Johnsons

Cramond Roman Fort and Civil Settlement

Cramond · 6.8 miles

Evidence of Roman activity survives at the mouth of the River Almond where it joins the Forth, close to the village of Cramond in Edinburgh. The archaeological site, dating from around AD 140, comprises the remains of a fort and an adjoining civilian settlement that together illustrate the northern frontier of the Roman Empire. Visible outlines of the headquarters, granaries and a workshop are marked on the open parkland, with information panels explaining the layout and the discoveries made over the past five decades. Among the artefacts displayed nearby are a stone altar dedicated to the Matres Alatervae, a centurial stone of Legio II Augusta, an altar to Jupiter Optimus Maximus, and a silver sword pendant indicating the presence of a senior officer. The most celebrated find, the Cramond Lioness—a white-sandstone sculpture of a lioness devouring a male figure—was recovered from the river in 1997. The fort was initially occupied from about AD 140 until roughly AD 170, when Roman forces withdrew to Hadrian’s Wall, and it was later enlarged during the Severan campaign of AD 208-214. Subsequent evidence suggests continued native use into the fifth century and earlier Mesolithic activity on the same ground. Although parts of the complex lie beneath later village buildings and are revealed only during development work, the outlined sections remain accessible to the public. No permanent visitor centre or museum has yet opened, but plans announced since 2000 envision a facility to exhibit the collected artefacts, including the Lioness. Access is via the Cramond village area; no admission fee or specific opening times are recorded for the open-air remains.

Carlowrie Castle

Hallyards · 7.5 miles

Carlowrie Castle was built in the Scottish Baronial style between 1852 and 1855 on the outskirts of Kirkliston, a town approximately 10 miles from Edinburgh, Scotland. It has only ever belonged to two families: the Hutchison family, who built it, and the Marshall family, who acquired it 130 years later.

St Stephen's Church

Silvermills · 11 miles

A striking Baroque-Grecian structure dominates the vista from the lower end of St Vincent Street, its 162-ft tower housing Europe’s longest clock pendulum at 60 ft, installed in 1828 by James Ritchie & Son. The building sits on the corner of Saint Stephen Street and Saint Vincent Street in Edinburgh’s Northern New Town, nearest the Silvermills area, and was erected between 1827 and 1828 to a design by William Henry Playfair. Its square plan, with cut-off north and south corners, follows the oblique line of Saint Stephen Street, while the interior originally featured vaulted cellars that the first minister, William Muir, used for an evening school for the illiterate. The interior was reconfigured in 1956 after a decline in the congregation, creating a gallery level accessed from St Vincent Street and a series of halls below, including a main hall with a fully fitted stage that has hosted Festival Fringe productions. After a brief ownership by the Benzies Foundation, the property was purchased in 2017 by ballet dancer Peter Schaufuss, who renamed the principal space Ashton Hall. The venue now serves as a theatre and event space, home to the Edinburgh Festival Ballet, its school, and the MGA Academy, and continues to host performances during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Operated by the Benzies Foundation, the site offers a mixture of cultural and community activities, with its historic organ by Willis retained on the gallery level. Access is via the surrounding streets, and the building’s prominent tower remains a visible landmark in the neighbourhood.

St Mary's Episcopal Cathedral

West End · 11 miles

Victorian Gothic revival architecture dominates the skyline of Edinburgh’s West End, where a three-spired cathedral rises as the episcopal seat for the diocese covering the Firth of Forth to the English border. Laid on Palmerston Place, the foundation stone was set on 21 May 1874 by the Duke of Buccleuch and Queensberry, and the building was consecrated on 30 October 1879. Designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott, the structure achieved Category A listed status and forms part of the Old Town and New Town World Heritage Site. Its central spire reaches 90 metres, making it the tallest edifice in the Edinburgh urban area, while the twin western spires—named “Barbara” and “Mary” after the Walker sisters who funded the project—were completed in 1917. Subsequent additions include a Chapter House (1880) and a Song School (1885), both integral to the cathedral’s complex. The interior supports a continuous programme of choral worship, a practice unique among Scottish cathedrals, with daily services performed by choristers from the attached music school. Notable firsts include the introduction of girls into the treble line in 1978 and the appointment of a female alto in 2005. The Song School, decorated by Phoebe Anna Traquair between 1888 and 1892, contains a second Father Willis organ (1829) and offers guided tours at selected times. Ten original bells hang in the central tower, supplemented by two later additions. Wheelchair users can access the building without steps, ensuring inclusive entry for visitors.

Scottish American War Memorial

New Town · 11 miles

A bronze figure of a kilted infantryman stands on a Craigleith sandstone plinth in West Princes Street Gardens, looking toward Castle Rock. The central statue is accompanied by a low-relief frieze that depicts rows of men, including a pipe band, marching from civilian life into military service. The monument’s apex bears the intertwined escutcheons of Scotland and the United States, underscoring the transatlantic link that inspired its creation. Funded by the Scottish-American War Memorial Committee, the work was presented by Scottish-Americans as a tribute to Scots who fought in the First World War. Designed by the Scottish-Canadian sculptor R. Tait McKenzie, with architectural input from Reginald Fairlie, the piece was unveiled on 7 September 1927 by the United States Ambassador, Alanson B H Houghton. The bronze backdrop and the inscription of E. A. Mackintosh’s poem “A Creed” complete the composition, while contemporary accounts recorded a construction cost of ten thousand pounds. Historic Scotland classifies the memorial as a Category B listed building. The memorial occupies a publicly accessible garden in Edinburgh’s New Town, allowing visitors to view the sculpture at any time the gardens are open. No admission fee is mentioned, and the setting provides the usual amenities of the surrounding park. Its listed status ensures that the monument is protected under heritage regulations.

West Princes Street Gardens

Old Town · 11 miles

Stretching 29 acres along the south side of Princes Street, West Princes Street Gardens provide a sizeable green space in the centre of Edinburgh, Scotland. The park lies in the shadow of Edinburgh Castle and extends westwards to the churches of St John's and St Cuthbert's near Lothian Road. It is situated near the Old Town. The gardens are bounded by Princes Street to the north, with a series of statues lining the widened road after the 1880 widening. Opening times are published on the park's listing, and the site operates as a public park. Originally owned by the Princes Street Proprietors, the land passed to the council in 1816 and was opened to subscribers in 1821 under strict rules that excluded dogs, cricket, perambulators and smoking. In the mid-nineteenth century the Scottish Association for Suppressing Drunkenness successfully petitioned for the gardens to be opened on Christmas Day, New Year's Day and one additional day each year. The town council reacquired the grounds in 1876, despite local opposition, and commissioned City Architect Robert Morham to lay out the public park, including the picturesque gardener's cottage at the east end. A later agreement around 1880 widened Princes Street, creating a steeper embankment and allowing a series of statues to be placed along the road's edge. Current discussions about modernising the site are being driven by the Quaich Project, a fundraising effort managed by the Ross Development Trust. The gardens include a series of statues along the road edge, a gardener's cottage at the east end, and they provide a view towards Edinburgh Castle; the adjacent churches add architectural interest.