Edinburgh Photo Gallery - Princes Street

Princes Street was laid out as part of Edinburgh's New Town plan by James Craig in 1767. The plan had symmetrical and straight streets for residential use with Princes and Queen Streets laid out in a parallel fashion. Named after the sons of King George III, it is now a commercial hub with Georgian and Victorian buildings. There are also parks that overlook the historic centre with monuments and museums. Chances are you will walk down this beautiful street at some point during your visit, although back in the old days, you would stare down at the smelly sewer from the Old Town.

The city's main train station, Waverley, is downhill just a block away. It's a 4.5 hour ride to London. Trains in this country are quite expensive, so I chose to redeem my miles to fly for free instead.

The Balmoral was formerly the North British Station Hotel which opened in 1902. It was the only residential building on the south side of Princes Street at the time, with the clock set 3 minutes ahead on all but 1 day of the year so people won't miss their trains. As a great railway hotel, it hosted many famous folks, includding Elizabeth Taylor and the Queen Mother. Ownership changed hands and following a renovation, it re-opened as the Balmoral in 1991.

The Royal British Hotel is now an IHG property under the Hotel Indigo name.

The Scott Monument is dedicated to Sir Walter Scott, a Scottish literary figure who was initially a lawyer before becoming a writer full-time, creating works that promoted Scotland's image. After his death in 1832, an architectural competition was launched to design a memorial, and construction began in 1840. The Gothic building reaches 61m with a statue of him and his dog Maida in marble at the base.

The north side of the street has plenty of shops and restaurants which include the typical High Street names.