A snapshot of life in eighteenth century Edinburgh
Charlotte Square
If you’re planning a trip to explore Scotland’s capital city, then leave some time to visit the Georgian House on Charlotte Square in Edinburgh’s New Town.
The Georgian House is located next door to Bute House, the official residence of the First Minister of Scotland and only a few minutes’ walk from Princes Street. Designed by Robert Adam, the house is today owned and managed by the National Trust for Scotland and is open to the public.
Charlotte Square, Edinburgh New Town
Charlotte Square is also the delightful venue of the Edinburgh International Book Festival and is one of the most desirable and fashionable areas in Edinburgh, built as part of the wider James Craig inspired project to provide the city’s elite with a more attractive place to live, one removed from the cramped squalor of the Old Town.
Step inside the Georgian House and you enter the world of the house’s first owner, Argyll born John Lamont the 18th Chief of the Clan Lamont who bought the building in 1796 for £1,800. In the words of the National Trust for Scotland, the Georgian House, “faithfully recreates the lifestyle of a wealthy family, as well as giving a fascinating insight of the social and economic conditions of the time.”
On show in the lavishly furnished house are fine collections of period furniture, silver and china. The walls are adorned with paintings by Sir Henry Raeburn, Alexander Nasmyth and other well-known artists.
Below stairs
Life below stairs was less comfortable for the servants who toiled for long hours to ensure the smooth running of the household. Today you can enter their world and explore the kitchen, scullery and the wine cellar.
The National Trust for Scotland also manages Gladstone’s Land, a visitor attraction on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile.
National Trust for Scotland – Georgian House Visitor Information
