Moray Place, New Town

Image: © kim traynor Taken: 8 Jul 2010

The Moray Estate development, designed by James Gillespie Graham, is where Edinburgh's New Town moves up an architectural gear to achieve a stylish super-grandeur. In trying to attract feuars, Lord Moray was in direct competition with William Playfair's alternative scheme on the Calton Hill; and proved more successful. Playfair's scheme was abandoned after its initial phase. Graham's plan comprised the semi-circular Randolph Crescent, the oval of Ainslie Place and the 12-sided, polygonal Moray Place, with interconnecting streets; the whole being linked to the first and second New Towns. The terrace which runs along the north side of the estate, skirting the Water of Leith, is said to be the longest continuous row of houses of unified design in Europe. "At present a gentleman of the best order in Edinburgh, say a judge of the Court of Session, finds it necessary to have a self-contained house in Moray Place, or some equally splendid district, for which he pays a rent of about L.160 (the very feu duty, perhaps, costing L.35 annually,) and which consists of four flats, containing the following apartments—on the sunk floor, a complete suite of culinary apartments, with accommodation for servants—on second floor, dining-room in front, business-room or library, and a bed-room behind—on third floor, drawing-room occupying the whole front of the house, with two large apartments behind, generally occupied as bed-room and dressing-room, upon occasion, by means of large doorways—fourth flat, a nursery and a number of good bed-rooms, besides which there is perhaps a suite of small rooms immediately under the slates. The furniture of such a house would not cost less than fifteen hundred pounds, but more generally is purchased at the rate of two thousand." -- W. Chambers, Reekiana 1833

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