Colin McWilliam

The historic capital of Scotland is well known as a fortified medieval city with castle and crown-steepled church, its Royal Mile leading down to the Abbey and Palace of Holyrood; as a merchant city of the Stuart period with Parliament House and closely built houses and tenements; as a Georgian town with the largest sequence of planned developments in Britain; as a Victorian town of churches and banks, hotels and pubs, of quiet surburbs; and as a twentieth-century city where the Festival and its Fringe have encouraged the rediscovery of old buildings and the planning of new ones. A comprehensive gazetteer is provided to all notable developments of central Edinburgh, the seaport town of Leith and the suburban neighbourhoods.

The first full revision of the first of the volumes for the Buildings of Scotland series This is the first fully revised and expanded guide to the buildings of Lothian since Colin McWilliam’s pioneering volume of 1978, with new colour photography, maps, and plans to accompany the unrivalled coverage of the area. Lothian surrounds the capital city of Edinburgh, which has done much to influence the character of its buildings. Among these are some important medieval relics, including the internationally famous Rosslyn Chapel, the royal Renaissance palace at Linlithgow, and the ruins of great castles and tower houses. Among major country houses, none are more splendid than Hopetoun and the ducal seat of Dalkeith Palace but Lothian also has the extraordinarily well-preserved Newhailes and mighty Gosford House. This is also an area of picturesque small towns and resorts along the Firth of Forth with outstanding villas for the Edwardian elite, and rural villages of unspoiled character, preserving remains of their agricultural heritage. The industrial legacy is important, including not only one of the most complete collieries in Scotland but also the world-famous Forth Rail Bridge. This volume is an essential reference for visitors and residents alike.