Auld Reekie is envied for the breathtaking architecture of both the historic Old Town and the classical Georgian New Town –both designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
All that said, plenty of incredible buildings have been bulldozed – and as they say, when they’re gone they’re gone.
Scroll through our picture gallery to see 17 Edinburgh buildings we wish were still standing today.
9. St James Square
Dating from the Georgian era, St James Square vanished in stages after 1965. The St James shopping centre was constructed on the site in the early 1970s. Photo: Unknown
10. Rockville, 3 Napier Road
Despite significant opposition, the stunning, pagoda-like Rockville, designed by Sir James Gowans, was demolished to make way for new flats in 1966. Photo: Unknown
11. Parkers store, Bristo Street
Many of the buildings around Bristo Street in the Southside, including the striking, mock-Tudor Parkers department store, would disappear in an expansion of Edinburgh University in the late 1960s and early 70s. Photo: Alan Ledgerwood
12. Palace Cinema, Princes Street
The stunning Palace Cinema (pictured left) on Princes Street was popular among film-goers for several decades, but bit the dust in 1955 for an extension to the adjacent Woolworths building. Photo: Unknown