New Town Gardens

New Town Gardens comprise roughly 30 private gardens and parks distributed throughout Edinburgh's New Town Conservation Area. They feature terraced layouts, open lawns, and mature trees that define the character of the area.

These gardens emerged between 1767 and 1850 as Edinburgh's New Town was being developed and played a key role in transforming the district. They formed a central part of plans to introduce structured green spaces throughout the expanding urban area.

These gardens developed as private retreats for residents of the New Town and continue to reflect Victorian ideas about urban green spaces. They show how the area's designers intended to weave nature into the fabric of city living.

Most of these gardens are privately accessed and require a key obtained through property ownership or approved residential status in Edinburgh. You can still walk around the outer edges of these areas to view the gardens from the street and appreciate their structure and plantings.

Queen Street Central Gardens contains a pond with an island that inspired writer Robert Louis Stevenson while he lived in Edinburgh. The location helped shape the images that later appeared in his novel Treasure Island.