128-page paperback featuring more than 180 images from the archive of the Edinburgh Room. Explore the historic architecture of Scotland’s capital city.

In this beautiful collection of 200 images from the Edinburgh Room, Susan Varga presents a pictorial history of Edinburgh's Old Town. The images cover the area known as the Royal Mile and include Castlehill, the Lawnmarket, High Street, Canongate, Grassmarket and George IV Bridge as well as the royal residences of Holyrood House and Edinburgh Castle. The medieval Old Town lies on the crag and tail of an extinct volcano and has a long rich history.

Prior to the eighteenth century, the area was home to all stratus of society, including the aristocracy. However, following the building of the Georgian New Town and the exodus of the wealthy residents, the area was left to decay into a picturesque slum. Many of these images date from the early years of photography and give a unique perspective on the social conditions of the time. The Old Town underwent regeneration during the twentieth century, and it has now developed into a centre of tourism and a site of world heritage importance.

Susan Varga is the librarian in charge of the Edinburgh Room at Edinburgh Central Library.