart Street into Ainsley Place. First left is St Colme Street, where you can cross and continue south into Glenfinlas Street.
Charlotte Square
And here you’ll come to the final port of call in your tour of the New Town: Charlotte Square, the western counterbalance to St Andrew’s Square in the East. Here you can admire the exquisite architecture of Robert Adam, and even take a look from the inside at number 7, The Georgian House, a National Trust property. Open 1-20 Mar, daily 11–4; 21 Mar-30 Jun, daily 10–5; 1 Jul-31 Aug, daily 10–6; 1 Sep-31 Oct, daily 10–5; 1-30 Nov, daily 11–3. Admission $10. Call +41 (0)844 4932118 for more information. Next door, at number 6, is Bute House, the residence of Scotland’s First Minister (not open to the public).
The west end of the city is full of bars and restaurants, so finding a cosy spot to end your tour should be no trouble. You’ll find more cheap and cheerful options in the Queensferry St/Shandwick Place area, but for something special, head east along George Street and take your pick of the chic eateries on offer.
If you have two days to spend in Edinburgh, combine this tour with a walk through the Old Town. Click here to go to that tour.
