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EdinburghPrinces StreetPrinces Street is the principal shopping area in the New Town of Edinburgh and was originally to be called St. Giles Street. However, King George III objected to that name, as it was a slum area in London. Instead it was named in honour of the King’s three sons. The original intention was for Princes Street to play a subsidiary role – the original plan was for George Street to be the main street. On the northern side of the street is a line of buildings, few of which date to the 18th century. On the southern side are Princes Street Gardens, which replaced the Nor’ Loch, with the idea for the area to remain undeveloped to allow unobstructed views of the castle and the Old Town. To the south of the gardens are the railway lines, which run parallel to Princes Street, heading east into Waverley Station. In 1816 an Act of Parliament was passed to protect the site of the gardens from commercial development, but there are a few buildings on the northern side of the street. The Princes Mall is located at the eastern end of the street, next to Waverley Station. This was originally a vegetable market that was built in 1874-6 and demolished in 1974. It was replaced by the shopping centre, which was originally named the Waverley Market, in 1984. To the east of this is the Balmoral Hotel, which was originally the railway hotel for the station. Heading west the next buildings, apart from the Scott Monument and statues within Princes Street Gardens, are the Royal Scottish Academy and, behind that, the National Gallery of Scotland. These are located at the foot of the Mound with the railway tracks passing through tunnels beneath the latter building. At the western end of Princes Street are the St. John’s and St. Cuthbert’s Churches. |
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