All About Edinburgh
Edinburgh New Town West
Attractions
Palmerston Place
Edinburgh New Town West
Attractions
St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral
The actual name is The Cathedral Church of St Mary in Edinburgh. St Mary’s is Scotland’s Largest Cathedral and has been since 1879. St Mary’s is easily spotted on Edinburgh’s skyline due to being the only church with three spires. The Cathedral is dedicated to St Mary the Virgin. The highest tower is 90 meters in height and the other 2 are both 60 meters high.
The Cathedral is open every day to all who wish to visit. If you continue past St Mary’s Cathedral down the hill you will come to the Belford Bridge and an entrance to the water of Leith walkway, over the bridge and round the corner are the Modern Art Galleries One and Two
Old Coates House
Old Coates House was built between circa 1613 by John Byres and was restored in 1830 by Sir Patrick Walker. When Mary Walker died in 1870 she gifted the property to the Scottish Episcopal Church of Scotland which enabled a Cathedral to be built. In 1874 the foundation stone for the New St Mary’s Cathedral was laid by the Duke of Buccleuch and Queensberry, and the Cathedral was consecrated on 30th October 1879. The Chapter House and western spires were added in 1890.The Old Coates House was the home of the Cathedral Choir School, which became St Mary’s Music School in 1971. The Music School moved in 1995.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Centre
The Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Centre was formed to provide for the physical, emotional and spiritual well-being of society and community needs in Edinburgh. This is a spiritual centre and you are able to get psychic and spiritual readings. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was a great believer of the afterlife and he wrote circa 20 books on the subject of spiritualism and the afterlife. For any believers in Spiritualism, psychic phenomena, paranormal research or ghosts take a read of Conan Doyle’s books as he truly believed. Take a break in the Arthur Conan Doyle tearoom at 25 Palmerston Place Edinburgh and feel the spirits.
Chester Street
Edinburgh New Town West
Walpole Hall
The Right Reverend George Henry Somerset Walpole was elected Bishop of Edinburgh in 1910 and remained in his post till his death in 1929. The Walpole hall was built in 1932 in memory of George Walpole DD Bishop of Edinburgh and is attached to the Song school. George Walpole was the Bishop of Edinburgh.
Melville Crescent
Edinburgh New Town West
Attractions
Robert Dundas 2nd Viscount Melville
The Statue of Robert Viscount Melville 1771 -1851 was erected in 1857 in Melville Crescent Edinburgh.
Robert Dundas 2nd Viscount Melville, son of Henry Dundas
(1st Viscount Melville), was born in Edinburgh and educated at Gottingen University Germany and the University of Edinburgh. He was a Member of Parliament, 1st Lord of the Admiralty, and Governor of the Bank of Scotland as his father before him. Robert Dundas was awarded the Knight of the Thistle in 1821. His home was Melville Castle where he died in 1851. Pictured is the Dundas family crest above outside the door of Melville Castle below.
Joseph Bell M.D
The Real Sherlock Holmes
Joseph Bell pioneer in forensic science was born in Edinburgh in 1837, great-grandson of Benjamin Bell, a forensic surgeon and detective. Joseph became a surgeon and in 1859 and went on to become a lecturer at Edinburgh University one of his students being Arthur Conan Doyle. To be Doyle’s inspiration for the character Sherlock Holmes. He purchased 2 Melville Crescent in 1883 where he lived till his death in 1911. This is also the site of the Japanese Sherlock Holmes Club.
Melville Street
Edinburgh New Town West
Attractions
Sir Robert Lorimer
Robert Lorimer lived at 21 Hill Street Edinburgh with his parents he was educated at Edinburgh Academy before going to the University of Edinburgh. In 1893 he formed his own Architectural practice. His family home was 54 Melville Street Edinburgh in the west new town of Edinburgh
Robert Lorimer designed the new chapel for the Knights of the Thistle in St Giles Cathedral in 1911.
The Scottish National War Memorial at Edinburgh Castle in 1919.
He was knighted for his work in 1927 and died in 1929.
Coates Crescent Gardens
Edinburgh New Town West
Attractions
Gladstone's Memorial
Gladstone's Memorial stands in Coates Crescent of Shandwick Place at the west end of Princes Street at the tram stop.
The memorial shows William Gladstone surrounded by women. The monument was constructed in 1917 and originally stood in St Andrew Square and was moved to Coates Crescent Gardens in 1955. Gladstone was a very important public figure in Britain. Born in 1809 Gladstone served as Prime Minister for four terms, being appointed to the post on 1868, 1880, 1886, and 1892. Gladstone founded a church foundation to help women prostitutes.
He was affectionately known as the 'Grand Old Man' by his many supporters and as 'God's Only Mistake' by his enemies, especially Benjamin Disraeli, the then leader of the Conservative Party.
