Moray Feu
Moray Feu is one of the narrated stops on the self-guided Edinburgh audio walking tour in Gingerguide. Plan about ~30 min here. Press play at the spot for its two to three minute story, or ask the AI guide anything about it.
- Type historic
- Suggested visit ~30 min
- Edinburgh Edinburgh guide
About Moray Feu
One of Edinburgh's most architecturally distinguished estates, a trio of Regency streets including the twelve-sided Moray Place, built in the 1820s under strict feudal conditions that have preserved it almost perfectly.
The Moray Feu is one of the grandest private property developments in Edinburgh's New Town, occupying the western edge of the First New Town extension. Developed from 1822 on land belonging to Francis, 10th Earl of Moray, and designed by architect James Gillespie Graham, it comprises three interconnected streets: Moray Place, a majestic twelve-sided polygon; Ainslie Place, an octagonal arrangement of townhouses; and Randolph Crescent, an elegant curved terrace. The development was built under extraordinarily detailed "feu conditions", the feudal leasehold terms that governed everything from building heights and facade materials to garden maintenance, and which originally prohibited any commercial use of the buildings, a restriction that changed only during the war. It is these conditions, binding on all owners, that explain why the Moray Feu survives today in a state of near-perfect Regency preservation.
Did you know? Moray Place is a perfect twelve-sided polygon (dodecagon) of townhouses arranged around a private garden, one of the most geometrically unusual street plans in Britain.
How long should you spend at Moray Feu?
Plan about ~30 min at Moray Feu. That is enough to take it in and hear its narrated story; stay longer if it grabs you. The tour is self-guided, so there is no rush.
Is Moray Feu worth visiting?
Moray Feu is one of the 26 sights the Gingerguide team researched and narrated in Edinburgh, so it earns a place on a self-guided walk. Its story explains why it matters, and you can ask the AI guide anything the story leaves open.
Nearby stops in Edinburgh
Hear the story of Moray Feu
Preview the Edinburgh tour free in the Gingerguide app.