Edinburgh New Town James Craig

Its best known street is princes street facing edinburgh castle and the old town across the geological depression of the former nor loch.
Edinburgh new town james craig. Together with the old town the new town was designated a unesco world heritage site in 1995. In 1766 craig entered the competition to plan the new town of edinburgh intended to ease overcrowding in the old town the medieval royal burgh of edinburgh. Edinburgh world heritage one night in september 1751 a six storey tenement in. The winning bid came from 21 year old james craig and his grid iron design inspired the ordered layout of edinburgh s new town that still exists today.
The core of the first new town of edinburgh bounded by princes street was the realisation of a plan conceived by a young and then unknown architect called james craig. The new town was mostly built of sandstone from craigleath quarry. National galleries of scotland 73 belford road edinburgh eh4 3ds national galleries of scotland is a charity registered in scotland no. Edinburgh new town gradually absorbed much of the professional classes from the increasingly ramshackle old town.
The new town is a central area of edinburgh the capital of scotland. It s hard to accept that the edinburgh of the enlightenment was a cesspit but back in 1766 twenty years after culloden it stank. His design won a competition initiated by the lord provost and the town council in 1766. James craig 31 october 1739 23 june 1795 was a scottish architect who worked mostly in lowlands of the country and especially his native city of edinburgh.
He was a scottish architect primarily remembered for his role in laying out edinburgh s new town. James craig 1744 95 famously won the competition to masterplan an edinburgh new town when only 22 years old in 1766. He is remembered primarily for his layout of the first edinburgh new town. Novice architect james craig s final plan for edinburgh s new town following a 1767 competition.
Edinburgh s new town james craig lived from 31 october 1739 to 23 june 1795. A masterpiece of city planning it was built in stages between 1767 and around 1850 and retains much of its original neo classical and georgian period architecture.