A tranquil village of picturesque charm built around the Water of Leith. Look out for Well Court and St Bernard's Well nearby.
Perhaps the highpoint of the first New Town, Robert Adam's glorious Charlotte Square is one of the finest architectural set-pieces in Europe.
Classical architecture, grand squares and terraces, gardens and secluded lanes make up Edinburgh's Georgian New Town.
An open space that serves as a market place, surrounded by a variety of pubs and independent retailers.
The heart, or perhaps the backbone, of Edinburgh's Old Town, with the Palace of Holyroodhouse at its foot, and Edinburgh Castle at its head.
Edinburgh's Acropolis. Visit the National Monument, Nelson Monument and other important landmarks here.
The Old and New Towns of Edinburgh are one of the most beautiful cityscapes in the world, inscribed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1995. The unique character of the city comes from the striking contrast between the medieval Old Town and the Georgian New Town, with each area containing many significant historic buildings. Use the interactive map above, or find our historical maps. Another good starting place for getting to know the World Heritage Site is our new exhibition at the Tron.
Explore the World Heritage Site on foot, and learn some of its history with our recommended trails.
Discover the fascinating layers of history that lie hidden behind the stone facades of Edinburgh’s historic buildings.
Find out moreExplore the West End of Edinburgh and learn about some of the famous figures who are associated with this part of the city.
Find out moreDiscover some of the buried stories of the five internationally-important graveyards within Edinburgh's World Heritage Site.
Find out moreRobert Louis Stevenson is one of Scotland's greatest writers and is associated with many spaces and buildings across the city. We invite you to walk in his footsteps.
Find out moreThe Edinburgh Food Heritage Trail offers a way to experience the city’s World Heritage Site, revealing some of the hidden links between the city’s unique built heritage and its food traditions.
Find out moreA guide for visitors to some of the most significant buildings on the University of Edinburgh’s campus.
Find out moreTraces of poet Robert Fergusson’s Auld Reekie still exist today and by following this trail you can walk in his footsteps and experience life in the old city.
Find out moreExplore the monuments and buildings that helped shape Edinburgh's image as the 'Athens of the North'
Find out moreA selection of Edinburgh's most iconic landmarks, all within easy walking distance.
Find out moreThese six areas within the Site showcase the very best of Edinburgh’s World Heritage Site.
A tranquil village of picturesque charm built around the Water of Leith. Look out for Well Court and St Bernard's Well nearby.
Find out morePerhaps the highpoint of the first New Town, Robert Adam's glorious Charlotte Square is one of the finest architectural set-pieces in Europe.
Find out moreClassical architecture, grand squares and terraces, gardens and secluded lanes make up Edinburgh's Georgian New Town.
Find out moreAn open space that serves as a market place, surrounded by a variety of pubs and independent retailers.
Find out moreThe heart, or perhaps the backbone, of Edinburgh's Old Town, with the Palace of Holyroodhouse at its foot, and Edinburgh Castle at its head.
Find out moreEdinburgh's Acropolis. Visit the National Monument, Nelson Monument and other important landmarks here.
Find out moreWith over 4500 buildings and monuments within the World Heritage Site, here are just a few.
The Tron Kirk, or Christ’s Kirk at the Tron, has stood in the heart of Edinburgh’s Old Town for almost 400 years.
Find out moreSir George Gilbert Scott's medieval gothic Cathedral, with a large central tower and spire.
Find out morePicturesque four and five storey tenement flats enclose a communal courtyard next to the Water of Leith.
Find out more5 Charlotte Square was the birthplace in 1797 of Elizabeth Grant, who wrote The Memoirs of a Highland Lady, regarded as a classic of Scottish literature. They give an insight into both Georgian high society life and the early history of No.5.
Find out moreThe Assembly Rooms was built between 1783 and 1787 to provide a place of entertainment for the wealthy residents of the New Town. Over 200 years later, it still retains its function as a venue for music and dance.
Find out moreThe Melville Monument in St Andrew Square is one of the most prominent landmarks in the city.