West Coates
Edinburgh New Town West
Donaldson's (Hospital) School
Donaldson's School was designed by William Playfair for James Donaldson in (1851), a wealth bookseller and printer that lived in Edinburgh in 1830. James Donaldson on his death left his fortune to build and maintain a building for the deaf and dumb of Edinburgh. The students in the school were both hearing and non hearing and this lead to the hearing students learning sign language and these students went on to teach sign language around the world. The School moved from Edinburgh to its present location in Linlithgow in 2007.
Haymarket
Edinburgh New Town West
Heart of Midlothian
Memorial Clock
The clock is in honoured memory of the players and members of the Heart of Midlothian football Club who lost their lives in the world wars and it was first unveiled in 1922 to commemorate the men that fell in the first world war.
On the front panel of the memorial;
ERECTED BY
THE HEART OF MIDLOTHIAN
FOOTBALL CLUB
TO THE MEMORY OF
THEIR PLAYERS AND MEMBERS
WHO FELL IN THE
GREAT WAR
1914 - 1919
On the back panel of the memorial;
IN HONOURED MEMORY OF
THE PLAYERS AND MEMBERS
OF THE
HEART OF MIDLOTHIAN
FOOTBALL CLUB
WHO LOST THEIR LIVES
IN THE SECOND WORLD WAR
1939-1945
Haymarket
Railway Station
Haymarket the main Junction on the way out of Edinburgh to the west and Edinburgh International Airport. Under a mile from Princes Street and Edinburgh Castle.
Haymarket Rail Station opened in 1842 as the main station to join Edinburgh and Glasgow. The rail line was then extended to join Canal Street Station now Waverley Station in 1846. The line went under ground before emerging at the side of the Edinburgh Castle Rock and what is now Princes Street Gardens
Atholl Crescent
Edinburgh New Town West
Edinburgh School of Cookery
Louisa Stevenson with Christian Guthrie Wright founded the Edinburgh School of Cookery in 1875 in Atholl Crescent Edinburgh. This school developed into The Queen Margaret University. The plaque reads; The Edinburgh College of domestic science founded in 1875 as the Edinburgh school of cookery and domestic economy.
Moved to No.3 Atholl crescent in 1891. By 1970, when the college moved to Clermiston it occupied Nos. 1-8. No. 12 Nos 15-17 and was known around the world as “Atholl Crescent”.
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Rothesay Terrace
Edinburgh New Town West
Sir John Ritchie Findlay
Rothesay Terrace (No3) is a Building of architectural renown, was owned by Sir John Ritchie Findlay (1st Baronet)
owner of the Scotsman Newspaper.
The House from the rear overlooks Well House on the water of Leith in Dean Village, which he had built for his staff.
Rothesay House School
Rothesay Terrace (No1) was a private school (Rothesay House School) that occupied the premises from 1985 - 1957
Walker Street
Edinburgh New Town West
Attractions
Elsie Maud Inglis
Elsie Inglis Graduated from Edinburgh University in 1899 after Sophia Jex-Blake who she had an ongoing rivalry with, as Sophia Jex Blake had been the leader of the Edinburgh group to get entry for women to Edinburgh medical School. Elsie Inglis Had a medical practice in the High Street Edinburgh and at 8 Walker Street. She founded the second woman’s Hospital in Edinburgh. She help found the Scottish Women’s Hospitals for Foreign Services in 1914 and took part in aiding soldiers in Serbia and Russia. She was returning home from war in 1917 when she died of cancer which she had known she had before the start of the war.
Rutland Street
Edinburgh New Town West
Dr John Brown
John Brown FRSE FRCPE born in Biggar in 1810 and he died at home in 1882 in Rutland Street Edinburgh. He was a renowned Scottish physician and essayist he was known for his essays and papers on art, medical history and biography.
Lord Lister
Lord Joseph Lister Charlotte Square
Lord Lister lived with his father- in- law James Syme at No. 9 Charlotte Square for 7 years 1870-1877, Lord Lister also lived at 11 Rutland Street Edinburgh from 1856 -1860 Born in Upton Essex he introduced carbolic acid to sterilise surgical instruments. Carbolic Acid is now known as Phenol.
Sir Walter Scott
Sir Walter Scott's Last Main residence in Edinburgh
was number 6 Shandwick Place the main house is by way of No.8 where he lived from 1828 -1830 prior to his moved to Abbotsford House in The Scottish Borders
Trivia : The present lease holder is a Mr Scott.
Lieutenant General Frances Dundas
Francis Dundas died 15/1/1824 at 11 Shandwick Place Edinburgh
Horse and Rider
Sculpture by E Bridge
The Horse and Rider Sculpture stands on a bridge in Edinburgh
