Find Your Way Around Central Edinburgh

FIRST THINGS FIRST! The best way of finding your way around Central Edinburgh is to purchase a copy of Ronald P A Smith's coloured Edinburgh Central Area Map (cover of last edition pictured on the right). The map is available from the best local bookshops, newagents and stationers, and from tourist information centres and bookshops in many parts of Scotland (although not currently from the tourist information centre in Edinburgh, unfortunately). This map was first published in 1996; now it is available in a new, updated 2005 edition, priced at a modest £2.35, showing all the recently implemented road closures, etc. It is probably the most detailed map of its type; it is certainly the only one with comprehensive indexes of public buildings, visitor attractions and places of interest (as well as the usual street lists). The index categories are:
* Visitor Attractions, Antiquities and Places of Interest
* Cinemas, Halls, Theatres and Community Centres (useful during the period of the renowned Edinburgh International Festival)
* Libraries, Parks and Recreation
* Education (from nursery to university)
* Places of Worship - Around 90 are marked on the map
* Health and Welfare Facilities
* Other Information including the locations of police stations, government offices, cemeteries, railway stations.

The Edinburgh Central Area Map covers a fairly large area, taking in nearly all major sporting venues and features of tourist interest. From west to east, it extends from Murrayfield to Meadowbank, and it takes in the Royal Botanic Garden, Gorgie, Merchiston, Newington and the whole of Holyrood Park.

To order by post direct from the publisher, please click on the 'Map Ordering' button on this website's 'Home' page.

THE CITY AND ROYAL BURGH OF EDINBURGH

Edinburgh, the capital city of Scotland, is well-known throughout the world for the beauty of its natural setting, townscape and architecture. Home to 430,082 inhabitants in 2001, it is the country's second largest city, situated between the southern shore of the Firth of Forth and the Pentland Hills. It is thought to have originated on the easily defended Castle rock or 'crag', a volcanic outcrop, then spread down the 'tail' to the east to form the ancient Royal Burgh which, combined with the adjoining Burgh of Canongate and the Grassmarket (photographs to right and left), is today known as the 'Old Town'. Edinburgh became a Royal Burgh in the 12th century and has effectively been Scotland's capital city since the 15th century.

In the late 18th century, Edinburgh became a centre of great prosperity and cultural enlightenment. It broke loose from its crowded ridge from castle to Holyrood, and expanded (mainly) to the north to create the New Town, probably the world's best example of Georgian town planning and architecture. Princes Street, now the city's premier shopping street, was lined by buildings only on the north side, giving open views to the castle; to the north are wide streets terminated by impressive buildings, open spaces of various gepometric shapes and a great variety of classical architecture, from the severe to the ornate.

The expanding city quickly spread around Calton Hill, another volcanic outcrop, and, in the early years of the 19th century, crowned it with a spectacular variety of monuments and buildings, two of which can be seen in the photograph of Princes Street on the left. As Scotland's capital city, Edinburgh functions as an administrative and legal centre and has amassed a considerable wealth of art galleries and museums, together with the national Royal Botanic Garden and the zoo (the latter off the Central Area Map to the west at Corstorphine). In recent years, the city has experienced quite a resurgence in development activity; nearly all of its notorious gap sites have disappeared and the establishment of the Scottish Parliament in 1999 has added to the impetus. The city is home to several of Britain's most powerful financial institutions, including the Royal Bank of Scotland, Standard Life, Scottish Widows and the Bank of Scotland.

The city has, over the years, expanded around the bases of several other hills and these open spaces give a contrast to urban hustle and bustle which is the envy of many other large conurbations. Within a few minutes of Princes Street, visitors and residents can lose themselves in the wilds of Holyrood Park and pictured on the right is the classic view of the city therefrom, with Salisbury Crags on the right.

