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Parks: Princes Street Gardens

By Capital Collections

By Capital Collections

By Capital Collections

By Capital Collections

By Capital Collections

By City of Edinburgh Council

The first Floral Clock 1903

By City of Edinburgh Council

Floral Clock 2012

By City of Edinburgh Council

Floral Clock 1928

By City of Edinburgh Council

Floral Clock 2007

By City of Edinburgh Council

Princes Street Gardens by Hazel Hall

By City of Edinburgh Council

Princes Street Gardens by D Henniker

By City of Edinburgh Council

Princes Street Gardens, 1880

By Capital Collections

West Princes Street Gardens, 1895

By Capital Collections

West Princes Street Gardens, 1895

By Capital Collections

The Scott Monument and Edinburgh Wheel, 2008

By Capital Collections

Winter Wonderland Festival, 2008

By Capital Collections

Winter Wonderland, 2006

By Capital Collections

Ross Fountain, 2008

By Capital Collections

By City of Edinburgh Council

By City of Edinburgh Council

The Scott Monument in Princes Street Gardens

By Contributor Debbie Adams

By City of Edinburgh Council

By City of Edinburgh Council

Princes Street Gardens by D Adams.

By City of Edinburgh Council

By City of Edinburgh Council

By City of Edinburgh Council

By City of Edinburgh Council

By City of Edinburgh Council

By City of Edinburgh Council

By City of Edinburgh Council

Lunchtime in Princes Street Gardens.

By Contributor Paul

Background
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.
History and heritage
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.
Wildlife
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.
Geology
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.
Public Toilets
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.
Visitor information
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.
Management Plan

Management plan

Facilities
Play area with ramp access, Cafe, Kiosks, Toilets, Seating
Opening hours
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 26 March 6pm (west from 5:15pm, east from 5:35pm). 27 March to 25 April 7pm (west from 6:15pm, east from 6:35pm). 26 April to 30 May 8pm (west from 7:15pm, east from 7:35pm). 31 May to 29 August 10pm (west from 9:15pm, east from 9:35pm). 30 August to 26 September 8pm (west from 7:15pm, east from 7:35pm). 27 September to 31 October 7pm (west from 6:15pm, east from 6:35pm). 1 November to 31 December 6pm (west from 5:15pm, east from 5:35pm).
Contact Details
Princes Street
EH2 2HG
0131 529 7921
parks@edinburgh.gov.uk