New Town Walking Tour

1. Scott Monument 

The world’s largest monument dedicated to a writer, the gothic Scott Monument is covered in characters from Scott’s novels like Rob Roy and Ivanhoe. Scott is seated by his beloved hound, Maida. Climb its 287 steps for spectacular views. 

2. The National Gallery of Scotland & Royal Scottish Academy

These two arts centres were designed by William Playfair in the Greek Classical style, with rooftop figures including Athena, Queen Victoria as Britannia, and sphinxes. The National Gallery is free and contains the iconic painting Monarch of the Glen. 

3. Princes Street Gardens 

Princes Street Gardens separates the Old and New towns. It previously held the Nor’ Loch, a putrid body of water where alleged witches were drowned. The lush gardens are now a favourite place to rest and play. 

4. Wojtek the Bear 

Wojtek the brown bear was adopted by the Polish 2nd Corps in 1943 in Iran. Wojtek learned to salute and carry munitions, and officially held the rank of Private. Wojtek retired to Edinburgh Zoo, where his brothers-in-arms regularly visited until his death in 1963. 

5. Ross Fountain 

This cast-iron fountain was bought by Edinburgh gunmaker Daniel Ross at the London Great Exhibition of 1862. Restored to its original colours in 2017, the fountain features mermaids and cherubs and four female figures symbolising art, poetry, science and industry.

6. St Cuthbert’s Churchyard
Edinburgh’s oldest burial ground, dating back to the 7th century AD with the present church completed in 1894. Its decorative gravestones and views of Edinburgh Castle are second to none. Author Agatha Christie was married here in 1930.

7. Princes Street
In 1767 Edinburgh adopted architect James Craig’s design to build a ‘New Town’ from scratch. Princes Street began as terraced townhouses, then became a commercial centre with posh department stores such as Jenners.

8. Alexander Graham Bell’s Birthplace
Bell, the aptly named inventor of the telephone, was born here in 1847. He emigrated to Canada with his family in 1870 and filed the patent for the telephone in the United States in 1876.

9. Charlotte Square
The New Town is bookended by two squares, Charlotte Square and St Andrew Square. Designed by architect Robert Adam, the northern section’s palatial complex contains the historic Georgian House and Bute House, home of the First Minister of Scotland.

10. St Mary’s Cathedral
The spires of St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral are visible from miles around, yet this West End landmark is often overlooked. Completed in 1917, highlights include a rood cross by Sir Robert Lorimer and stained glass windows by Sir Eduardo Paolozzi.

11. Dean Bridge
Designed by the prolific Scottish civil engineer Thomas Telford and completed in 1831, Dean Bridge spans the Water of Leith with foundations on solid rock. It remains a major artery for travellers bound for South Queensferry, Fife, and beyond.

12. Dean Village
Now part of New Town, records of mills at Dean Village go back to the 12th century. Look for carvings belying its role as Edinburgh’s breadbasket, including baker’s paddles and wheat sheaves, and admire architecture that feels like a slice of Continental Europe.

13. Well Court
Completed in 1886, Well Court was commissioned by the owner of The Scotsman newspaper as a residence for Dean Village’s workers. Guided by Enlightenment-era efforts to turn industrial environments into self-contained communities, it had a common hall, courtyard and no outermost doors at ground level.

14. Otter Sculpture
Just before going under the soaring Dean Bridge, stop and look to the water-lapped rocks below to spot a sculpture of an otter. Otters are still seen in the Water of Leith, usually after heavy rains. It was commissioned by the Water of Leith Trust and sculpted by Stan Wilson.

15. St Bernard’s Well
In 1760 schoolboys found a natural spring. Word spread of its healing properties, with waters tasting “like the washings from a foul gun barrel.” Adorned by Hygieia, Greco-Roman goddess of health and hygiene, the well’s beauty was praised by Mary Shelley in Frankenstein.

