The Old Town of Edinburgh dates back to the 1500s with the building of Castlehill. With Edinburgh Castle at its heart, the area has been there since 12th century. The medieval Royal Mile is the backbone of the Old Town. A UNESCO World Heritage site, famous residents include John Knox (minister), Robert Louis Stevenson (author) and Hugh Miller (geologist).
Right in the heart of the City Centre and south of the New Town, the Old Town is home to restaurants, bars, galleries, museums, cafes, coffee shops, delicatessens, shops, boutiques and supermarkets. Not to mention home of the Edinburgh Fringe. Properties in the Old Town are largely medieval. A mix of tenement flats and houses; they are charming, quirky and historic with an array of period features.
The Old Town is packed with things to do. It is home to to National Museum of Scotland, the Museum of Childhood, Camera Obscura, The Scotch Whisky Experience, Mary King’s Close and, of course, Edinburgh Castle. Eating out can range from coffee shops and cafes, like the Elephant House (birthplace of Harry Potter), to fine dining in The Witchery or Angels with Bagpipes.
The Old Town is considered to be the City Centre. It has excellent bus links and is a stone’s throw from Edinburgh Waverley train station. If you have a car, some properties offer on-street parking. However, usually a permit is required. This can be arranged through the Edinburgh City Council.
There are a number of excellent local Primary Schools, including Royal Mile Primary School and St Mary’s RC Primary School. The Old Town is in the catchment area for James Gillespie’s High School and St Thomas of Aquin’s RC High School, but is also in easy reach of a number of public schools including George Heriot’s and George Watson’s.
In between the New Town (EH2 & EH3) and Bruntsfield (EH10), The Old Town is also close to Holyrood (EH8), The Grassmarket (EH1) and Tolcross (EH3).