Art, Architecture, Statues and Infrastructure

Introduction

Edinburgh has developed as a city over the centuries. As a result, it has a rich variety of architecture. The layout of the city and its transport infrastructure was never planned as a coherent whole.

Old and New Towns

Edinburgh has a fascinating variety of architecture. Some of the buildings in the Old Town, including Holyrood Abbey and St Giles Cathedral, date from the 12th Century, although much of it is from the 16th and 17th centuries. The Old Town is a great mix of styles. In the mid 18th Century, the Town Council ran a competition, won by James Craig, to design a New Town. The New Town with its wide streets and regular patterns provides a stark contrast to the Old Town. The Old and New Towns are both UNESCO World Heritage Sites (see – Edinburgh Old and New Towns).

Types of architecture

As well as the Old and New Towns, Edinburgh city centre has many different styles of modern architecture. Some of these new buildings, especially in Princes Street, have replaced original Old and New Town buildings. These new buildings tend to split opinion! To my eye, there are some that provide a modern version of the traditional style that blend in well, some that offer a brilliantly dramatic contrast in style, and some that are ugly monstrosities Across the city, there is a fascinating mix of religious buildings – old and modern – of all faiths. As well as buildings, there is a rich variety of bridges, roads and other infrastructure. There are monuments, cemeteries and statues. Grand squares and fascinating ‘closes’ (very narrow streets that run off the Royal Mile and other Old Town thoroughfares).

Transport system

Edinburgh’s transport system is constantly evolving. The original tram network closed in 1956. The new trams started to operate in 2014. Recent developments include the introduction of cycle lanes, a Low Emission Zone, Electric Vehicle charging points and pedestrianised areas.

Public Art

Edinburgh has a rich variety of public art – including statues and monuments, free art galleries, sculptures and grafitti. The slide shows below give a flavour but you will find much more when you walk around the city.