Edinburgh's West End 🏴
We are back in Edinburgh today, the capital of Scotland and the city where I grew up in and went to school and university.
You can't really give it justice in one post so we shall be focusing around Shandwick Place, an area close to my heart, and you will find out why as you read the article.
As you can see from the worldmappin map below the West End of Edinburgh is the area to the West of Princes St. Today we are taking a snapshot of the gorgeous Georgian architecture around Shandwick Place, the twin crescents Atholl and Coates and finally Ava Street to give you a sample of the architecture of the period and life today.
Spring sunshine and Queensferry Street our starting point
Princes Street where you see the yellow buses is the main street in Edinburgh and has changed so much over the years. Now cars are not allowed along it, so often people will drop you off here on Queensferry Street.
On the corner of Princes St and Lothian road is the church you see in the pictures.
St John's Scottish Episcopal Church
St. John's Episcopal Church was started in 1816 and was completed and consecrated on Maundy Thursday, March 19, 1818. It was designed by the architect William Burn in the Perpendicular Gothic style.
Churches often give a fascinating insight into the culture and history of a town and country and this is no different.
Some of you might have heard of Episcopal and Presbyterian without knowing their differences.
At the Scottish Reformation in the 1500s the Scottish Church fell into two parts, Episcopal (with Bishops) and Presbyterian (without Bishops, governed by elders).
The church deserves a post of its own, as does its sister church St Paul’s and St George’s in York Place at the East End of Princes Street.
Read all about the history of the church.
The old Binns Category B-listed building
145 Princes St on the corner is the 8 story building which now houses the Johnny Walker experience.
The Johnnie Walker Princes Street experience opened its doors to the public on September 6, 2021. The transformation of the building took over four years.
The building has a rich history and was Binns department store then House of Fraser and now The Johnnie Walker Princes Street experience.
You can book a tour with drinks and in some cases meals and chocolate from £30 to over £450!
I am not a big whisky drinker but never really thought of Johnny Walker as a good whisky. It is blended and I am more of a purist want to drink a single malt, not some blended nonsense mixed with Coke!
West End shots
Queensferry Street on the left and Hope Street on the right.
Looking towards Princes St from Shandwick Place.
Shandwick Place
You can see the tram tracks, which were reintroduced to parts of Edinburgh a few years ago.
This is where my appointment was. I was early so have time to show you around an area which I used to often visit as a child.
Charlotte Baptist Chapel
This church is not the church that I used to know!
Let me tell you why...
Charlotte Baptist Chapel is an evangelical Baptist church and is affiliated with the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches (FIEC) and the Pillar Network.
Established in 1808 by Christopher Anderson, the congregation originally took over a former Episcopalian chapel on Rose Street in 1912, and became known for significant revivals. In 2016 the chapel relocated to its current Shandwick Place site, which was formerly St George's West Church. St George's had closed in 2013 with the congregation moving across the road to yes you guessed it St John's Scottish Episcopal Church.
Talk about musical chairs church style!
Coates Crescent a typical Edinburgh Georgian New Town crescent
This is Coates Crescent and with its twin, Atholl Crescent, were part of Edinburgh's New Town western development that was more or less completed by 1825.
Here is Atholl crescent, you will see that they the two crescents mirror each other with the main road Shandwick Place running through them.
Beware of the blooming trams!
Melville Crescent
In the distance you can see Melville Crescent and in the middle is a statue...
The statue is of Robert Dundas, 2nd Viscount Melville.
Melville Crescent is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is currently undergoing public realm improvements, including wider footways and new street trees which means more fluffing roadworks!
Robert Dundas 2nd Viscount Melville
Coates Crescent Gardens
Coates Crescent came into the care of the City of Edinburgh Council in 1949 and is most known for the statue.
Gladstone Memorial
The Gladstone Memorial commemorates William Ewart Gladstone (1809-1898) who served four terms as the British Prime Minister.
It is a bronze and granite monument and was completed in 1917 by the sculptor James Pittendrigh MacGillivray.
It features a central statue of Gladstone in Chancellor's robes, surrounded by allegorical figures representing virtues such as Eloquence, History, Fortitude, and Faith.
Fun fact ~ It was originally sited in St Andrew Square but was moved to its current prominent position in Coates Crescent in 1955.
Beware the trams
They are everywhere...
... and there is a tram alighting point , tram stop whatever it is called in the middle of Shandwick Place.
Look at the time, it is flying, so time to cross over into Atholl crescent.
Atholl Crescent Gardens
Atholl Crescent came into the care of the City of Edinburgh Council in 1948 which some of you observant readers might remember was one year earlier than Coates Crescent.
Another Fun fact ~ the minute of agreement between the Council, the Atholl Crescent proprietors and the George Heriot Trust were never executed and therefore they were reaffirmed in 1957.
There is no memorial on this side of the street, but the shrubs and grass are pretty similar, and yes gets watered! Just as well as we are having the driest spring in decades!
Going back in time
The reason Atholl Crescent holds a place in my heart is because it was where my father worked for a few years.
I would come to his office after school. He was a surveyor for a local firm. I always remember the owner greeting me with a glass of whisky in his hand and a cigarette hanging from his mouth...
"Now then you fluffing wee rascal, how was school today? Will you have a dram with me?"
Dram meaning a glass of whisky, lol I was only about 12... changed days!
The business is long gone.
Time to get to my appointment.
Appointment finished I need to get back home to Fife as I had another appointment there.
The great thing about this part of the West End is that there are a couple of bus stops where buses from all over stop.
I can get here from my home by bus quicker than driving and trying to find a parking space!
Time waits for nobody. Most of these shops and businesses have all changed hands since I was at school.
A street I know well
Your typical Georgian New town straight street as opposed to the crescents we saw previously.
This one is Alva Street.
It is where the family of one of my mother's bridesmaids and one of my godmothers lived.
Her husband was a lawyer in Edinburgh before he moved to Inverness to be the Procurator Fiscal.
Sad times though as one of their sons died from a drugs overdose.
Talking of drugs ... Not a fun fact ~ Edinburgh used to be the Heroin capital of Europe.
Dinner anyone, I am getting peckish!
Forage & Chatter used to be quite a nice restaurant albeit too pricey.
Well that is a shame, they went bust. I did see via a search that they tried to sell the business without the branding or IP.
Why would you buy a restaurant without the IP and branding? No wonder it hasn't sold!
Well the bus is here and so it is time to finish our wee tour of Edinburgh's West End.
Have you been to any of these places I highlighted?
Cheers everyone and I hope you enjoyed our little adventure!
This post is for #wednesdaywalk which was inspired by
Thanks for visiting and I hope you managed to get out for a walk this week.
All images and ramblings are from me, the mad Scotsman TengoLoTodo unless otherwise stated. Note images are all snapped by me with my Google Pixel 9 XL Pro smartphone on the 6th May 2025 and four were used in canva to make the lead image.
May 21st 2025DO WHAT YOU LOVE AND DO IT OFTEN
Haste Ye Back!
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