When people think of Edinburgh quite often they imagine the cobbled streets of the Old Town, crowned by the silhouette of the castle on the skyline. They think of the statue of Grey Friar’s Bobby, the Meadows, and the Mile. The furthest into the New Town visitors tend to go is Princes St, but there are so many wonderful and well-kept secrets on the other side. We have a number of lovely apartments in the New Town within easy walking distance of some real gems so if you’re staying in the New Town Residence, York Place, or South Charlotte Street and you’ve already covered the big tourist attractions never fear, we have some great recommendations to make your stay unforgettable.
New Town has its fair share of history and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. It was built in waves between 1765 and around 1850 and you can still detect a lot of the original neo-classical and Georgian architecture. Its design was determined through a competition in January 1766 and won by James Craig, who at 26 had come up with a very elegant plan. His original design echoed the design of the Union jack but was eventually simplified to the grid system bordered by garden squares which we have now.
Now it is home to our lovely New Town Residence, South Charlotte Street, and York Place apartments and so many of our favourite Edinburgh haunts. Broughton Street is within easy reach of our apartments and has so many lovely boutique shops to choose from. A personal favourite is Moleta Munro for Scandinavian and Bauhaus inspired design touches. Just round the corner from here is the fabulous Treacle for food and drink. Their cocktails are amazing and the beer-battered king prawns are to die for; my mouth is slightly watering just thinking about them!
Cuckoo’s Bakery is also found in the New Town, just at the foot of Dundas St. The fabby team here bake 12 different cupcake flavours daily, the only problem is choosing between them all. If you’re heading down this way it’s only another ten minute walk to the Royal Botanic Gardens. They’re beautiful all year round but there’s nothing like seeing them in the sunny months full of colour and greenery.
Slightly up the hill again on Cumberland Street is the Cumberland Bar. This really is a hidden gem. Tucked away on a quiet street it can be quite hard to miss but it boasts an impressive range of cask-conditioned ales and beers and a great selection of wines and whiskies. Add to this the option of either a coal fire or a lovely beer garden and you’ll be heading here whatever the weather. If you’re of the literary inclination it’s also worth mentioning that Scotland Street of Alexander McCall Smith fame runs just past the pub and heads down into a lovely park complete with swings for the kids.
Besides all of these smaller treasures there’s also the Royal Portrait Gallery which regularly hosts some fantastic exhibitions as well as its more regular features. With the trams heading straight from here, past York Place, and straight to the airport you’ll be ridiculously well connected as well.