Princes Street: The Hub of Edinburgh
Visitors to Edinburgh could easily spend an entire weekend break exploring the attractions in the vicinity of historic Princes Street and they still wouldn't get to see them all. In addition to everything the street itself has to offer, most of the city's tourist attractions are also within easy reach of Edinburgh's busiest street.
Running from west to east through the heart of the city, Princes Street sits in the shadow of Edinburgh Castle. The southern side of the street is adjacent to Edinburgh Railway Station and provides access to the Royal Scottish Academy and the National Gallery of Scotland. It also features a series of monuments, the Princes Mall shopping centre and tranquil park grounds ' all within a stone's throw of the busy city centre.
On the northern side of Princes Street many of the Scottish capital's major retail outlets can be found intermingled with a series of bars, restaurants and cafes. Here shoppers can find many of the brands and outlets available in most of the UK high streets, but in addition there are uniquely Scottish shops such as quality kiltmakers and purveyors of single malt whisky.
The Edinburgh Tourist Information centre is also to be found at number three Princes Street and those who wish to see Edinburgh by bus only need to take a short walk to Waverly Bridge, found just off Princes Street, where the majority of the city's operators start and finish their tours.
Many of the more expensive hotels in Edinburgh can be found on or within half a mile of Princes Street, as it is so close to many of the city's tourist and business attractions. Indeed, visitors to Edinburgh may wish to pay an inner city premium for a hotel on or close to Princes Street, given the number of attractions within easy walking distance or only a short taxi ride away.
Just a short walk from Princes Street is Edinburgh International Conference Centre as well as the Usher Hall and Royal Lyceum Theatre. Beautiful Holyrood Park and its palace, adjacent to the new Scottish Parliament Building are also within half a mile of the eastern end of Princes Street.
Finally, the impressive Edinburgh Castle towers over Princes Street making it easily accessible via a short walk up the hill, and the cobbled streets of the Royal Mile are easily reached on foot on the opposite side of Edinburgh Railway Station.
Whether you are interested in retail therapy, history, culture, or merely cafe culture, you'll find it all within the vicinity of Edinburgh's Princes Street; the hub of Edinburgh.