Edinburgh is, as one might expect, an excellent shopping centre with outlets ranging from the gift shops of the Royal Mile to the chain stores in Princes Street and the St James Centre, and from the upmarket emporia of George Street to the run-of-the-mill (and sometimes downright horrid) edge-of-city retail parks. The range of visitor attractions and antiquities is vast, and the list given below can only give a flavour of what there is to see.

Antiquities and Places of Interest

Edinburgh Castle - Undoubtedly Scotland's premier tourist attraction, Edinburgh Castle sits on top of a volcanic rock outcrop, about 440 feet above sea level. It affords spectacular views of the city and beyond, including the Forth Bridges at Queensferry, and includes numerous separate buildings including the 12th century St Margaret's Chapel, the Great Hall of c. 1500 and the Scottish National War Memorial. At the castle are displayed of the Scottish Crown Jewels, more properly known as the 'Honours of Scotland', together with the 'Stone of Destiny' recently returned from Westminster Abbey amid much pomp and circumstance. Between the castle and the top of the Old Town is the Castle Esplanade which gives such an atmospheric setting for the annual Edinburgh Military Tattoo, televised throughout the world.

Castle Hill - Connecting the Castle Esplanade to the Palace of Holyroodhouse are five streets in line - Castle Hill, Lawnmarket, High Street, Canongate and the Abbey Strand, collectively known as the Royal Mile. Looking down into Castle Hill, the photograph on the right shows Cannonball House, foreground right, dating from 1630 and so-called because of the cannonball embedded in its gable wall, the Outlook Tower and Camera Obscura on the left, and the soaring spire of the former Tolbooth St John's Church in the centre. This former church has been imaginatively converted into 'The Hub', the centre of activities for the Edinburgh International Festival. On the opposite side of Castle Hill from The Hub is the New College, the temporary home of the Scottish Parliament pending its relocation to less distinguished premises presently being built on a less prestigious site at the foot of the Royal Mile.

Greyfriars Bobby - Visitors taking a short detour from the Royal Mile to the far end of George IV Bridge are often intrigued to find the diminutive statue of Greyfriars Bobby (photograph on left). Nearby are Greyfriars Church (part 1602) and Churchyard with its fine array of ancient gravestones and the Magdalen Chapel in the Cowgate (1541), while opposite looms the new Museum of Scotland, externally rather a crude re-interpretation of Scottish traditional building forms, but inside a treasure trove of Scottish historical relics. Integral with this is the 'Royal Museum', a more traditional museum featuring, amongst many other things, the vast suspended skeleton of a blue whale washed up at Dunbar. It is interesting to note that Greyfriars Church once had a spire, but this was blown up in 1718 when gunpowder stored within it exploded!

St Giles' Cathedral - Centrally situated in the High Street is Edinburgh's ancient cathedral. Today more properly known as the High Kirk of St Giles, its main features are the crown tower of 1500 (a familiar feature on the skyline of the Royal Mile), extensive medieval work and the Thistle Chapel of 1910. Behind the cathedral, on its former burial ground, is Scotland's original Parliament House, dating from around 1635, but refaced in classical style; inside is the Parliament Hall with its original, magnificent hammerbeam roof. Also in Parliament Square are the Signet Library (which has been described in the excellent RIAS Edinburgh Illustrated Architectural Guide as a 'classical cathedral'), a 1685 equestrian statue of King Charles II and the city's Mercat Cross from which proclamations are still sometimes read.

City Chambers - On the north side of the High Street are the City Chambers with their little private square. The buildings, originally created to house trading activities formerly conducted at the Mercat Cross, date from 1753 and their northerly facade to Cockburn Street is remarkable for its eleven-storey height (who says that multi-storey buildings are a modern invention?). The City Chambers were built over pre-existing buildings and a remarkable survivor underneath is Mary King's Close, a labyrinth of rooms and passages which are the subject of enjoyable guided tours.

