The beautiful Register House, designed by Robert Adam in 1788 and with a statue of the Duke of Wellington on horseback in front, houses the National Archives of Scotland and the ScotlandsPeople genealogical research centre.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
0.57 MILES
Edinburgh Castle has played a pivotal role in Scottish history, both as a royal residence – King Malcolm Canmore (r 1058–93) and Queen Margaret first made…
6.9 MILES
Many years may have passed since Dan Brown's novel The Da Vinci Code and the subsequent film came out, but floods of visitors still descend on Scotland's…
1.98 MILES
Built on Clydeside, the former Royal Yacht Britannia was the British Royal Family's floating holiday home during their foreign travels from the time of…
24.4 MILES
One of Scotland's great country houses, Traquair House has a powerful, ethereal beauty, and exploring it is like time travel. Odd, sloping floors and a…
Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art
1.5 MILES
Edinburgh's gallery of modern art is split between two impressive neoclassical buildings surrounded by landscaped grounds some 500m west of Dean Village…
0.59 MILES
The Scottish Parliament Building, on the site of a former brewery and designed by Catalan architect Enric Miralles (1955–2000), was opened by the Queen in…
1.09 MILES
Edinburgh's Royal Botanic Garden is the second-oldest institution of its kind in Britain (after Oxford), and one of the most respected in the world…
25.49 MILES
Completed in 2002, the Falkirk Wheel is a modern engineering marvel, a rotating boat lift that raises vessels 115ft from the Forth & Clyde Canal to the…
Nearby New Town attractions
0.09 MILES
The impressive Palladian mansion of Dundas House, built between 1772 and 1774 on the eastern side of St Andrew Sq, was built for Sir Laurence Dundas (1712…
0.13 MILES
One of Edinburgh’s many atmospheric old cemeteries, Old Calton is dominated by the tall black obelisk of the Political Martyrs’ Monument, which…
0.15 MILES
Though not as architecturally distinguished as its sister Charlotte Sq, at the opposite end of George St, St Andrew Sq is dominated by the fluted column…
0.15 MILES
St Andrew Sq is dominated by the fluted column of the Melville Monument, commemorating Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville (1742–1811). Dundas was the…
0.18 MILES
One of Edinburgh's most innovative and popular galleries, the Fruitmarket showcases the work of contemporary Scottish and international artists, and also…
0.18 MILES
This is public art at its best: harmonious, understated and accessible. In 2010 Turner Prize winner Martin Creed was commissioned by the Fruitmarket…
0.18 MILES
The eastern half of Princes Street Gardens is dominated by the massive Gothic spire of the Scott Monument, built by public subscription in memory of…
0.19 MILES
This art centre comprises six floors of exhibitions with a variety of themes, including an extensive collection of Scottish art. Fees apply for special…