New Town Layout: Squares, Streets, and Circuses

Three formal squares anchor the New Town's grid: Charlotte Square, St Andrew Square, and the gardens along Queen Street. George Street runs between the first two, lined with Georgian bank buildings turned into shops and bars. Waverley Station sits at the district's southeast corner, so most visitors start their walk on foot from there.

North of the main grid, the streets soften into curved crescents built decades after Craig's original plan. Royal Circus, Ann Street, and Moray Place lead walkers gently toward the Stockbridge neighbourhood. That stretch feels more residential, with leafy gardens replacing the commercial bustle of George Street.

Getting around New Town rarely requires transport, since most landmarks sit within a fifteen-minute walk of each other. Trams and buses also run along Princes Street if your feet need a break. Budget-minded visitors often book Motel One, tucked behind Princes Street's east end near Waverley Station.

• George Street, New Town's Shopping Avenue
  • This grand central avenue runs parallel to Princes Street between the two main squares.
  • Former Georgian bank buildings now house cocktail bars, boutiques, and design shops.
• Charlotte Square, the Elegant West End
  • Robert Adam designed this elegant square at the New Town's western end in 1791.
  • Bute House at number six serves as the official residence of Scotland's First Minister.
• St Andrew Square, the Eastern Anchor
  • This square anchors the eastern end of George Street near Waverley Station.
  • A public garden centers the square beneath the tall Melville Monument column.
• Queen Street and Its Private Gardens
  • This quieter northern street borders private gardens reserved for nearby residents only.
  • The Scottish National Portrait Gallery sits along its eastern stretch of buildings.
• Royal Circus and the crescents toward Stockbridge
  • These curved Georgian terraces mark the New Town's later northern extension outward.
  • Ann Street and Moray Place lead walkers gently downhill toward Stockbridge village.

Georgian House Museum and Old Town Contrast

The Georgian House at 7 Charlotte Square shows how a wealthy New Town family lived around 1796. The National Trust for Scotland restored its dining room, kitchen, and bedrooms with period furniture and paintings. A visit takes about an hour and pairs well with a walk around the square outside.

New Town and Old Town read as opposites within a five-minute walk of each other. Old Town keeps its medieval closes, tall tenements, and the Royal Mile running down from the Castle. New Town instead offers wide straight streets, ordered squares, and low, symmetrical Georgian terraces. Locals often describe the pair as planned elegance meeting organic medieval layout, side by side.

Both halves make up a single UNESCO listing, so neither neighbourhood truly makes sense without the other. For a wider view of how New Town fits among the city's districts, see our Edinburgh's neighbourhoods. Walking between the two districts takes under ten minutes via the Mound or Waverley Bridge.

Galleries: Portrait Gallery and Dundas Street Dealers

Queen Street holds the Scottish National Portrait Gallery, a red sandstone building that opened in 1889. Inside, portraits trace Scottish history from Mary Queen of Scots through to modern cultural figures. Entry to the permanent collection is free, though special exhibitions sometimes carry a separate ticket price. Check current exhibitions on the Scottish National Gallery website before you go.

A few streets north, Dundas Street has quietly become Edinburgh's commercial gallery row. Independent dealers such as the Scottish Gallery and the Open Eye Gallery show contemporary Scottish painting and sculpture. Browsing costs nothing, and staff are usually happy to talk through the current shows. We rank this stretch among the city's genuine Edinburgh's hidden gems for art lovers.

Most galleries open Tuesday through Saturday, with shorter hours on Mondays and Sundays. Plan an hour or two if you want to walk the full length of Dundas Street. Some galleries add extra evening openings around spring art weekends, so check listings before visiting in 2026.

Princes Street Gardens and the Scott Monument

Princes Street Gardens fill the valley below the Castle, split into east and west sections by the Mound. Entry is free, and the gardens make a natural rest stop between New Town and Old Town. The Ross Fountain and a working floral clock both sit within the western half.

The Scott Monument rises 61.11 metres, or about 200 feet, above East Princes Street Gardens. Builders completed the Gothic spire between 1841 and 1844 to honor novelist Sir Walter Scott. It remains one of the largest monuments ever built anywhere for a writer. A climb of 287 steps to the top rewards you with views across both New Town and Old Town.

Tickets for the climb run a modest fee, though we recommend confirming current pricing on site. For more angles on the skyline, our Edinburgh's best viewpoints guide covers higher vantage points nearby. Early mornings offer the clearest photos, before tour groups fill the gardens.

Shopping, Cocktail Bars, and Hidden Mews Lanes

George Street has grown into New Town's smartest shopping strip, mixing local boutiques with international brands. Former bank halls now host bars with soaring ceilings and marble columns still intact. Multrees Walk, just off St Andrew Square, adds designer names like Harvey Nichols to the mix.

Evenings in New Town lean toward cocktails rather than pub crawls. Rose Street, one block south of George Street, packs a dense run of small bars into two streets. For something more hands-on, book a tasting tour at the Edinburgh Gin Distillery near Rutland Place.

Behind the grand facades, New Town hides a network of cobbled mews lanes that once stabled horses. Young Street, Gloucester Lane, and Dean Street feel like private courtyards tucked between busy streets. Our Circus Lane guide covers the most photographed of them, just north near Stockbridge.

A Self-Guided New Town Architecture Walk

Skip the guided tour and trace New Town's architecture yourself in about ninety minutes. Start at Register House, then head west along George Street toward Charlotte Square. From there, loop north through Royal Circus before finishing near Circus Lane.

Robert Adam designed the Register House in 1774, and it still holds Scotland's national archives today. Its dome and columned front set the tone for the grandeur that follows down George Street. Notice how later bank facades along the route reuse Adam's classical proportions decades on.

At Charlotte Square, compare Adam's symmetrical north side with the plainer terraces facing it. Continue north past the curved crescents, where the grid finally relaxes into gentle bends. For more independent routes like this, browse our Edinburgh off the beaten path guide. Bring comfortable shoes, since the full loop covers roughly three kilometres of pavement.