Old and New Towns of Edinburgh Historical Site

Address: Old Town and New Town, Edinburgh city centre, Scotland, UK

Website: https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/728/

Admission: Free to walk the Old and New Towns; individual museums/attractions charge admission

The Old and New Towns of Edinburgh comprise a historic ensemble in Scotland combining a medieval Old Town ridge and a planned Georgian New Town developed from the late 18th century; the site was inscribed for the way the two parts represent contrasting urban forms and architectural styles. The city is Scotland’s capital and principal cultural centre.

The Old Town contains the Royal Mile, narrow closes, and the fortified Edinburgh Castle, while the New Town features a grid of wide streets, terraces and townhouses from the Georgian period. Key public spaces and viewpoints such as Princes Street Gardens, Calton Hill and Arthur’s Seat connect the two areas and provide panoramic views across the city.

Edinburgh’s Old Town grew around a medieval royal and ecclesiastical centre from the Middle Ages, while the New Town was planned following an 18th-century competition to relieve overcrowding and provide modern housing and civic spaces. The New Town plan by James Craig and subsequent Georgian development date from the 1760s onward.

The city sits on the southern shore of the Firth of Forth in southeastern Scotland; Edinburgh lies on the east coast about 75 to 80 kilometres east of Glasgow and occupies a ridge-and-valley landscape that shaped its historic urban development.

• Old and New Towns relationship: The New Town was laid out after 1767 and together with the medieval Old Town forms a unified UNESCO World Heritage ensemble illustrating two distinct urban and architectural traditions.
• Castle viewpoints: Edinburgh Castle sits on a volcanic rock outcrop and dominates the skyline; viewpoints from Princes Street Gardens and Calton Hill give clear panoramic views of the castle and the Old Town ridge.

What to See#

• Old Town and Royal Mile: The medieval Old Town with the Royal Mile linking the fortified **Edinburgh Castle** to the Palace of Holyroodhouse, containing narrow closes and historic civic buildings.
• New Town and Georgian terraces: The Georgian New Town laid out from 1767 with planned streets, terraces and squares such as Princes Street and George Street that display high-quality Georgian architecture.
• Calton Hill, Arthur’s Seat and public monuments: Prominent public viewpoints and civic monuments including Calton Hill, the National Monument and Arthur’s Seat in Holyrood Park adjoining the city.

Edinburgh’s Old and New Towns sit in the city centre and are immediately accessible from Edinburgh Waverley railway station - the Royal Mile/Old Town is a 0-15 minute walk from the station depending on your exit. From Edinburgh Airport take the Airlink 100 express bus into the city centre (runs frequently) or the Edinburgh Trams service to St Andrew Square/Princes Street, then walk 5-15 minutes into the Old Town. If driving, follow signs for the city centre/Princes Street car parks; much of the historic core is pedestrianised.

• Walk the Royal Mile very early (dawn-9:00) to see the Old Town without chartered-tour congestion and to access closes and courtyards before they fill up.
• Avoid visiting Edinburgh in August if you want to escape the festival crowds; otherwise use lunchtime or late-afternoon slots to visit main attractions when guided-tour flows dips.
• Seek out the lesser-known viewpoints-Calton Hill at sunrise and Dean Village across the Water of Leith-both give excellent perspectives on the Old and New Towns while being far quieter than the Castle esplanade.
• When moving between New and Old Town, use the smaller streets off Princes Street (eg. the West Bow and Jeffrey Street) to avoid the tourist crush on the main thoroughfares and to discover traditional closes.