The neoclassical New Town, one of the boldest schemes of civic architecture in the history of Europe, is what makes Edinburgh a truly world-class city, every bit as impressive as Paris or Prague, Rome or Vienna. Built in a great burst of creativity between 1767 and 1840, it is still inconceivable how, in the words of one historian, "a small, crowded, almost medieval town, the capital of a comparatively poor country, expanded in a short space of time, without foreign advice or foreign assistance, so as to become one of the enduringly beautiful cities of western Europe". Aside from its architectural kudos, the New Town is also the place in the city to eat, drink and be fashionable, especially along the main thoroughfare, George Street. SightsPrinces Street The southernmost terrace of the New Town plan was never intended to be the most important, but Princes Street has developed into the city's main thoroughfare and principal shopping street. It is also one of the most visually spectacular streets in the world, because the south side has remained undeveloped, allowing superb uninterrupted views of the Castle Rock, across the valley now occupied by Princes Street Gardens. The north side of the street has lost any semblance of style and is now an undistinguished jumble of modern architecture, with a few notable exceptions. One is Register House (see below) and the other, opposite the Scott Monument, is the elegant 19th- century department store, Jenners. At the east end of Princes Street is the St James Centre, a huge modern shopping complex that rears its ugly head behind Register House and serves as an unhappy testament to the city's single greatest planning blunder. Directly opposite is North Bridge, built originally in the 1760s as the main artery between the Old and New Towns and completely rebuilt in the late 19th century to span Waverley Station. On one corner is the Balmoral Hotel, one of the most luxurious of the city's hotels and a major landmark. Beside the hotel, the Waverley Market is a tasteful modern shopping complex, sunk discreetly below street level, and in stark contrast to the St James Centre. General Register House and New Register House T 334 0380, F 314 4400, http://www.gro-scotland.gov.uk Mon-Fri 0900-1630. The General Register House (1774-1834) is one of Adam's most sumptuous and glorious buildings, and behind it is New Register House, the headquarters of the Scottish Record Office, which stores historical and legal documents – including birth, marriage and death certificates, wills and census records – dating as far back as the mid-16th century. Those wishing to trace their family roots should start here. It costs £17 for a day's search and, as there are limited places available, it's advisable to book in advance. A half- day search (after 1300) is £10 but can't be booked. Scott Monument Princes St Gardens East, T 529 4068. 1 Apr-30 Sep Mon-Sat 0900-1800, Sun 1000-1800; 1 Oct-31 Mar Mon-Sat 0900-1500, Sun 1000-1500. £2.50. Running along most of the south side of Princes Street are the sunken Princes Street Gardens, formed by the draining of Nor' Loch in the 1760s and now a very pleasant place to sit and relax during the summer. Standing in East Princes Street Gardens is the toweing Scott Monument, over 200 ft high and resembling a huge Gothic spaceship, built in 1844 as a fitting tribute to one of Scot- land's greatest literary figures, who lived at 39 North Castle Street. The monument, the largest in the world in honour of an author, was designed by a self-taught architect called George Meikle Kemp, who tragically drowned in a canal shortly before the monument was completed. Beneath the archway is a statue of Sir Walter Scott, and there are also 64 statuettes of characters from his novels. The monument is open to the public, and a 287-step staircase climbs to a platform near the top of the spire, from where you get wonderful views. National Gallery of Scotland and Royal Scottish Academy The Mound, T 624 6200, http://www.nationalgalleries.org">http://www.nationalgalleries.org Daily 1000-1700, Thu till 1900. Free (charge made for special loan exhibitions). Wheelchair access, lifts. For details of the disabled bus service to various arts venues. A free shuttle bus runs between the city's major galleries. At the junction of The Mound and Princes Street are two of Edinburgh's most impressive neoclassical public buildings, the Royal Scottish Academy and the National Gallery of Scotland, both designed by William Playfair between 1822 and 1845 in the style of Greek temples. The National Gallery houses the most important collection of Old Masters in the UK outside London and boasts many master- pieces from almost every period in Western art and, though it may not be on the same massive scale as the National Gallery in London or the Louvre, it has the advantage of being more manageable and accessible. Begun originally by the old Royal Institution in the 1830s, the collection was given