Tron Kirk - The pointed steeple of the Tron Kirk (left) adds character to the Royal Mile at its junction with South Bridge. Although the steeple itself is 19th century, the remainder of the church, partially demolished to make way for the construction of the South Bridge, dates from 1633. In more recent years, the building has accommodated an information centre and exhibition on the Old Town. Further down on the same side is a large turretted hotel, controversial not because it fits so well with the townscape of the Royal Mile, but because many in the architectural profession consider it to lack 'innovation and excitement'! Down narrow closes on the opposite side of the High Street can be found the very atmospheric Old St Paul's Episcopal Church (well worth a visit) and the Trinity apse, now a brass rubbing centre and the only remaining portion of Trinity College, a 15th century building demolished to make way for Waverley Station.

John Knox's House - This picturesque 16th century building marks the narrowing of the High Street on the approach to the former Netherbow Port, an impressive gateway with turrets and clocktower which once marked the boundary between the Royal Burgh of Edinburgh and the Burgh of Canongate. Opposite is the city's Museum of Childhood.

Canongate Tolbooth - Down the Canongate beyond the picturesque courtyard of Chessel's Court and the early 17th century Moray House (both on the opposite side) is the Canongate Tolbooth, dating from 1591 and once the municipal buildings and prison of the Burgh of Canongate. Characterised by its turrets and public clock, it now contains a museum dedicated to the people of Edinburgh - the People's Story. Opposite is the early 16th century Huntly House, now another museum. Adjacent to Huntly House are Bakehouse Close, one of the most picturesque closes in the Royal Mile, and Acheson House (1633).

Canongate Kirk - Next to the Tolbooth is the unusual gable of Canongate Kirk (on left). This church, still in use, was built in 1688 at a cost of £2,400 to replace Holyrood Abbey as a place of public worship. The surrounding graveyard contains many interesting memorials, notably those of Adam Smith, Dugald Stewart and Ferguson the poet. Further down the Canongate on the opposite side is Queensberry House, built in 1681 and once the mansionhouse of the first Earl of Lauderdale. Later a barracks and then a hospital, it is being converted into offices forming an essential part of the new Scottish Parliament complex.

The New Scottish Parliament Building - Between Queensberry House and Horse Wynd is situated Scotland's new Parliament Building. The long-running political controversy about its cost very much obscured the question of its design, a much more important legacy. Whether the Parliament Building is a masterpiece of modernist architectural design or a throwback to the 1960s when public authorities were hoodwinked into design 'experimentation' is a matter of opinion.  Certainly, many in the architectural profession drool over the building as if it were the 'emperor's new clothes', and the usual awards have been given accordingly.  While the interior of the building is impressive and in many ways appropriate (and worth a visit!), the exterior is disappointing, particularly the over-use of concrete, the gloomy overhangs, the understated entrance (is this meant to reflect the Scottish 'cringe'?), the dreadful partially-obscured windows, the rather patronising quotations and bits of stone on the Canongate frontage and the appalling 'landscaping' which is supposed to connect the building 'to the land', but in fact looks more like waste ground.  See it for yourself - and come to your own opinion!

White Horse Close - Opposite the site of the Parliament Building is White Horse Close (left), a picturesque oasis from the busy Canongate. Once a 17th century inn, the buildings were successfully converted to housing in the late 19th century and sympathetically restored in 1964 by Sir Frank Mears who carried out similar work at Thurso.

Palace of Holyroodhouse - Edinburgh's present-day royal residence, the Palace of Holyroodhouse is probably the number two 'must-see' in Edinburgh (see photograph on right). The oldest part is the north-west tower, dating from 1529; the rest is late 17th century work. The interior is sumptiously decorated as one might expect of a royal palace. Adjoining are the remains of the 12th century Holyrood Abbey, in their present state because of a roof collapse in 1768. In the forecourt is an elaborate fountain modelled on that at Linlithgow Palace (for information on Linlithgow, please click on the relevant button at the foot of this page). In the grounds, the Scottish royal garden parties are held.

