EDINBURGH. The New Town

Edinburgh has been described as ''The most exciting Georgian City in Britain,'' and visitors who explore the spacious squares and crescents of the New Town-Charlotte Square, Moray Place, Ainslie Place, Heriot Row, George Street and St Andrew Square, to mention a few-will find the experience aesthetically rewarding.

Around Princes Street

The New Town of Edinburgh was conceived in 1767, when Parliament approved the extension of the city, and the Town Council of the day lost no time in proceeding with the work. A competition was held and won by James Craig, a 23-year-old architect. Craig's Georgian New Town, with its wide streets and spacious squares, is an asset to 20th century Edinburgh.

Charlotte Square

Charlotte Square, at the west end of George Street, displayed the finest architectural design in the New Town. It was designed by Robert Adam, the most eminent architect of his time, in 1791. The magnificent north side of the square, a feast of architectural detail, is recognised as Robert Adam's masterpiece and one of the finest street fronts in Europe.

No 7, the Georgian House, has been opened by the National Trust for Scotland as a typical home of the period; the rooms are furnished as they might have been by their first owners showing the domestic surroundings and reflecting the social conditions of that age. The upper floors of No 7 form the official residence for the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland (not open to the public).

St Andrew Square

St Andrew Square, at the east end of George Street, is one of the wealthiest squares in the world, since its many fine buildings are the headquarters of leading banks and insurance companies. In the centre of the square, on top of a pillar 100 feet high, stands the statue of Henry Dundas, first Viscount Melville.

The General Register House, at the east end of Princes Street, opposite the Post Office, was mainly built in 1774-89 from designs by Robert Adam and finished 1822-27 by Robert Reid. As the headquarters of the Scottish Record Office it houses the public records of Scotland, historical and legal, including wills, from the 13th century to the present day. Certain groups of more modern records are preserved in the Record Office's annexe at the West Register House in Charlotte Square-the former St George's Church. Permanent and special exhibitions of documents are mounted in the Museum at the West Register House, which is open to the public, Monday to Friday 10.00 to 16.30 hrs. The New Register House, which adjoins the Register House, is occupied by the Departments of the Registrar-General for Scotland and the Lyon King of Arms. It was built in 1859-63 in the Italian style of architecture to the design of Robert Matheson and incorporates a large domed record room which contains the statutory registers of births, deaths and marriages, the old parish registers and the records of censuses of the population of Scotland.

Scott Monument

The Scott Monument, in East Princes Street Gardens, is the most conspicuous and best known monument in Edinburgh. Completed in 1844 to the design of George Meikle Kemp, the winner of an open architectural competition, the monument is in the form of a Gothic spire over 60 m (200 feet) high with a statue of Sir Walter Scott, by Sir John Steell, installed under the canopy of the arches, in 1846. In the niches of the monument are 64 statuettes of well-known characters from Scott's novels and poems. The climb up the 287 steps to the top of the tower is well worth while for the magnificent views of the city.

Assembly Hall

The Assembly Hall on the Mound is owned by the Church of Scotland. Each year in May the ministers and elders of the Church meet at their General Assembly in the hall, and the Lord High Commissioner, the Queen's representative, attends the sessions.

Conservation

The City of Edinburgh and the Historic Buildings Council, with Government support, embarked in 1970 on a conservation programme for the whole of the New Town, one of the largest unspoiled Georgian developments in Europe. The New Town, over 300 hectares in extent and still three-quarters residential, is now an outstanding conservation area subject to strict planning control.

The Modern Town

The Modern Town of Edinburgh is very much in touch with everyday reality. She is not content to rest upon the glories of her past, but is moving forward boldly into the future. The city's business habits, interests and cultural activities have changed enormously in recent years. The old standards and values of the great Edinburgh businesses, such as brewing, printing, publishing and paper-making are still maintained and modernised, but are now reinforced by over a hundred new industrial projects, including electronics and light engineering. Whole new areas of habitation and occupation have sprung up, and the Edinburgh of the 1970s is undergoing tremendous and exciting changes. Obsolete areas of no significance have been demolished to make room for redevelopment for schemes involving new commercial buildings and offices, shopping areas, houses and hotels. The importance of the Festival and the increasing popularity of Edinburgh as an International Conference City have led to ambitious plans for the development of Festival and conference facilities.

