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Natural Monuments

Princes Street Gardens

Natural Monuments

Princes Street Gardens

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Princes Street Gardens

Recommended by 24 hikers out of 26

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Location: New Town/Broughton, Edinburgh, Lothian, Scotland, United Kingdom

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Best Hikes to Princes Street Gardens

4.7

(92)

885

hikers

1. Victoria Street, Edinburgh – Scott Monument loop from Brunswick

11.8km

03:14

180m

Moderate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Moderate

4.7

(93)

839

hikers

2. Victoria Street, Edinburgh – Royal Mile loop from Haymarket

14.9km

03:59

160m

Moderate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Moderate

4.6

(44)

219

hikers

3. Scott Monument – Water of Leith Walkway loop from Edinburgh Waverley

15.5km

04:05

130m

Moderate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Moderate

Tips

Jaro🇵🇱⛷️🛶🚴🏃‍♂️

December 5, 2024

Princes Street Gardens is one of the most important city parks located in the heart of Edinburgh. It separates the Old Town from the New Town.

The gardens cover over 37 acres (150,000 m2) and are divided into two parts by The Mound, a man-made hill that connects the New Town and Old Town of Edinburgh and is home to the Scottish National Gallery.

introducingedinburgh.com/princes-street-gardens

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Jaro🇵🇱⛷️🛶🚴🏃‍♂️

December 5, 2024

Princes Street Gardens was created by draining Edinburgh’s largest lake, the Nor Loch.
The Nor Loch was originally a marshland on the north side of Edinburgh, initially used as a natural medieval defence alongside Edinburgh Castle. With the north and west sides of the city protected, Edinburgh only needed fortifications to the east and south of the city.

From the Middle Ages until the 19th century, it is believed that the Nor Loch was a place where ‘witch ducking’ would take place (a way of discovering whether a suspect was guilty of witchcraft), an ideal place to dispose of dead bodies, where waste water was dumped, and some historians believe that many citizens even walked to the loch for fresh water despite this.
Princes Street Gardens was first designed in 1770, but was inaugurated in 1820 when the loch was completely drained.

introducingedinburgh.com/princes-street-gardens

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Jaro🇵🇱⛷️🛶🚴🏃‍♂️

December 5, 2024

The gardens are beautiful all year round. This is where many locals gather, especially at the Ross Fountain, the park’s most important landmark. This cast iron structure was installed in 1872 after the Great Exhibition of 1862 in London.

Each year at Christmas, part of the gardens is transformed into a ‘Winter Wonderland’ with a Christmas market, an ice rink and many other fun attractions, including a 108-foot (33 m) high Ferris wheel, often called The Edinburgh Eye.

introducingedinburgh.com/princes-street-gardens

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Elevation 60 m

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Friday 19 December

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See hikes here

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Location: New Town/Broughton, Edinburgh, Lothian, Scotland, United Kingdom

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Princes Street Gardens

1. Victoria Street, Edinburgh – Scott Monument loop from Brunswick

2. Victoria Street, Edinburgh – Royal Mile loop from Haymarket

3. Scott Monument – Water of Leith Walkway loop from Edinburgh Waverley

Other Popular Places to Check Out

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