George IV Bridge

George IV Bridge is an elevated street in Edinburgh, Scotland. It links the Old Town on the north to the South Side on the south. The bridge was built between 1827 and 1836 to a design by Thomas Hamilton. It measures about 300 metres long and carries a busy road above the Cowgate and Merchant Street. Two old streets, Old Bank Close and Libberton’s Wynd, were lost when the bridge was constructed. John Dowie’s Tavern, a well-known tavern on Libberton’s Wynd, also disappeared at that time. The bridge is worth visiting because it connects important parts of the city. At its north end, near the Royal Mile, stands Lothian Chambers, now the French Consulate-General. Opposite it once stood a row of listed tenements demolished in the 1960s for a council office, later cleared for a hotel. The National Library of Scotland and Edinburgh Central Library are also on the bridge. The latter was funded by Andrew Carnegie. Visitors find a mix of public buildings and lively places along the street. Bars, restaurants and takeaways sit where the bridge crosses the Cowgate. Wallace College and Augustine United Church are also here. At the southern end is Candlemaker Row, home to the statue of Greyfriars Bobby. Nearby, Chambers Street leads to the National Museum of Scotland. The road continues briefly south before splitting into Bristo Place and Forrest Road, where the Bedlam Theatre stands.