Named after the sons of George III, Princes Street, along with George Street and Queen Street, was part of the original New Town development built by James Craig in 1766. 

Princes street essentially divides the Old Town and the New Town, a fact emphasised by the fact that on the Old Town side there are no buildings, giving an uninterrupted view across Princes Street Gardens to the Castle, whereas on the New Town side it is a bustling commercial centre.

 

In fact at almost a mile in length, Princes Street is Edinburgh's principal shopping precinct and the place that all shopaholics should head for. Especially famous is Jenners department store. However, don't expect too much from the architecture of Princes Street for it is a notorious mish-mash of clashing architectural styles, regarded by many to be a hideous monstrosity. 

Nevertheless Princes Street is still a delight to wander down, offering some of the most impressive views of the Castle in the whole of Edinburgh. And apart from the shops, this is also where you can see the enormous Scott Monument, which commemorates Edinburgh born writer Sir Walter Scott.

On the southern side of Princes Street, nestling in the ravine between the Castle and the New Town, you will find the elegant stretch of Princes Street Gardens. 

The gardens were once the site of the Nor' Loch (part of the Castle's defensive moat) but this was drained in the 1750s in order that some gardens could be built. 

In 1816 an Act of Parliament protected the site from commercial development and so to this day the gardens remain an oasis in the heart of the city. 

At the western end of the gardens is the Victorian church of St John's, whilst at the other end is the less picturesque Waverley Station. In between these two, the gardens are lined with statues of famous sons and daughters of the city. And cutting through the gardens, at the station end is the Mound where you will find the National Gallery of Scotland and the Royal Scottish Academy. 

Also situated at the foot of the Mound is the oldest Floral Clock in the world. Dating from 1903 it is made up of over 20,000 flowers and has electrical hands. If you visit the clock, try to arrive in time for the quarter past the hour ritual of a little cuckoo appearing from its home.

The Mound is the name of the road that cuts through Princes Street Gardens, effectively linking the Old Town with the New Town. The name is appropriate enough for the road is indeed built on a mound of earth - the earth that was excavated when the foundations of the New Town was built. Today the Mound is most closely associated with art for it is home to both the Royal Scottish Academy and the National Gallery of Scotland. It is also where you will find the oldest Floral Clock in the world, and of course, it offers excellent views of Princes Street Gardens.