NT2574 : Princes Street Gardens
taken 15 years ago, near to Edinburgh, Scotland
Along with Waverley Station, the Princes Street Gardens are located in the steep, narrow valley between the medieval Old Town and the 18th century New Town.
This valley was formerly filled by a freshwater loch called the Nor Loch which became badly polluted by sewage and household waste as the Old Town became more crowded during the Middle Ages. During the construction of the New Town, the Nor Loch was drained and the area was converted into private gardens for Princes Street residents until the city purchased them and opened them to the public in 1876 with the name Princes Street Gardens.
A Victorian Gothic monument to Scottish author Sir Walter Scott (author of the Waverley novels). It stands in Princes Street Gardens, opposite Jenners department store on Princes Street, near to Edinburgh Waverley Railway Station. The tower is 200 feet 6 inches high and has a series of viewing decks which give panoramic views of central Edinburgh and its surroundings.
The monument is a Category A listed building (LB27829 Link Historic Environment Scotland).