James Craig (architect)

For other persons named James Craig, see James Craig (disambiguation).

James Craig (1744-1795) was a Scottish architect. His brief career was concentrated almost entirely in Edinburgh.

He is mainly remembered for his layout of the first Edinburgh New Town. His winning plan for the competition held in 1766 was for a simple rectilinear arrangement of three parallel main streets (Princes Street, George Street and Queen Street) with a square at each end (St Andrew's Square and Charlotte Square). His plan was presented to King George III in 1767. His other works included the Physicians' Hall in Queen Street, later re-modelled in the Palladian manner by Playfair (for the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh) and Observatory House at the City Observatory on Calton Hill.