16. Stockbridge
Stockbridge has recently become one of Edinburgh’s trendiest neighbourhoods, packed with cafés and gift shops and hosting a Sunday market. Enjoy a picnic in Inverleith Park and bag a deal in one of the many charity shops.

17. Circus Lane
For sheer charm, it’s hard to top Circus Lane. Its garages were stables with workers’ accommodation above. A handful of residents maintain the lane’s foliage. Impress your friends by knowing that the street isn’t ‘cobbled’ (round, rough stones), but laid with ‘setts’ (squared stones).

18. The Stevenson House
17 Heriot Row was home to Robert Louis Stevenson, author of classics like Treasure Island and The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, from age seven to 30. To see Edinburgh through Stevenson’s eyes, read his travelogue, Edinburgh: Picturesque Notes.

19. Rose Street
Named after England’s national flower, Rose Street is a haven of boutique shopping and pub-crawling. In the 1950s and 60s the ‘Rose Street Poets’, including Hugh MacDiarmid, George Mackay Brown and Sorley MacLean, rollicked along it. Follow in their footsteps at Milne’s Bar, The Abbotsford and Café Royal.

20. Assembly Rooms
Opened in 1787 as an events hall for aristocratic gentlemen, the Assembly Rooms marked the heights of New Town social life. Here, Sir Walter Scott revealed himself as the mystery author of the Waverley novels. Inside are two maps showcasing the New Town’s development.

21. George IV Statue
King George IV’s only visit to Edinburgh, in 1822, left an impression. With Sir Walter Scott orchestrating festivities, Edinburgh was slathered in tartan. The stereotype of Scotland as the land of kilts, clans and Romanticism was born. Ironically, George IV, whose family fought the Stewarts, wore Royal Stewart tartan.

22. The Dome
Edinburgh’s countless Neoclassical buildings helped give it the moniker, ‘the Athens of the North’. The Dome, inspired by the Parthenon, was designed by architect David Rhind and built in 1847. You can now dine under the resplendent domed ceiling.

23. James Clerk Maxwell Statue
When Albert Einstein was asked if he stood on the shoulders of Sir Isaac Newton, Einstein replied, “No, on the shoulders of Maxwell.” Maxwell, one of the 19th century’s greatest scientists, formulated the theory of electromagnetism.

24. Melville Monument
Henry Dundas was known as ‘King Harry the Ninth’ on account of his tremendous power, which went hand-in-hand with corruption. His monument is at the centre of controversies around the role of statues in historical narratives, as Dundas played a major role in delaying the abolition of slavery.

25. Dundas House
New Town’s grandest house was built for Sir Lawrence Dundas, Governor of the Royal Bank of Scotland. He supplied weapons to the Hanoverians during the Jacobite Risings and made his fortune through enslaved labour in the Caribbean. Now a bank, go inside to marvel at the starry ceiling.

26. National Records of Scotland
General Register House houses the National Records of Scotland, a repository of millions of records spanning the 12th to 21st centuries, including Scottish Government acts, parish and emigration records and estate deeds. Its rotunda was inspired by Rome’s Pantheon, and underfloor heating helps protect records from damp.

27. The Balmoral Hotel
Opened in 1902 next to Waverley Station, its clock runs three minutes ahead so travellers don’t miss their trains. Past guests include Elizabeth Taylor, Oprah Winfrey and Paul and Linda McCartney. JK Rowling finished writing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in suite 552.

28. Old Calton Burial Ground
Two striking monuments punctuate this 18th-century cemetery. The Political Martyr’s Monument commemorates men deported to Australia for advocating electoral reform in 1844. Another remembers Scottish-American soldiers from the American Civil War, with Europe’s first statue of Abraham Lincoln.

29. Calton Hill
Once a brooding hill beyond the lights of the city, Calton Hill became an architectural embodiment of the Enlightenment. Home to the National Monument, City Observatory, Nelson Monument, and Dugald Stewart’s Monument, it takes just minutes to climb and is perfect for watching the sun set on this city of wonders.