The History of Circus Lane: How a Stable Row Became One of Edinburgh’s Most Photographed Streets

Circus Lane today: once lined with stables, now one of Edinburgh’s most photographed streets — with St. Stephen’s Church rising behind its flower-draped cottages.

Today, Circus Lane is a postcard-perfect dream — a cobbled lane draped in roses and ivy, where every doorway seems made for a fairytale. But behind the beauty lies a surprising secret: Circus Lane was never meant to be pretty. It was built for horses, not humans.

In the 1820s, Edinburgh’s New Town was booming. Grand crescents like Royal Circus were being designed to house the city's elite: wealthy doctors, lawyers, merchants, and retired military officers. Their stately homes soared across three to five floors, with sweeping staircases, ornate drawing rooms, and polished stone façades — true showcases of wealth and taste.

But appearances were everything. Behind those elegant houses, the dirty business of daily life — horses, carriages, coal deliveries — needed to happen out of sight. That’s where Circus Lane came in.

Originally, Circus Lane was a working street — lined with stables, coach houses and servants' quarters. Grooms and stable boys lived above the horses they cared for, waking at dawn to feed, brush and ready the animals for their owners' grand outings into the city. The houses here were small, plain and practical, a world away from the opulence of Royal Circus.

Many of the luxurious Royal Circus townhouses have private gardens that stretch back toward Circus Lane — complete with hidden gates. This allowed carriages and deliveries to slip through the back without disturbing the polished front entrances. It was a perfectly designed system to keep high society looking effortlessly refined.

Imagine the clatter of hooves on cobbles, the shouts of stable hands, the smell of hay and leather in the crisp Edinburgh air. Circus Lane was a place of movement and muscle — not Instagram moments.

Yet over time, everything changed.

As horses gave way to cars and city life modernised, the humble stables and mews houses were gradually converted into charming homes and studios. Stone walls once splashed with mud and soot became canvases for climbing roses and hanging baskets. Today, Circus Lane has transformed into one of Edinburgh’s most photographed streets, drawing visitors from around the world.

It’s hard to believe that what’s now a tranquil, flower-strewn lane was once the engine room of aristocratic life.

Next time you stroll through Circus Lane, listen carefully: beneath the peace and beauty, you might just hear the ghostly echoes of hooves and the laughter of stable boys from Edinburgh’s hidden past.

Quick Facts: Who Lived Here?

Royal Circus	Circus Lane
Wealthy doctors, lawyers, merchants	Stable boys, grooms, coachmen
3–5 storey grand Georgian townhouses	1–2 storey working stables and mews houses
Elegant front doors and private gardens	Coach entrances and servant quarters

Explore more stories like this on the Edinburgh History Walks Map, or browse all blog posts on the homepage to uncover the hidden past beneath your feet.