international credibility in 1946 by the loan of the Duke of Sutherland's collection, one of the finest in the UK, including major works by Titian, Raphael and Rembrandt and renowned Scottish painters such as Ramsay, Raeburn and Wilkie. The original Playfair rooms on the ground floor were rest- ored to their 1840s appearance a few years ago, with the pictures hung closely together, often on two levels, and interspersed with various sculptures and objets d'art. The whole effect is somehow homely and altogether human. The layout is more or less chron- ological, starting in the upper rooms above the entrance and continuing clockwise around the ground floor. The rear section of the upper floor often has temporary exhibitions and the basement or lower floor contains most of the Scottish Collection. If you visit the gallery in January you have the rare opportunity to see its excellent collection of Turner watercolours. The National Gallery's neighbour, the Royal Academy, was built to house the Society of Antiquaries and the Royal Society. In 1911 it was converted into the headquarters of the Royal Scottish Academy and is now used as a temporary exhibition space. It also acts as an overspill during the Festival when the National Gallery stages much larger exhibitions. At the time of going to press, the RSA is closed for refurbishment as part of the £26 million Playfair Project. It is due to reopen in August 2003 when it will stage a major Monet exhibition. Work is also well underway on the other part of the Playfair Project, an undergound link between the two galleries which will include a lecture theatre, shop and restaurant. This is due for completion in 2005. Princes Street Gardens West On the other side of The Mound is West Princes Street Gardens, beautifully located right under the steep sides of Castle Rock. At the entrance is the world's oldest Floral Clock, which is laid out every year with over 20,000 plants. Further west is the Wellhouse Tower, one of the oldest buildings in the city, dating from the reign of David II (1329-71). At the far western corner of Princes Street Gardens, below the junction of Princes Street and Lothian Road, is St Cuthbert's Church and churchyard. This is the oldest church site in the city, dating back to the reign of Malcolm III, though the present church was mostly built in the 1890s. The churchyard is worth visiting and a peaceful refuge from the Princes Street traffic. Here lies the latter-day Irvine Welsh, Thomas de Quincey (1785- 1859), author of Confessions of an English Opium Eater, a classic account of drug addiction in the early 19th century. De Quincey spent the last years of his life in Edinburgh. Close by, on the corner of Princes Street and Lothian Road, is the very attractive St John's Church, designed in 1818 by William Burn. The interior, modelled on St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle, is worth a look. The Cornerstone Café beneath St John's Church is a good place for a cheap vegetarian lunch. St Andrew Square At the eastern end of George Street is St Andrew Square, which began life as a fashionable residential area but is now home to the headquarters of banks, building societies and insurance comp- anies. The most impressive building, on the eastern side of the square, is the headquarters of The Royal Bank of Scotland. This handsome 18th-century town house was originally the home of Sir Laurence Dundas, but was remodelled in the 1850s when the wonderful domed ceiling was added. In the centre of the square is a massive 100-ft pillar carrying the statue of the lawyer and state- sman Henry Dundas, first Viscount Melville (1742-1811), once described as the "absolute dictator of Scotland". Fashion has returned to the square in the shape of Harvey Nichols, the top Knightsbridge department store. Beside the store is The Walk, an alleyway leading to the St James shopping centre lined with exclusive fashion retail outlets, which have yet to open at the time of going to press. The shiny new bus station can also be accessed, via an escalator, from St Andrew Square. George Street To the north of Princes Street, and running parallel to it, is once venerable George Street, which has made the move from finance to fashion. If Carrie and Co from ‘Sex and the City’ lived in Edin- burgh this is where they'd spend their Saturdays, maxing their credit cards in style. Those who prefer not to worship false gods can seek refuge in the Church of St Andrew and St George. The church is famous as the scene of the "Great Disruption" of 1843, when the Church of Scotland was split in two. Further along are the Assembly Rooms and Music Hall (1787), once the social hub of the New Town and now a major Fringe venue. Charlotte Square At the western end of the street is Charlotte Square, designed by Robert Adam in 1791 and considered by most to be his master- piece. Like its counterpart, St Andrew Square, Charlotte Square was originally purely residential, but is