top of page

Northern New Town Edinburgh

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

Northern New Town Edinburgh

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.

Other residents of the Row were at No.6 Henry Mackenzie Author died here 1831 and friend of Robert Burns.

Heriot Row
robert louis stevenson Heriot Row plaque edinburgh
robert louis stevenson Heriot Row edinburgh
Nelson Street

Nelson Street

North New Town Edinburgh 

Sir Alexander MacKenzie

Sir Alexander MacKenzie Lived at No 22 Nelson Street. A famous  Composer and Musician

Alexander MacKenzie Plaque Broughton Edi

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.

 Robert Garioch Sutherland Plaque Broughton Edinburgh

Drummond Place

North New Town Edinburgh

Drummond Place

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.

Drummond Place Sydney Goodsir Smith.
Sydney Goodsir Smith Plaque Broughton Ed

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.

Mctaggart Plaque Broughton Edinburgh

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.

Drummond Place Edinburgh
London Street

London Street

North New Town Edinburgh

The Icelandic National Anthem

The Icelandic National Anthem was composed and written in 1874 at 15 London Street Edinburgh by Sveinbjorn Sveinbjornsson the composer and Mattias Jochumsson the Poet.

Plaque at house where Iclandic National anthem was written and composed

Anne Redpath (Artist)

Edinburgh

Anne Redpath lived in London Street in the north east of the New Town from 1952 -1965

Anne Redpath London Street Broughton Edi

Albany Street

North New Town Edinburgh

Deaf and Dumb Church

Edinburgh

Albany Street
Albany Street 48 Deaf and Dumb Church.Ed

Dundas Street

North New Town Edinburgh

The Botanic Society

The Botanic Society of Edinburgh was founded  at 15 Dundas Street on 8th February 1836.

Dundas Street
Dundas Street Botanics Society Plaque.
Abercrombie Place

Abercrombie Place

North New Town Edinburgh

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.

Sarah Siddons Mair Abercrombie Place Edi

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.

Kinross House. Abercrombie Place Edinbur

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.

Royal Scots War Memorial Club Plaque.JPG
Royal Scots War Memorial Club.JPG

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.

Marie Stopes. Abercrombie Place Edinburg

Northumberland Street

North New Town Edinburgh

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. 

other residents of the street were Admiral Sir W G Fairfax lived at No 53,  Sir John Hope No. 57 

Northumberland Street
John Gibson Lockhart PlaqueNorthumberlan

Dublin Street

North New Town Edinburgh

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.

Dublin Street
Herbert Nigel Gresley Birthplace Plaque.

Great King Street

North New Town Edinburgh

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 

Great King Street
Sir William Allan Great King Street Edin

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. 

Felix Yaniewicz Plaque Great King Street

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.

Sir J M Barrie Plaque Great King Street
J M Barrie's Birth Place Kirriemuir Scotland
Peter Pan Fountain Kirriemuir Birthplace
Peter Pan inventor birthplace

Cumberland Street

North New Town Edinburgh

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.

Cunberland Street
Jean Thomson Harris Plaque. Cumberland S
bottom of page