Edinburgh Map Poster: Castle Rock, Arthur's Seat and a city of two halves
Why Edinburgh works so well as a map poster
Edinburgh's map is defined by geology. Castle Rock and Arthur's Seat, two ancient volcanic formations, anchor the city; the Old Town's Royal Mile runs along a narrow ridge between them, and the New Town sits on a separate plateau to the north, separated by Princes Street Gardens where the Nor Loch once was.
This city of two halves gives the map extraordinary texture: a tangle of closes, wynds and medieval alleys on one side, a masterpiece of Georgian planning on the other, with parallel streets, crescents, squares and circles laid out with mathematical precision.
Best palettes for Edinburgh
- Forest — Arthur's Seat, Holyrood Park, Calton Hill, the Meadows, the Botanics: one of Europe's greenest cities, unmistakably.
- Monochrome Blue — moody blue for fog, rain, slate rooftops and the Firth of Forth to the north.
- Noir — dramatic, gothic and dark, the Edinburgh of detective novels and ghost tours; Castle Rock glows against the black.
Where to centre the map and which radius to use
Centre on the Castle with a 3 km radius: the Royal Mile, the New Town, Calton Hill, Arthur's Seat and the edge of Leith, the city's whole personality in one tight frame.
Ready-made Edinburgh posters
We have already rendered 5 Edinburgh designs at 300 DPI (Noir, Blueprint, Japanese Ink, Midnight Blue, Warm Beige). Download the files for 9.99 € and print them anywhere, or order a premium matte print (A4 to 60×90 cm) with shipping included.
See all Edinburgh designs Order it printed
- Edinburgh map poster in the Blueprint palette
- Edinburgh map poster in the Japanese Ink palette
- Edinburgh map poster in the Midnight Blue palette
- Edinburgh map poster in the Warm Beige palette
Design your own Edinburgh poster
Pick any of the 17 palettes, set the exact centre and radius described above, choose the size and the label text (Edinburgh, or a neighbourhood name), and we render it for you from live map data after checkout. From 14 €, usually ready in 5–15 minutes.
Which size to print
City maps with lots of fine streets reward size: 30×40 cm is the sweet spot for a desk or hallway, 50×70 cm and 60×90 cm turn the map into a statement piece where individual streets remain legible from across the room. Stick to matte paper so the dark palettes do not reflect. Read the printing and framing guide.