now the heart of the city's finan- cial community. Charlotte Square has long been the most prestig- ious address in the city, particularly the north side, the oldest part and the best preserved. Number six is the official residence of the Secretary of State for Scotland, and the upper floors of number seven are the official residence of the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. On the west side of the square is St George's Church, originally designed by Adam but, following his death in 1792, the plans were abandoned on grounds of cost and the building you see today was built in 1811 by Robert Reid. In the 1960s it was refurbished as West Register House (part of the Scottish Record Office), which is open to the public and features displays of historical documents (Mon-Fri 1000-1600, free). Numbers 26-31 on the south side of the square, have under- gone a major conservation repair programme undertaken by the National Trust for Scotland (NTS) and their façade has been return- ed to its original condition. No 28 has become the headquarters of the National Trust for Scotland and incorporates a fine café. Georgian House 7 Charlotte Sq, T 226 3318. 1 Apr-31 Oct daily 1000-1700; 1 Nov-31 Mar daily 1100-1500. Adults £5, concessions £3.75. The lower floors of number seven are open to the public as the Georgian House, which gives a fascinating insight into how Edin- burgh's gentry lived in the late 18th century. The house has been lovingly restored by the National Trust for Scotland and is crammed with period furniture and hung with fine paintings, including portraits by Ramsay and Raeburn. Queen Street Parallel to George Street, and slightly downhill from it, is Queen Street, the most northerly terrace of James Craig's New Town plan, bordered by Queen Street Gardens to the north. This was a prime residential area of the New Town, with excellent views across the Firth of Forth to Fife. The air of exclusivity is maintained in that the gardens are accessible only to key holders who live nearby. On the north side of Queen Street Gardens is Heriot Row, where Robert Louis Stevenson spent most of his life (at number 17). Moray Estate The earliest of the New Town extensions, begun in 1803, was the Northern New Town, which extends downhill from Queen Street Gardens as far as Fettes Row to the north. This area is the best preserved of the New Town extensions and has retained its residential character. The latest, and finest, part of the northern development, begun in 1822, is the Moray Estate, to the east of Queensferry Street, designed by James Gillespie Graham, another of Edinburgh's architectural geniuses. This part of the New Town is characterized by gracious curves and circles, none finer than Moray Place, a magnificent twelve-sided circus with a circular central garden surrounded by grand and rather imposing four-storey houses. Northwest from here, cobbled streets run downhill to Stockbridge. Scottish National Portrait Gallery Queen St, T 624 6200, http://www.nationalgalleries.org">http://www.nationalgalleries.org Daily 1000-1700, Thu till 1900. Free. Photography collection open to visitors by prior appointment only: T 624 6405. At the far eastern end of Queen street is this phenomenal collect- ion of the great and the good (and the bad and the ugly) of Scott- ish history. The building itself is a fantastical French Gothic med- ieval palace in red sandstone, modelled on the Doge's Palace in Venice. The stunning foyer is decorated with William Hole's wonderful frieze of famous Scots, as well as paintings depicting two of the most important events in Scottish history, the Battle of Bannockburn and the Battle of Largs. The gallery's displays start chronologically on the top floor, where you'll find Scotland's two most tragic and romantic characters, Mary, Queen of Scots and a young Bonnie Prince Charlie; Robert Burns painted by his friend, Alexander Nasmyth; Sir Walter Scott by Raeburn; David Hume the philosopher; James Watt the engineer; and Robert Louis Steven- son. Though the subjects are, by definition, more important and well-known than the artists, there are nevertheless some mighty fine painters represented here, such as Van Dyck, Gainsborough, Raeburn and Kokoschka. The top floor of the gallery runs to the end of the 19th century, and the middle floor takes us through from Edwardian times to the present day, with artists including Compton Mackenzie (Whisky Galore), poet and socialist Hugh McDiarmid; film director Bill Forsyth; writer Muriel Spark; fashion designer Jean Muir; actor Sean Connery and writer Irvine Welsh. The gallery houses the National Collection of Photography, with regular photographic exhibitions held throughout the year on the ground floor. The print room and archives contain a valuable collection of photographs of famous Scots as well as the social history index. There's also a shop and a good café on the ground floor.
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