All About Edinburgh
Edinburgh New Town
North East
Once the New town in Edinburgh was habitable it was quickly occupied by the merchants and well to do moving from the Canongate and Old Edinburgh. The New Tow was soon extended past Queen Street Gardens to the north. The next row of houses being Heriot Row and Abercrombie Place with Nelson Street, India Street, Dundas Street, Dublin Street and Albany Street all branching from them. This page covers Heriot Row and Abercrombie Place, Nelson Street,
Dundas Street, Dublin Street, London Street, Drummond Place Mansfield Place, Northumberland Street and Albany Street.
Heriot Row
Edinburgh New Town
North East
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Robert Louis Stevenson
he went to school at Canonmills (now Baptist Church). The Stevenson family moved in 1857 to 17 Heriot Row Edinburgh
Robert Louis Stevenson was born Robert Louis Balfour Stevenson at 8 Howard Place, Edinburgh, on 13 November 1850.
He then moved with his parents to a new family home in Inverleith Row before moving to 17 Heriot Row where he lived from the age of 7 for the next 23 years the Stevenson family home.
Then moving to Tusitala an island of Samoa, where he lived until he died in 1894 (aged 44).
There is a bronze memorial to Robert Louis Stevenson in the
Moray Aisle of St Giles Cathedral.
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Other residents of the Row were at No.6 Henry Mackenzie Author died here 1831 and friend of Robert Burns.
Nelson Street
Edinburgh New Town
North East
Sir Alexander MacKenzie
Sir Alexander MacKenzie Lived at No 22 Nelson Street. A famous Composer and Musician
Robert Garioch Sutherland
Robert Sutherland lived at No4 Nelson Street a poet and Makar. He was honoured with a Makars' paving slab in Makars' Court in the Lawnmarket Edinburgh.
Drummond Place
Edinburgh New Town
North East
Sydney Goodsir Smith
Sydney Goodsir Smith was born on 26 October 1915 in Wellington, New Zealand Scottish mother came to Edinburgh with his parents in 1928.A renowned Scottish poet, artist, dramatist and novelist. His home was 25 Drummond Place where he died young on the 15 January 1975 at the age of 59. There is a slab in Makars’ Court Lawnmarket to honour him and he is buried in the Dean Cemetery.
William and Fanny McTaggart
Sir William McTaggart (1903 – 1981) was a landscape artist and was married to Fanny Aavatsmark a Norwegian Journalist and Patriot. Born in Loanhead Midlothian he was a successful artist and teacher, he was given many honours including a knighthood in 1962. He lived with his wife Fanny Aavatsmark at Drummond Place Edinburgh till his death in 1981.
Sir Compton McKenzie
(writer)
Compton McKenzie was born in 1893 in West Hartlepool
His English father and American mother both actors.
Compton Mackenzie moved to Scotland at the age of 35 and was a resident on Barra, having a house Suidheachan built in 1928. Moving to his new home in Edinburgh at
31-32 Drummond Place in 1946.
Sir Compton Mackenzie died at his Edinburgh home in 1972 and was buried on the Isle of Barra where he wrote his novel Whisky Galore from true events.
York Place
Edinburgh New Town
North East
York Place was part of the northern extension of the new town a continuation of Queen Street and is unchanged since built circa 1820. There were many distinguished families who occupied the houses of this thoroughfare.
Sir Henry Raeburn
Henry Raeburn was a portrait painter and was born in Stockbridge Edinburgh in 1756 and died in Stockbridge Edinburgh 1823. He built a house in 32 York Place, this was where he painted, from 1795 – 1809. He was knighted in 1822 by King George IV and is recognised as Scotland’s most famous portrait painter. His best known work being “The Skating Minister” The Rev. Robert Walker of the Canongate Kirk skating on Duddingston Loch.
The painting is in the National Gallery of Scotland. The main street in Stockbridge being Raeburn Place named after the painter near where he was born and also died.
York Place
Edinburgh New Town
North East
James Nasmyth
Birthplace
James Nasmyth Inventor
James Nasmyth born 47 York Place Edinburgh in 1808 became a Scottish engineer famed for inventing the steam hammer in 1842 and many other engineering firsts in his foundry in Manchester. He produced many tools and steam engines. His father Alex was a renowned Scottish artist.
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Alexander Nasmyth Artist
Alexander Nasmyth born in 1758 in Edinburgh live at 47 York Place and was said to be the father of Scottish Landscape Painting. He Studied under Allan Ramsay and as a friend of Robert Burns was fortunate enough to be the only one to paint a portrait of Robert Burns that exists today.
