United Kingdom · Scotland · Edinburgh
New Town, Edinburgh — Area Guide & Where to Stay
The New Town is Edinburgh's Georgian grid by the Old Town: Princes Street, George Street, Queen Street, St Andrew Square, Charlotte Square, Bute House.
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Where to stay in New Town
The practical side of choosing where to sleep.
Staying in the New Town puts you among Georgian terraces within a few minutes' walk of Princes Street, Waverley Station and the Old Town. Hotels cluster around George Street, St Andrew Square and Charlotte Square, from townhouse conversions to modern rooms above the shops. The southern streets suit shopping and sightseeing, while the quieter terraces north of Queen Street, toward Stockbridge, favour a calmer stay.
Rooms here trade the Old Town's medieval closes for wide pavements and open light. Book early for the August festivals.
Things to do in and around Edinburgh
Ranked by global recognition; descriptions from Wikidata (CC0).
Museums & Galleries
3- Scottish National Portrait Gallery Heritage
- Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art Heritage
- Modern Two Heritage
Churches & Religious Sites
5- St Giles' Cathedral Heritage
- The Hub Heritage
- St Margaret's Heritage
- Greyfriars Kirk Heritage
- Tron Kirk Heritage
Castles & Historic Sites
5- Edinburgh Castle Heritage
- Scott Monument Heritage
- National Monument of Scotland Heritage
- Nelson Monument Heritage
- Dugald Stewart Monument Heritage
Nature & Outdoors
1- Bruntsfield Links
Landmarks & Notable Places
2- Bute House Heritage
- Dundas House Heritage
worth knowingacross 5 categories in and around Edinburgh
About New Town
What are the main landmarks in New Town?
On Princes Street the Scott Monument rises over East Princes Street Gardens, a Gothic spire raised to Sir Walter Scott. Queen Street holds the Scottish National Portrait Gallery behind red Gothic sandstone. The two terminal squares carry the district's set pieces: Bute House on Charlotte Square and Dundas House on St Andrew Square.
At the eastern edge, Calton Hill is crowned by the National Monument of Scotland, the Nelson Monument and the Dugald Stewart Monument. Each stands within a short walk.
What is the history of New Town?
By the mid-18th century the Old Town's ridge was severely overcrowded. The city had run out of room. Its council drained the Nor Loch, carried the Mound across the valley, and in 1766 held a competition for a plan of the new suburb.
The young architect James Craig won it, and his grid of three streets between two squares was laid out from 1767. Robert Adam later designed Charlotte Square, and further phases pushed north into the Second New Town.
Where is New Town?
The New Town occupies a ridge north of Princes Street Gardens, which fill the drained valley below the Castle rock. The Old Town rises across it. Princes Street forms the southern edge, George Street runs along the crest, and Queen Street looks north over Queen Street Gardens.
Charlotte Square closes the west toward the West End, while St Andrew Square anchors the east below Calton Hill, and the streets fall north toward Stockbridge and the Water of Leith.
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Updated October 2026