ST. ANDREW SQUARE

Located at the east end of George Street, the construction of St Andrew’s Square began in 1772 as the first part of the New Town - designed by architect James Craig (1774 – 1795).

The New Town itself is viewed as a masterpiece of city planning, is a UNESCO World Heritage site and to this day retains much of its neo-classical architecture.

When built, St Andrew’s Square quickly became one of the most desirable residential areas of Edinburgh, but as the 19th century came to a close the square evolved into the commercial capital of the city. Even today it remains one of the major financial centres of Scotland and indeed claims to be the richest area of its size in the whole of the nation.

Dominating the centre of the Square is the Melville Monument, commemorating Henry Dundas, the first Viscount Melville (1742 – 1811) and surrounding this are the St Andrew’s Square Gardens.

Used as a transport hub for a number of years, the Edinburgh Bus Station – formerly the St Andrew’s Square Bus Station is located to the east of the Square.

When the new Edinburgh Trams network comes into operation, the Square will acquire a tram station and will be the station closest to Edinburgh Waverley Train Station.

On April the 4th 2008, St. Andrew Square Gardens were opened to the public for the first time in generations.

The £2.6 million makeover project is a result of a partnership with The City of Edinburgh Council, Scottish Enterprise Edinburgh and Lothian.

New features include two new entrance gates, curved footpaths linking to the new entrances, a reflective pool in the south west corner, floodlit trees and a glass café pavillion. The open space is mainly used by the public to relax but is also used occasionally for public exhibitions and events.