Later additions saw the linking of the New Town with the older villages of Stockbridge, Dean, Canonmills, and Silvermills. Notable buildings located in the New Town include the National Gallery of Scotland, the Royal Scottish Academy, The Scottish National Portrait Gallery, the Assembly Rooms, and the Scott Monument.

Edinburgh Old Town

The Old Town was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. Notable streets of the Old Town include the Royal Mile which is actually made up of four distinct streets named Castlehill, the Lawnmarket, the High Street and the Canongate.

Notable places include the Scottish Parliament Building, the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the General Assembly Hall of the Church of Scotland, the Royal Museum of Scotland, Surgeons' Hall, the University of Edinburgh.

Typical the layout of the Old Town is similar to that of the old quarters of many northern European cities, but is made picturesque in Edinburgh, as Edinburgh Castle perches on top of the remnants of an extinct volcano. In the 17th centaury the Old Town had a population of approximately 80,000 people, now however there are currently approximately 20,000 residents in the Old Town. Many of buildings were destroyed in the Great Fire of 1824; the rebuilding on the original foundations led to changes in the ground level and the creation of many passages and vaults under the Old Town.