Holyrood Park - Few of the world's capital cities - and certainly none in the British Isles - have a landscape setting to rival that of Edinburgh. Holyrood Park (photograph on left) is an extensive royal park, containing miniature Highland scenery, three lochs, a romantic ruin and a multitude of paths to explore. The highest point, Arthur's Seat (823 feet), is much climbed on fine days when the view from the top is superb. The cliffs known as the Salisbury Crags make a fine backdrop to many a street on the south side of Edinburgh; round its "radical road, the ragged rascal ran" goes the old local rhyme.

The New Town

Edinburgh's New Town is generally regarded as Europe's finest example of classical town planning and architecture; like the Old Town, it has been designated a World Heritage Site. In 1776, the architect James Craig was the winner of a competition to design the layout which includes two squares linked by the broad George Street and the outward facing Princes and Queen Streets to the south and north respectively. The success of this scheme was followed by other subsequent New Town developments covering an extensive area from Haymarket in the west to Easter Road.

Register House - One of the first (and most beautiful) classical buildings of the New Town is Register House (right), a public record office which closes the view looking north from North Bridge. It was designed by Robert Adam and dates from 1774. In front is a superb equestrian statue of the Duke of Wellington, locally known as the 'Iron Duke in bronze by Steell'. On the opposite side of Princes Street, beyond the Balmoral Hotel (formerly the North British) is the city's Tourist Information Centre.

Scott Monument - There are many monuments, memorials and statues in Edinburgh, but the lost impressive is undoubtedly that commemorating Sir Walter Scott, the great novelist and historian. In design, it has been described as a 19th century space rocket, certainly it contrasts nicely with the solid classical architecture of the New Town, not that much of it survives in Princes Street today! Designed by George Meikle Kemp, the winner of another architectural competition, the structure was finished in 1846. The public may climb the internal staircase to a lofty platform above Princes Street, giving fine views over the city. Nearby is Jenners department store, well worth a visit to see its opulent interior, particularly the main hall at Christmas time.

Royal Scottish Academy - Opposite the south end of Hanover Street is the impressive Royal Scottish Academy with Doric porticos, friezes and sphinxes, dating from 1826. Also the work of William Playfair is the National Gallery of Scotland to the rear. Both buildings were founded on the 'earthen mound' a massive engineering operation to connect the Old and New Towns.

Charlotte Square - The western square of Craig's New Town plan was the scene of the first attempt at unified design for entire building frontages (an innovation which was to become the norm in subsequent New Town developments). The north facade, pictured on the right, was finished in the last decade of the 18th century to the designs of Robert Adam and was his last commission. One of the terraced houses in the row is the official residence of Scotland's First Minister, another is the 'Georgian House', a residence furnished in period style by the National Trust for Scotland and open to the public. Numbers 26-31 on the south side of the square are also Trust properties, housing its head office together with exhibition, catering and retail facilities.

West Register House - Now also a public record office, this enormous domed building on the west side of Charlotte Square (see photograph on left) was originally St George's Church, dating from 1814. On Craig's plan, it was to be matched with a church on the far side of St Andrew Square at the east end of the New Town, but the site in question was somehow purchased by Sir Laurence Dundas for his private residence (now the headquarters of the Royal Bank of Scotland).

Dean Village and the Royal Botanic Garden - Not far to the north-west of Charlotte Square is the deeply incised valley of the Water of Leith, crossed by Telford's lofty Dean Bridge. Down below are the extremely picturesque Dean Village and the sylvan walkway down past St Bernard's Well, truly havens of tranquility. From here, a short walk further downriver leads to the most attractive and beautifully tended Royal Botanic Garden with its glasshouses and wide variety of plant displays.

Other Places of Interest - Edinburgh has many other antiquities, architectural monuments and places of interest; it has been possible to provide only a flavour of them here on this web page. However, it is hoped that the above information has whetted your appetite for a visit to Edinburgh - and remember to buy R P A Smith's Edinburgh Central Area Map to find your way around!