Dundas Street
Edinburgh New Town
North East
The Botanic Society
The Botanic Society of Edinburgh was founded at 15 Dundas Street on 8th February 1836.
Abercrombie Place
Edinburgh New Town
North East
Dame Sarah Elizabeth Siddons Mair, DBE
Dame Sarah Elizabeth Siddons Mair, DBE campaigned for the rights of women to have equal opportunities for education. She was born in 1846 in Edinburgh. She founded the Edinburgh Essay Society which became the Edinburgh Debating Society at the age of 19 and was president of for 70 years. She was a principal in setting up St George’s training college which was the first Scottish institution for training women to teach in secondary education, Girls from St. George’s College were among the first female graduates of Edinburgh University. The tireless campaigning and endless work for women’s education led to an honorary LLD (Legum Doctor Latin: “teacher of the laws”) from Edinburgh University in 1920 and a DBE (Dame Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) in 1931.
Abercrombie Place
​Edinburgh New Town
North East
Kinross House
Kinross House was the offices of John Kinross a highly respected architect and president of the Edinburgh Architectural Association between 1890 and 1892, and was elected to the Royal Scottish Academy in 1905. He was responsible of the restorations of many historic buildings including Falkland Palace in Fife and the Priory Church of St Mary in South Queensferry.
Abercrombie Place
Edinburgh New Town
North East
Royal Scots Memorial Club
The Royal Scots War Memorial Fund was formed in 1919 to fund the purchase of the Club.
The first buildings No 30 and 31 Abercromby Place were purchased in 1921 with the further purchase of No. 29 years later. At that time the three buildings were converted into the Royal Scots War Memorial Club circa 1929.
The purpose of the Club was to honour the memory of all ranks 11,162 Royal Scots who had been killed in the Great war.
Abercrombie Place
Edinburgh New Town
North East
Marie Charlotte
Carmichael Stopes
Marie Charlotte Carmichael Stopes woman of achievement plaque can be seen at 3 Abercrombie Place Edinburgh where she was born.Marie Stopes was born in Edinburgh in 1880 and went to school at St Georges Garscube Terrace Edinburgh 1892 – 94. She became an author, palaeobotanist and campaigner for women’s rights.
Northumberland Street
Edinburgh New Town
North East
John Gibson Lockhart
John Gibson Lockhart Plaque Northumberland Street Edinburgh. Son-in-law of Sir Walter Scott and author of Sir Walter Scott's Biography, he is buried beside him in Dryburgh Abbey.
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other residents of the street were Admiral Sir W G Fairfax lived at No 53, Sir John Hope No. 57
Dublin Street
Edinburgh New Town
North East
Herbert Nigel Gresley
Herbert Nigel Gresley was born here 1876 he is famous for designing steam locomotives, the Flying Scotsman and Mallard two iconic steam trains both designed by him.
Great King Street
Edinburgh New Town
North East
Sir William Allan
Sir William Allan was born in Edinburgh in 1872 and became a world renowned artist. He was the president of the Royal Scottish Academy and Royal Academician. A few of his works include; The Murder of David Rizzio, Sir Walter Scott, The Signing of the National Covenant in Greyfriars Kirkyard, The Battle of Waterloo
Felix Yaniewiscz
Felix Yaniewiscz was a Polish violinist and composer. He was born in 1762. He moved to Edinburgh in 1815 and co-organiser the first Edinburgh Music Festival and lived in Great King Street from 1823 till his death in May 1848.
Sir J M Barrie
Sir J M Barrie was famous for his his book Peter Pan. James Matthew Barrie graduated from Edinburgh University in 1882. Historically his character Peter Pan must be known by more people worldwide than any other character. He spent many years in Edinburgh. He was the Chancellor of the University of Edinburgh for the last years of his life from 1930 – 1937.
Cumberland Street
​Edinburgh New Town
North East
Named after the Duke Cumberland, the fifth son of King George III.
Jean Thomas Harris
The Rotary Club
Jean Thomson was born in Cumberland Street and lived there with her parents until 1892 moved to Comely Bank Avenue. She moved to America and lived in Chicago where she met her husband to be Paul Harris. Her Husband was a Chicago attorney and on 23 February 1905 formed what was to be a worldwide organisation (The Rotary Club), Jean was made an honorary member of the Inner Wheel Club of Edinburgh in 1946. She died in Edinburgh and is buried in Newington.
