Princes Street Gardens

Princes Street Gardens lie in the heart of Edinburgh, between the Old Town and the New Town. The two parks sit in the drained bed of the old Nor Loch, a medieval defence that once held polluted water. Princes Street runs along the north edge, while the gardens stretch south to St John’s and St Cuthbert’s churches. The gardens are split by The Mound, where the National Gallery and Royal Scottish Academy stand. East Gardens cover 3.4 hectares and West Gardens cover 12 hectares. A railway line runs through a cutting beneath the southern edge, linking Haymarket to Waverley Station. The gardens draw more visitors than any other park in Edinburgh. The East Gardens hold the 1844 Scott Monument, a Gothic spire built for Sir Walter Scott. Statues of David Livingstone, Adam Black and Christopher North line the paths. Edinburgh’s Christmas turns the East Gardens into a festive fair with rides and a 33-metre Ferris wheel. West Gardens feature the Ross Bandstand, rebuilt in 1935, which hosts concerts and fireworks. The Ross Fountain, restored in 2018, stands at the western end, donated by gunsmith Daniel Ross. Paths wind past air-raid shelters built in 1939 and enlarged in 1950. A gardeners’ cottage, designed by Robert Morham, sits near the east end of the West Gardens. Statues of Allan Ramsay, Thomas Guthrie and James Young Simpson overlook the lower paths. The Genius of Architecture crowns a group representing art’s theory and practice. The gardens remain a green heart where history, art and seasonal events meet.