Edinburgh Attractions

The City Art Centre in Market Street (1-4) which runs parallel to Princes Street is an important municipal art gallery. As well as a permanent exhibition of about 3,000 paintings, drawings, prints and sculptures, mainly by Scottish artists from the 17th to the 20th C such as Hornel, Lorimer, Fergusson, Peploe and Elizabeth Blackadder, it is also a venue for major touring exhibitions.

On George IV Bridge stands one of the four largest libraries in the country. It grew out of the Advocate's Library that was founded in 1689 and now receives a copy of every book published in the United Kingdom. The seven figures in the entrance symbolize different teaching methods. As well as its permanent exhibition on Scottish history, the library also houses touring exhibitions on historical themes.

Known as General Kay's Monument, the Caiy Stone marks the site of an ancient battle between the Picts and the Romans. The monument is a 9ft tall prehistoric cup-marked stone.

At Camera Obscura visitors can experience a bird's eye view from inside a Victorian camera.

The Edinburgh Canal Center features a canal-side inn and cruising canalboat restaurants. Open all year.

CLOSED.

Crafts Direct offers a wide selection of Tartan accessories, knitwear, jewelry and crafts made locally.

Several places of interest are within easy reach of the western side of Edinburgh to the south of the Firth of Forth. Cramond is a popular suburb with whitewashed houses which overlook the River Almond as it opens into the Firth of Forth. Excavations have provided evidence that a Roman camp was based here as early as 142. A Roman bath has been uncovered near Cramond Inn.

The recently renovated Playhouse is often used for musicals and rock concerts.

The founder of this square, Gothic-Palladian complex was James IV's court jeweler George Heriot. William Wallace began work on the boys' school in 1627 and the task was finished by William Ayton in 1650. The clearly articulated facade with decorative gables is typical of the Renaissance period, while the corner towers are rather reminiscent of medieval fortifications.

Gilmerton Cove is an underground attraction located on the Southside of Edinburgh. Hewn from the bedrock sandstone, the Cove has seven different chambers with stone table and chairs, it truly is an archeological mysterythat has baffled investigators for over 300 years.

The grand Edwardian King's Theatre is the usual stage for touring productions including opera, pantomime, and ballet.

Lamb's House was originally built as the residence of a prosperous 16th or 17th C merchant. The building was restored in 1979.

The Malcolm Innes Gallery specializes in works by Scottish artists from the 19th and 20th centuries including Elisabeth Cameron, Brian Rawling and Louise Wood.

Maxwell, the scientist best known for his work in magnetics, was born here on India Road.

This was the home of the scientist Maxwell while he attended the Edinburgh Academy.

The residence of the Lairds of Scotland is now home to the Napier Technical College.

The new town between Princes Street and the Firth of Forth is still regarded as a masterpiece of Georgian town planning. The plans were proposed in 1767 by the 26-year-old James Craig. His checkerboard street pattern with Classical, three-story buildings arranged around grand crescents and squares was later realized by architects Robert Reid, Archibald Elliot, William Playfair and James Gillespie Graham.

Edinburgh's Old Town includes the Royal Mile, the Grassmarket and the University of Edinburgh.

The repertory theater in the Royal Lyceum is a Victorian gem.

At the foot of The Mound stands a Classical building which houses the Royal Scottish Academy. Designed by William Henry Playfair (1789-1857), it is used for touring exhibitions.

Housed within the Baronial style building on Lauriston Place are the surgical wards of the new Royal Infirmary. Numerous donors, dating back to the 18th C, have their names engraved in the walls.

The origins of Seton Collegiate Church go back to 1242, the year in which a parish church dedicated to St Mary & Holy Cross was consecrated here by the Bishop of St Andrews. In 1544 parts of the church were badly damaged by an English army. The grounds house the remains of a number of buildings thought to be priests' houses, and there is a display of stonework recovered from Seton Palace, destroyed in 1715 and later replaced by Seton House which now stands to the west of the church.

The imposing Royal Bank of Scotland on the east side of the square was built in 1772 by William Chambers as a home for Sir Lawrence Dundas, the first Viscount of Melville. A memorial to the Viscount of Melville stands on the square as well as an equestrian statue of the Earl of Hopetoun.

Stenhouse Mansion in Edinburgh was the home of Patrick Ellis, a 17th C merchant. The house is currently let to the Secretary of State for the Environment as a conservation center.

To the west and about halfway along Princes Street The Mound cuts through to Edinburgh's old town.

The Traverse has a reputation for staging innovative productions.

The biggest theater in Edinburgh is Usher Hall which has space for 2,500 people.
Events, including rock, pop, jazz, world, blues, comedy, talks, school concerts, conferences, sponsorship events, ceremonies, lectures and recording sessions.

Waverley market is spread out over three floors. A craft center and the usual variety of stores are found in the mall.