Old & New Towns of Edinburgh

Designated a World Heritage Site in 1995.

The early beginnings of the city of Edinburgh can be traced back 1,000 years, but Edinburgh has been the capital of Scotland since the 15th century. There are 2 main areas to the city: the historic Old Town, with its medieval cobblestone wynds and alleys and the elegant neo-classical facades of the Georgian New Town. The juxtaposition of these two parts of the city is what gives Edinburgh its unique character.

Princes Street Gardens separates the Old Town from the New. The Old Town is dominated by Edinburgh Castle, which rests on a hilltop that was once the earliest inhabited part of the city. In this part of the city you'll find major public buildings such as St Giles Cathedral and the Law Courts, as well as the Festival Theatre, Royal Museum of Scotland and the University of Edinburgh.

The New Town was an 18th century solution to the problem of overcrowding in the Old Town. In 1776 a competition to design the New Town was won by James Craig, a 22-year-old architect who planned to build an ordered grid of streets. The New Town was so successful that it was expanded, but Craig's grid pattern was not maintained. Today the New Town is considered by many to be one of the finest examples of Georgian architecture and planning in the world.

Edinburgh is home to 4,500 listed buildings in both the Old and New Towns, the highest concentration in the world. The capital is also a modern, dynamic city of art and culture with its popular museums, galleries, universities and festivals. In August, Edinburgh becomes host to the greatest showcase of art, music, drama, dance and street theatre in the world - the Edinburgh Festival Fringe - and in the same month, the castle plays host to the annual Edinburgh Military Tattoo.

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