Edinburgh Airport control tower.Edinburgh Airport control tower.
Edinburgh Airport control tower.

These 10 buildings are the tallest in Edinburgh - and the majority were built in the 19th century

At the time of their construction, the multi-storied medieval tenements of Edinburgh’s Old Town are said to have been among the tallest residential dwellings in the world.

However, Scotland’s capital is no longer a contender when it comes to tall buildings and it certainly cannot be compared with the likes of New York City, Shanghai or Dubai.

A desire to preserve the historic character of the town has necessitated the implementation of heavy restrictions concerning the height of new buildings and there no real skyscrapers in modern Edinburgh.

As we will see, the list of Edinburgh’s tallest buildings mostly comprises places of worship and post-war high rise accommodation, and, interestingly, the vast majority (7 out of 10) of these structures date from the 19th century.

Please note: buildings currently under construction in Edinburgh have not been included in this list.

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