Princes Street
Princes Street is the main shopping area in Edinburgh. Stretching 1.6KM from Lothian Road to Leith Street, it is awash with High Street Department stores to meet every taste in fashion.
Originally to be called after St Giles, but following objection from King George III, who knew St Giles only as a slum-area in London, it was named in honour of the three Royal Princess born by the time of James Craig’s plan for the New Town (1766), During the construction of the New Town, the polluted waters of the Nor Loch were drained, and the area was converted into public gardens called Princes Street Gardens we see today.
This green space on the south side of Princes Street is divided in two by the street known as the Mound. The two parts, East Princes Street Gardens and West Princes Street Gardens have a unique character and both have lots of things to see.
The railway runs secluded behind a row of trees in the Gardens. Introduced through Princes Street Gardens in 1846, it's impressive in the way it was made so that it never disturbs the peace of the Gardens. If it weren't for the sound of the train engines, you would never know a railway passes through.

Ross Band Stand
During the summer, the Ross Band stage in Princes Street Gardens is used as a venue for different shows and concerts. Most events are part of the Edinburgh Festival and Hogmanay -- New Year's celebrations. You might even get a free sample of whisky to warm up on chilly summer nights.

Ross Fountain
This lovely fountain in West Princes Street gardens is particularly interesting when used as a foreground for taking pictures of Edinburgh Castle.