St Andrew Square

St Andrew Square is a garden square in Edinburgh’s New Town, laid out in 1772 by James Craig. The square quickly became the city’s most fashionable address and later its main financial district. Banks and insurance companies filled its buildings, and for a time it was the richest area of its size in Scotland. The gardens, once private, opened to the public in 2008 and are now managed by Essential Edinburgh. Shops such as Harvey Nichols and the designer precinct Multrees Walk line the square, while London restaurants and bars occupy its south side. The Melville Monument stands at the centre on a fluted column, honouring Henry Dundas, the first Viscount Melville. Dundas House, built between 1772 and 1774 by Sir William Chambers, once housed the Royal Bank of Scotland. Its Palladian façade appears on Royal Bank of Scotland banknotes, and the ornate ceiling of the banking hall inspired the notes’ radial star design. Nearby, St Andrew’s Church was completed in 1784, and the British Linen Bank moved its head office here in 1806. Beneath the streets lies the disused Scotland Street Tunnel, built in 1847 for the Edinburgh, Leith and Newhaven Railway. The square has been home to notable Scots such as philosopher David Hume and architect Sir William Chambers. Lord Henry Brougham was born at No. 21 in 1778. St Andrew Square remains a transport hub, with a modern bus station and a tram stop on its east side. Trams run west to the airport and north to Leith and Newhaven, while Edinburgh Waverley station lies a short walk to the south.