Find out moreGeneral Register House on Princes Street is one of the world’s oldest custom-built archive buildings still in use.
Find out moreThe Beehive Inn in the Grassmarket is one of Edinburgh’s oldest public houses, and incorporates a grim reminder of the city’s past.
Find out moreAn architectural gem with a distinguished history, playing host to a royal banquet in 1598 and becoming the residence of David Hume in 1751.
Find out moreJames Court has a special place in Edinburgh’s history, as it is connected to several of the most important figures in the city’s past.
Find out moreFrom the Lawnmarket, Milne’s Court is well-hidden and the only clues are a small sign above the entrance to the pend, and the date 1690 carved into the stonework.
Find out moreLady Stair’s House, home to the Writers' Museum, lies just off the Lawnmarket, a location favoured by tourists as a picturesque piece of Old Edinburgh.
Find out moreOne of the oldest houses in Edinburgh, but probably not the home of the firebrand preecher
Find out moreAn architectural detective story tucked away off the Royal Mile (Image via VisitScotland)
Find out moreA spectacular Canongate residence, once the scene of a great political drama
Find out moreEvery Scottish burgh possessed a tollbooth, which acted as a courthouse, prison, meeting place and the means to collect tolls from travellers entering the town. Today Canongate Tolbooth houses the People's Story Museum.
Find out moreDiscover Edinburgh’s fascinating history through the Museum of Edinburgh’s wide and varied collections. In exploring the Museum’s maze of 16th century buildings, you will see iconic items, beautiful objects and learn fascinating facts and gruesome tales.
Find out moreOriginally a grand Canongate residence, then by turns brothel, slum, and now home to Edinburgh World Heritage.
Find out moreWhite Horse Close takes its name from an inn that used to stand at its north end. Journeys to London would start from its courtyard. The close was also once home to William Dick who founded the Royal School of Veterinary Studies.
Find out moreA masterpiece by Robert Adam and William Playfair, perhaps the University's most important ensemble of buildings.
Find out moreThe leafy and bustling square at the heart of the University of Edinburgh
Find out moreFind out about more about the stories behind some of Edinburgh’s most important streets
Cumberland Street today has a quiet and calm atmosphere, a street of residential Georgian elegance. Yet it also stands as a reminder of how close the city came to losing some of its greatest assets. The street is part of the northern extension of the original New Town, masterplanned by architects Robert Reid and William
Find out moreDesigned as part of James Craig’s New Town plan in 1767, Rose Street was named after the national flower of England, a consciously unionist paring with Thistle Street. In the 19th century, Rose Street gained a reputation as a seedy backwater, not a place for the respectable classes to be seen after dark… Poor Prince
Find out moreGeorge Street has a reputation for high-class shopping, but it’s not the big name brands that create the image, it’s the architecture that really establishes the character of the street. When the New Town was first planned in 1767 what is now called George Street was titled simply ‘the principal street’, deliberately positioned on top
Find out moreThistle Street was planned in 1767 as part of James Craig’s design and named after the national flower of Scotland. Although originally built as homes it was not long before shops started opening up, offering luxury goods to the residents of the New Town. Thistle Court Thistle Court at the far east end of Thistle
Find out moreThe name Princes Street is synonymous with Edinburgh, but its architecture is often overlooked by city residents. In fact most of its buildings are now listed, and in amongst the modern stores are some real treasures. Princes Street is part of the New Town plan designed by James Craig in 1767, and took its name
Find out moreVictoria Street in the Old Town has to be one of the most photographed locations in the city. Its gentle curve and colourful shopfronts make it a favourite spot for tourist photos, postcards and TV adverts. Victoria Street was built between 1829-34 as part of a series of improvements to the Old Town, with the
Find out moreSt. Mary’s Street was constructed during the 1860s, when the former narrow and overcrowded medieval St Mary’s Wynd, together with several closes to the east, were demolished as a result of the 1867 Edinburgh Improvement Act. The architects, Cousin and Lessels, designed the eastern buildings of the considerably widened street, but, in remembrance of the
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