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Title
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Princes Street Gardens
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Address
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Princes Street
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Postcode
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EH2 2HG
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Telephone
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0131 529 7921
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Email
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parks@edinburgh.gov.uk
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Opening hours
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The gates will be closed about 1 hour before to safely clear the gardens. Opens at 7am. Closing time changes throughout the year: 1 January to 24 March 6pm (west from 5:00pm, east from 5:15pm). 25 March to 21 April 7pm (west from 6:00pm, east from 6:15pm). 22 April to 26 May 8pm (west from 7:00pm, east from 7:15pm). 27 May to 25 August 10pm (west from 9:00pm, east from 9:15pm). 26 August to 22 September 8pm (west from 7:00pm, east from 7:15pm). 23 September to 27 October 7pm (west from 6:00pm, east from 6:15pm). 28 October to 31 December 6pm (west from 5:00pm, east from 5:15pm).
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Facilities
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The play area is currently being re-developed and will be reopened in Spring 2024, Cafe, Kiosks, Toilets, Seating
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Background
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Princes Street Gardens lies at centre of Edinburgh's World Heritage Site, within New Town and Old Town Outstanding Conservation Areas. It is listed in the Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscape in Scotland and has geological and botanical scientific interest. The Gardens are set in the valley between the old and new towns with Edinburgh Castle on its rock towering above the western end. The park has been awarded a Green Flag since 2011 and its central location make it a popular choice with residents and visitors.The world renowned Floral clock was first planted in 1903 and each year the planting scheme commemorates a special anniversary. The planting schemes are designed by the Technical team in the Parks and Greenspace Service. The colourful displays take 30,000 plants, and a variety of flower and foliage plants are used in the designs. All are of a dwarf nature, suitable for carpet bedding, including annuals such as Lobelia, Pyrethrum and Golden Moss and succulents such as Echeveria and Sedum.
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History and heritage
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There are a diverse and fascinating collection of public monuments and memorials in Princes Street Gardens dating mainly from the 1840s to 1990s. There are three types. The first commemorate influential Scottish men of the 18th and 19th centuries, including the Scott monument and the David Livingstone statue. The second group remember those who have died fighting in wars, including the Royal Scots Regimental Memorial and the Scots American War Memorial, and the third group include miscellaneous sculptures and monuments such as the Ross Fountain. The Ross Fountain is currently being repaired, the newly refurbished fountain will be unveiled in the spring of 2018.
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Geology
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Princes Street Gardens, between the Old and New Towns, is in the very centre of Edinburgh's World Heritage Site. It has a landscape of outstanding refinement and cultural significance, with high geological and some botanical scientific interest. It is one of the New Town Gardens listed in the Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscape in Scotland, assessed as outstanding in terms of aesthetic, historical, architectural and scenic values. The Gardens lie within either the New Town or the Old Town Outstanding Conservation Areas, the boundary between the two areas being the north fence of the railway.
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Visitor information
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Please ensure that dogs are kept on leads at all times while visiting the gardens. Please note that the entrance from Kings Stables Road is currently closed to both pedestrians and vehicles. Alternative access is available through St Cuthberts churchyard.
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Public toilets
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East Princes Street Gardens (The Mound). 24hr access. Disabled only. All toilets for the disabled require a RADAR key for access.West Princes Street Gardens (The Mound). Opening times: 10am-10pm. Gents only. No disabled access.West Princes Street Gardens (Ross Band Stand). Opening times:10am-8pm (Summer only). Disabled access. All toilets for the disabled require a RADAR key for access.West Princes Street Gardens (West End). Opening times: 10am-10pm. Disabled access. All toilets for the disabled require a RADAR key for access.
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Organise an event
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Find out how to organise an event
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Green flag
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Yes
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Management plan
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Management plan
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Location map
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55.95011293327504,-3.1990814208984375
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Monuments
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Monuments in Princes Street Gardens
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Trees
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Trees with a story in Princes Street Gardens
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