Princes Street Gardens

It is absolutely beautiful and a lovely place to slow down right in the heart of the city. Even in December, the gardens felt green and full of life, and we were surprised to see pink flowers still blooming on some of the trees. Ross Fountain is definitely the highlight. Standing there with Edinburgh Castle rising in the background is one of those classic Edinburgh views that never gets old. As you walk through the gardens, you will also come across several statues and monuments. They are well placed and worth stopping to read about, adding a nice historical layer to the walk.

I’ve fond memories of these gardens over years of having to change trains at Waverley, to taking a break from the hubbub during the Festival, or enjoying some winter wonderland late in the year. They’re just dropped right in the middle of town, separating Old from New, with splendid views and an art gallery in for good measure. Always a good place to start your first trip to Edinburgh to check your bearings and get some quiet.

This garden has lovely scenery, under the Edinburgh castle. Come here for an escape from the city. It is well maintained and perfect for walks, and picnics. Lots of benches to sit and relax. There is a very good playground for the kids and a beautiful fountain

This is my second visit here, this time at the Christmas market, and the attractions are really cool. There is a large selection of different foods and snacks, and there are also souvenir stands. The only downside is the crowds of people.

I thought this was a lovely park. I don't know if they were open but it also had toilets. It was a bit steep pushing a pushchair up and down but manageable. It has a lovely view of the castle and plenty of benches.

A favourite place every time we are in the city. A lovely park, stunning views up to the castle and the royal mile. Has the national gallery next door and is a right next to the main shopping area. Nice to step into the calm of the park from the chaos of Princes st!! Photos attached are taken from Carlton Hill looking down on Princes street that the gardens run along side

A lovely park in the heart of Edinburgh, perfect for a quiet walk and beautiful views of the Castle. Along the way, you’ll find the statue of Wojtek the bear, a touching piece of history 🐻. A peaceful and charming stop worth visiting. ✨

Princes Street Gardens is such a peaceful spot right in the middle of Edinburgh. It’s the perfect place to take a break from walking around the city, with plenty of benches, greenery, and a stunning view of Edinburgh Castle above. The gardens are beautifully maintained, and it feels like a little oasis despite being in the heart of the city. A lovely place for a stroll, picnic, or just to relax and people-watch.

I LOVED this park. So lush, stunning statues, colorful flowers, great views of Edinburgh Castle, a big beautiful fountain and a lot of walking trails right alongside Princess Street.

Ross Fountain is such a beautiful cast iron structure water fountain located in Princes Street Garden overlooked Edinburgh Castle. It was installed in 1872 and restored in 2018. It can get crowded since everyone wanted to take photos with the fountain, but if you're patient you can get an amazing photo of the fountain with the Edinburgh castle in the background. You can also get food/drink from Pavilion Cafe Bar and sit down to eat while enjoying this gorgeous view.

What a cute little park! Easy walkway with beautiful budding plants (end of March, beginning of spring). You can see the Edinburgh castle and beautiful Gothic buildings all around since the park is on lower ground compared to the rest of the city. The famous picturesque Ross Fountain lives in this park. Highly recommended!

A beautiful, sprawling oasis in the middle of the city. The gardens here are lush and full of life. I was actually kind of dumbfounded when we rounded the corner and went down the stairs to enter. I wasn't expecting it to be so beautiful. In all honesty, we were more here for Wotjek the soldier bear's memorial statue than to visit a park but it was so nice, we found a place to just sit and people watch in the shade. After visiting Wotjek, we went to see Ross Fountain and had a snack in the area with food carts and picnic tables. This park seems like a fun place to hang out for lunch or to meet friends. I'm sure that they do concerts and all that as well, as I saw the staging for it.

First of all the Clock was the must amazing thing of all. Just gorgeous, could have gazed at it all day. I have no idea how they made this but it's fabulous. We also loved the fountain.

What a nice park to walk through. There was plenty of green everywhere and many shady spot to sit at. Many people actually were relaxing or sleeping under trees. There were many pretty flowers to look at and some of the trees had plaques talking about they were donated by someone or has some meaning. There are a few statues to look at as well. This park also had a few places you can stop by to get a drink at eat. They were mainly around this fountain I found, which looked cool. The day was perfect temperature to enjoy walking around and explore or just take a rest. A place I would recommend for a stroll or to even eat (just be careful on the birds people feed them).

Princes Street Gardens are two adjacent public parks in the heart of Edinburgh. These gardens were created in 1820 following the development of New Town and after the draining of the Nor Loch. Surrounded by many of Edinburgh's popular attractions, it's situated in the shadows of Edinburgh Castle and separates the Old Town from the New Town. One of the most notable attractions is the Scott Monument, a Neo-Gothic spire built in 1844 to honour Sir Walter Scott; a Scottish novelist, poet, playwright, and historian. Definitely not to be missed; it's huge and can seen from many different vantage points of the city. On the west end of Princes Street Gardens, you'll find the Ross Fountain, which was refurbished in 2018. There's also food stands and picnic tables to enjoy your food. My son's favorite part about visiting the gardens and Edinburgh in general was probably the playground here. It's the perfect place to have the kiddos run around and enjoy and get a bit of a break from all the sightseeing. It's a great place to relax and take a breather in the midst of this bustling city! I really enjoyed admiring Edinburgh Castle from below. It's beautiful here.

An oasis of tranquility and reflection in the middle of a bustling city. I've been coming here for about 40 years and it never ceases to amaze me how well the Scots take care of their gardens - even in the middle of a busy city. The Princes Street Gardens sit just below busy Princes Street with lots of bus and taxi traffic. Stepping down into this oasis of peace and quiet is a blessing in disguise. There is history here and a beautiful view. There is a monument to the efforts of Polish citizens. There are benches to sit down, relax and reflect on a busy day. There is an easy way out, and there is a meandering walk to the castle (closed because of work on the bridge one has to cross when I was there in May '19). Highly recommended.

Nice place in between old and new towns of Edinburgh is great to come relax, people watch and take in the beautiful scenery and city scape from below. The park is on three tiers with the lush lower and uppper levels. Really like coming to this park and recommend visiting if you're going to vacation here.

A wonderful little escape in the heart of the city. Located between old and new towns at the base of the castle this little park is a great place to escape the tourist of the royal mile and the buses of princeses street. When the sun is out, it is a great place to catch the rays with all the locals. It is also a cultural hub so you will often find festivals and markets pop up in the many corners of the garden.