THE ARCHITECTURE OF UPPER STRAND SUBTLY ACKNOWLEDGES THE LEGACY OF EDINBURGH'S NEW TOWN AND THIS ELEGANT APPROACH EXTENDS TO THE SURROUNDING PUBLIC SPACES.

SPACIOUS TREE-LINED BOULEVARDS, WIDE WALKWAYS AND CYCLE PATHS LEAD TO SQUARES AND PIAZZAS ALREADY ENHANCED BY SCULPTURE, WATER FEATURES AND EXTENSIVE PLANTING. WITH STUNNING VIEWS OVER THE FIRTH OF FORTH TO THE FIFE COAST AND THE RAIL AND ROAD BRIDGES THIS ECLECTIC MIX OF OLD AND NEW IS COMPLEMENTED BY THE 17TH CENTURY CHARM OF NEIGHBOURING CAROLINE PARK HOUSE.

Tree-lined streets, courtyards, public and private gardens, shady seating spots and play areas protected by clipped hedges all contribute to the green but urban identity of upper strand. The majority of car parking is below ground allowing residents uncluttered enjoyment of the immediate surroundings and long views across the firth.

This urban but gentle theme is echoed in the surrounding landscape of the whole Waterfront Edinburgh development. The masterplan envisages a coastline lifestyle encompassing a mixture of soft and hard edges. A soft edge would be paddling on the beach or enjoying a drink at a waterside café, while a hard edge might simply be a dramatic view. And there will certainly be plenty of those both from upper strand to the estuary and to the city skyline or looking back from the centre or across the forth at the iconic architecture of this state of the art development.

Just as the Old Town of Edinburgh expanded dramatically into the then spectacularly modern 18th century New Town, so two centuries later a new northerly expansion is taking place and Upper Strand is at the forefront offering an opportunity to join in a key moment of the city's history.