The Conference City

The city is well endowed with suitable halls for conferences. Capacity ranges from 200 to just under 3,000 and its many comfortable hotels, boarding houses and apartments give delegates a wide range of accommodation. There is the added advantage that all the conference halls are within easy reach of that accommodation. There are too many halls to list here, but the principal ones may be of interest:

Assembly Rooms

This attractive conference complex is situated in George Street, which runs parallel to Princes Street. The Suite of Halls and ancillary rooms provides seating from 150 in smaller rooms to 1,200 in the largest. The Music Hall in this complex can be adapted for banqueting and the magnificent Assembly Rooms adjoining can be used as a ballroom or for meetings. It was in the Assembly Rooms, used for many great occasions, that Sir Walter Scott announced his authorship of the Waverley Novels. Catering facilities for functions up to 1,100 are provided within the building.

Usher Hall

This is a large and imposing building in Lothian Road, near the west end of Princes Street. It seats up to 2,700 in great comfort and is fully air-conditioned. The acoustics of the Usher Hall are considered to be among the finest in the world and a sophisticated sound and lighting system is fitted as standard. Limited catering facilities are available. The Usher Hall has two very large car parks nearby.

Leith Halls

Leith Halls were rebuilt in 1962 after World War II damage. The large and smaller hall are situated in Ferry Road, one of the main through routes of Edinburgh. The main hall, known as the Leith Theatre, seats up to 1,400 and the smaller hall seats up to 420. There are numerous ancillary rooms. Leith Halls have very good acoustics and ample car parking both by the premises and nearby. Catering facilities for banquets up to 300 are provided.

University Halls

There are also other large halls for conferences and meetings, made available by the University of Edinburgh, such as the McEwan Hall, seating 2,176. The University has rapidly expanded and impressive modern buildings, such as its David Hume Tower, William Robertson and Adam Ferguson buildings in George Square, are available for conferences when not required during the University term. The City's principal hotels have conference facilities for those who prefer to live and hold their meetings under one roof. Comprehensive facilities have developed also, on the outskirts of the city, at the Royal Highland Showground, near Edinburgh Airport about six miles from the city centre.

Napier College

Edinburgh for many years has been a centre of culture and learning. That reputation has been enhanced in modern times with the establishment of the Festival, the holding of numerous conferences and the expansion of the University and kindred medical and scientific bodies. New schools and adult educational colleges, community centres, homes for the aged and welfare clinics have been built throughout the city in the past decade. One of the striking developments, in 1964, was the opening of a large new college of advanced education, Napier College, Colinton Road. The College has over 3,500 full-time equivalent students and offers courses at degree and diploma level. It was a fitting tribute to the work of John Napier that, precisely 350 years after his publication ''Mirifici Logarithmorum Canonis Descripto'' in 1614, Edinburgh should open a new college bearing his name and incorporating in its beautiful modern design the 15th century Merchiston Tower, in which he lived.

Royal Observatory

The foundation of the Royal Observatory dates back to the early 19th century, when it was located on Calton Hill; it was moved to Blackford Hill towards the end of that century. The Royal Observatory is a joint institution supported by the Science Research Council and the University of Edinburgh. It is responsible for various national facilities including a 1.2 metre aperture wide angle telescope in Australia, a 3.8 metre aperture infrared telescope in Hawaii and the COSMOS advanced measuring machine. Each of these is the most powerful facility of its kind in the world and through them the Observatory supports some two hundred research scientists in British Universities and overseas.

In its own research the Observatory studies the processes of star formation and seeks to understand the origin and evolution of the Universe.

The Observatory' s university group, besides sharing the research provides courses leading to a Bachelor of Science in astrophysics, Master of Science in astronomical technology and a Doctor of Philosophy in astronomical research.

The Visitor Centre at the Observatory shows the latest advances in our explorations of the Universe as well as taking a look at the history of the science.