George Street, Edinburgh

George Street is the central thoroughfare of the First New Town of Edinburgh, planned in the 18th century by James Craig.^[1]

The street takes its name from King George III^[2] and connects St Andrew Square in the east with Charlotte Square in the west. It is located on the north side of the Old Town of Edinburgh, to the north of the Princes Street and to the south of Queen Street, running straight along the high point of a ridge.

George Street, as first proposed in 1767 and initially built, was a residential area.^[2] However in the Victorian period the houses were replaced by shops, showrooms, banks, small department stores and hotels.^[3] A number of the grander of these buildings were designed by the prominent Victorian architect David Bryce, who lived in the street.

George Street in the 21st century remains essentially a Victorian townscape, but the use of many of the commercial buildings has changed to restaurants, coffee shops and bars, with many high quality clothes shops.