2017 marks the 250th anniversary of James Craig's visionary New Town plan for Edinburgh and in this Scotland's Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology, Edinburgh's Georgian centre remains a vibrant modern place to live, work, shop and socialise.
This exhibition celebrates the architecture and town planning of James Craig's original design taking in views of Princes Street, George Street, and Queen Street, St Andrew Square to the east and Charlotte Square to the west.
By the mid-1700s Edinburgh's growing population was crammed into the tall, dark and insanitary tenements of the Old Town. The council wanted to improve living conditions and to encourage people with affluence and influence back to the city. Proposals were put forward to develop and expand Edinburgh to benefit the citizens, the city and Scotland. Part of the proposals demanded the upgrading of the Nor' Loch in the valley beneath the castle, an expanse of water which had become a dumping place for all kinds of filth. The proposal suggested a canal with walks and terraces on either side but this was never realised. In 1759 the drainage of the Nor' Loch began, and a couple of years later the Lord Provost laid the foundation stone of North Bridge paving the way for the city expansion to the north and improved connection with the port of Leith.
Submissions were invited for a detailed plan which could interpret the proposals and envisage a new town on the grassy ridge to the north of the castle. Six submissions were received and the competition was won by the young and little-known architect, James Craig. After some alterations a final design was agreed by the town council in July 1767.
Craig's plan was simple, geometric and spacious. It also symbolised the union of Scotland and England referencing the King George III. Streets were named for him, his queen and his sons. The smaller back lanes were named after the national emblems of the two countries, rose and thistle. The plan included grand squares at either end of the George Street vista named in honour of each country's patron saints with similarly named churches to be built facing each other. Castle Street would give a fantastic view to the castle, while Frederick and Hanover Streets again both referenced the royal family.
In the end, George's Square became Charlotte Square in honour of the queen and to prevent confusion with the newly built George Square near the university. The prime site allocated for the church at St Andrew Square was instead acquired by Sir Laurence Dundas, a wealthy landowner and businessman. His mansion, Dundas House would later become headquarters of the Royal Bank of Scotland. St Andrew's Church instead opened at the east end of George Street in 1784 to meet the needs of the new residents of the New Town. The church is now known as St Andrew's and St George's West and the congregation is a union of churches.
This first phase of the New Town was in place.
Two of Craig's later greatest architectural achievements, the Physician's Hall on George Street and St James Square at the east end of Princes Street have long since been demolished. After such initial promise, success eluded Craig and he would die in 1895 insolvent and unknown.
The image library for the collections of Edinburgh Libraries and Museums and Galleries