Princes Street and the National Galleries

Edinburgh #8

Princes Street and its Gardens slice through the centre of Edinburgh, dividing the city into its Old and New Towns. The valley is at the heart of the city, more or less concealing the railway and Waverley Station, which is tucked into the valley bottom. Across the Gardens, the stronghold of Edinburgh Castle dominates the scene, standing on Castle Rock, the plug of an extinct volcano, which has been occupied by humans since at least the Iron Age. The castle was a royal residence until 1633, and then a military garrison, prison and historic archive, home to the Scottish Crown Jewels.

The National Galleries of Scotland occupy a prominent position and it was here that I spent a whole afternoon, enjoying their exhibitions (and tea, of course, in the gallery restaurant). 

Sadly it was too chilly and drizzly to sit outside, but I could still enjoy the view of the Victorian Gothic Scott Monument, that huge memorial to the Scottish novelist Sir Walter Scott, said to be the second largest monument to a writer anywhere in the world. Beyond it is the Balmoral Hotel, originally a Victorian railway hotel in Scottish Baronial style. The hotel's clock on the tower is said to be set three minutes fast, to assist travellers in catching their train! The Balmoral is now a five star hotel and it was here that JK Rowling finished her last Harry Potter book. She apparently left a signed statement written on a marble bust of Hermes in her room: 'JK Rowling finished writing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in this room (552) on 11th Jan 2007.' The room has since been renamed the 'JK Rowling Suite', and the bust has been placed in a glass display case to protect it. (She'll be wanting a monument next!) 

The National Galleries contain works by Scottish artists but also many famous paintings and sculptures by other renowned artists. 'The Three Graces' by Antonio Canova is jointly owned by the V&A and the Scottish National Gallery and they take turns to exhibit it. It's obviously Scotland's turn currently.