The New Town is one of Edinburgh’s most prized neighbourhoods, a UNESCO-listed conservation area that’s widely considered a masterpiece of British town planning, resplendent with history, beautiful architecture and green views.
An easy stroll delivers you into Edinburgh’s City Centre. Splash out at the popular retail hotspots of Princes Street and George Street, take in Edinburgh Castle, the city’s many excellent galleries and museums, not to mention the cosy bars and restaurants and Georgian splendour of the Old Town.
Just a few minutes downhill sits the charming village of Stockbridge, an area packed with dozens of independent boutiques, restaurants, cafés and pubs. Nearby the Water of Leith walkway makes for a really pleasant stroll or bike ride along a twelve mile walkway with green-fringed banks carpeted by wild flowers and ancient woodlands. The historic Dean Village is another oasis of calm on your doorstep. The old watermills, bridges and Thomas Telford-designed St Bernard’s Well lending the lush greenery here extra character.
Edinburgh’s cultural credentials are second to none. Any time spent wandering along the New Town’s elegant rows of orderly crescents and squares will demonstrate precisely why Edinburgh is known as ‘the Athens of the North.’
Down the centuries the city has inspired countless artists and writers, from Robert Louis Stevenson, Sir Walter Scott and Joshua Reynolds, to the more contemporary likes of Irvine Welsh, Alexander McCall Smith and Jack Vettriano. Every August the city hosts the world’s largest arts festival which creates a vibrant legacy, maintained year-round by the likes of the Traverse Theatre, Scotland’s premier new writing theatre, and the Usher Hall, the city’s signature live music venue.
Both the Dean Gallery and the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art are within easy strolling distance of Randolph Crescent, while the likes of the Scottish National Gallery and the Scottish National Portrait Gallery are all but a short walk away.
Edinburgh’s culinary heritage is such that the city now has its own World Heritage Food Trail; whether you are hungry for private dining, afternoon tea or a hearty brunch, the city’s restaurateurs will not disappoint.
You’ll be stuck for choice when looking for dining or brunch options in this part of Edinburgh. From the likes of The Table that caters to a maximum of ten diners in a single evening sitting to the smart yet relaxed setting of The Honours. It’s also home to a range of international cuisines, hosting Swedish artisan bakery Söderberg alongside French offering L’Escargot Blanc.
There’s no shortage of welcoming pubs and cool bars in the area. Some of the best include the relaxed rustic vibe of Indigo Yard, or Edinburgh’s first Cicchetti bar, The West Room, serving Italian tapas with drinks. For the wine lover there’s Le Di-Vin, Edinburgh’s best wine bar just a stroll away from Randolph Crescent.
One of the discreet privileges for residents of Randolph Crescent is the exclusive access it grants you to the Moray Feu private gardens. There are four gardens in total, each with its own special quality which add to the unique sense of tranquillity of the area.
A little closer into the city centre you will find the manicured Princes Street Gardens, to the more rugged majesty of Salisbury Crags and Arthurs’ Seat, historic Calton Hill and Holyrood Park, there’s a wealth of sublime outdoor spots to explore on foot.
Complementing the many high street shops in the city centre, is the designer haven of Multrees Walk, home to Scotland’s flagship Harvey Nicholls and scores of luxury brands including Mulberry, Louis Vuitton and Holland Cooper.
There are excellent farmer’s markets at Stockbridge (Sundays) and Castle Terrace (Saturdays) where you’ll find premium artisan food producers, farm shops and local craft wares absent from the high street stores.
Edinburgh Waverley Station is a 20 minute walk, providing direct trains to Glasgow (55 minutes), Aberdeen (2 hours 15 minutes), Inverness (3 hours 40 minutes) and London (4 hours 30 minutes).
Edinburgh Airport is only a 21 minute drive, with connections to hundreds of destinations worldwide.
A state-of-the-art tram service connects the city centre with a reliable service running between the West End (the nearest tram stop to the Crescent, a 7 minute walk away) and York Place, Murrayfield Stadium and Edinburgh Airport.
