Designed through a collaboration between award-winning landscape architect Tom Stuart-Smith OBE, and Edinburgh-based landscape architects, OPEN (part of SLR), the area will provide the first major new city centre public garden since Princes Street Gardens opened more than 200 years ago in 1820. The plans will give residents and visitors to Edinburgh access to a beautiful open space with outstanding views of both the capital and the surrounding landscape. 

With an East and West Garden, the aim is to provide an oasis of calm from the busy city centre while creating a contemporary setting that respects the neo-classical features of the former Royal High School building. Ensuring the area can be enjoyed by everyone has been a key principle of the design so the gardens will be open daily with free entry for all. The creation of a very green garden has also been a fundamental part of the plans to increase biodiversity and create nature networks in the area. 

The gardens will create a dynamic ecosystem, providing diverse food sources and habitats for local wildlife to support biodiversity and combat species decline. Using local materials and native plants, the design integrates with Calton Hill’s surrounding landscape, reinforcing both visual and ecological connections between the cultivated gardens and the natural environment. 

The West Garden area has been designed to fit with the wild landscapes that surround the site, complementing its location at the foot of Calton Hill. It will feature native trees like Scots Pine, Birch and Rowan and other plants native to the region. 

By contrast, the East Garden will be designed as an extensive flower garden and feature a large pergola along the Belvedere wall, one of the original features of the Royal High School building. 

A programme of regular events will share knowledge about the gardens as well as other related topics like horticulture skills, biodiversity, and health and wellbeing. Community groups will be invited to use the gardens and learning opportunities focused on conservation, native species and precious micro-systems. 

Tom Stuart-Smith and his team in collaboration with Edinburgh-based landscape architects OPEN, were appointed to design and curate the garden space. Tom’s work has been heavily influential in contemporary landscape design, with eight award-winning gardens at RHS Chelsea Flower Show, plus a host of acclaimed gardens across the globe including RHS Bridgewater and the Queen’s Jubilee Garden at Windsor Castle.

This partnership melds Tom’s renowned creative approach with OPEN’s deep understanding of Edinburgh’s urban fabric, promising a garden that will be both innovative in design and harmonious with its historic surroundings. 

Grant MacKenzie, executive director of the Royal High School Preservation Trust, said: “Edinburgh’s unique blend of urban architecture and dramatic landscape puts it in a league with cities like Athens and San Francisco. Our design aims to highlight this extraordinary setting while creating a tranquil retreat within the bustling city. The West and East gardens, though distinct in character, work in harmony to complement each other and the stunning architecture of the Royal High School building.

“This site is truly exceptional - the views are spectacular, and the landscape is unparalleled. It’s a rare opportunity for a landscape designer to work on such site, and I’m confident that our plans will resonate with Edinburgh’s residents and visitors alike.” Making the most of the outdoor space at the Royal High School building is a key part of our vision and we’re delighted to be unveiling our plans.

“These gardens will be the first new public garden space in Edinburgh city centre for centuries and they will become an area for everyone to enjoy. We want it to be a place for everyone to have access to and enjoy, and where better to take in such unrivalled views of the city than in a calming, tranquil garden environment.”

Work on the garden spaces will begin in 2025.