Charlotte Square

Charlotte Square is a Georgian square at the western end of George Street in Edinburgh's New Town, Scotland. It was designed by Robert Adam in 1791 as the western anchor of James Craig's plan for the First New Town, and it was named after Queen Charlotte, wife of George III. Adam produced a unified design for the north side, with a central palace-fronted block and end pavilions, so that the individual townhouses read as a single monumental facade. Building took place in the 1790s and the 1800s, and the square has remained largely unchanged. At the centre is a garden with a statue of Prince Albert, unveiled in 1876. Today the square contains government buildings, including Bute House, the official residence of Scotland's First Minister at no. 6, and offices of the National Trust for Scotland. At no. 7, the Georgian House is a National Trust for Scotland property, furnished to show how a wealthy household lived in around 1800, with period furniture, kitchen and servants' quarters. The square's architecture is pale ashlar sandstone with refined proportions, fanlights and wrought-iron balustrades. The gardens in the centre are private for most of the year but host the Edinburgh International Book Festival in August. As part of the Old and New Towns of Edinburgh, the square lies within a UNESCO World Heritage Site designated in 1995. The facades have been conserved, with ongoing maintenance by owners and heritage bodies, and the square remains an active civic and residential space. Visitors typically view the exterior and can enter the Georgian House when open.