Robert Reid

Architect of Second New Town

Robert Reid (1774-1856) designed the beautiful streets of Edinburgh's Second New Town, starting with Heriot Row.

Born in Perth, he was by 1802 Edinburgh's Town Architect. He completed or added to a number of Robert Adam's most distinguished Edinburgh projects like Register House and Charlotte Square. Elsewhere in what is now Edinburgh's World Heritage Site, he was the architect for Parliament Square and the Bank of Scotland's Head Office at the top of the Mound. He used familiar Adam features like palace fronts (as in Heriot Row). His overall style was imposing rather than decorative.

In his later career he became Kings Architect and Surveyor for Scotland and Principal of Works to the Crown of Scotland. He designed important buildings in other parts of Scotland and Ireland.

The inscription on his gravestone in Edinburgh's Dean Cemetery says "Here rest what was mortal of Robert Reid, for XXX111 years Crown Architect for Scotland who by his eminent professional ability no less than by his private virtues received the warm esteem and lasting friendship of a large circle of the most distinguished contemporaries".