St. Andrew Square, Edinburgh, Guide du visiteur et quoi faire à proximité

St Andrew Square is a Georgian garden square in the heart of Edinburgh's New Town, laid out in the late 18th century as part of the city's first planned extension. It is known for the tall Melville Monument at its centre, the grand Dundas House on its east side and its long role as a centre of Scottish banking and finance.

The story behind it

The square belongs to James Craig's plan for the New Town, chosen in the 1760s to give Edinburgh space to grow beyond the crowded Old Town. It is named for St Andrew, the patron saint of Scotland. A church was first intended for the east side, but the site went to Sir Lawrence Dundas, who commissioned Sir William Chambers to build the Palladian mansion now called Dundas House. The church was built on nearby George Street instead. The house later became the headquarters of the Royal Bank of Scotland, and banks and insurers have gathered around the square ever since.

At the centre stands the Melville Monument, a column of roughly 150 feet topped by a statue of Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville, one of the most powerful Scottish politicians of his day. It was completed in the early 1820s. A plaque at its base now addresses his role in delaying the abolition of the slave trade, a reminder that the story of the New Town is not only one of elegant architecture.

What to look for

• The Melville Monument is a tall column inspired by Trajan's Column in Rome, with the statue of Henry Dundas high above the treetops.
• Dundas House has a columned portico and a carved pediment, which make it one of the most striking facades on the square.
• The streets leading away from the square run in the straight lines of Craig's plan, so look along them to see how the New Town was designed.
• The garden paths and lawns sit among Georgian buildings and modern shopping streets, and the contrast shows how the area has changed over time.

Tips for your visit

• Allow 20 to 30 minutes to walk around the garden, read the monument's plaque and look at the buildings. Check current opening hours for the garden.
• Dundas House is a working bank building, so most visitors admire it from outside. Check current access if you hope to see the interior.
• Early morning is quiet for photographs, and late afternoon light is kind to the stonework.
• Waverley station, Princes Street, the Scott Monument and George Street are all a short walk away, so the square fits easily into a wider stroll through the centre.

See it on a quest

Try Murder Mystery: Death in the Shadows in Edinburgh to see St Andrew Square as one stop on a longer route on foot through the area. The app tells you about each place as you arrive and sets a puzzle based on what is in front of you, so you look at the streets more closely than you would on a quick pass. It suits a dark, atmospheric theme, and one ticket covers the whole group.