Princes Street
Princes Street is one of the major thoroughfares in central Edinburgh, Scotland, and its main shopping street. It is the southernmost street of Edinburgh's New Town, stretching around 1 mile (1.6 km) from Lothian Road in the west to Leith Street in the east. The street is mostly closed to private cars, with public transport given priority. The street has virtually no buildings on the south side, allowing views of the Old Town, Edinburgh Castle, and the valley between.
During 2009 parts of the street were closed to all traffic as part of the Edinburgh Trams construction works.
Princes Street was originally to be named St. Giles Street after the patron saint of the City of Edinburgh. However, King George III knew of a slum neighbourhood called St. Giles in London and objected. It was subsequently named Princes Street after his sons, the Duke of Rothesay (later King George IV) and Frederick, Duke of York.
During the construction of the New Town, the polluted waters of the Nor Loch were drained, and the area was converted into public gardens called Princes Street Gardens. The gardens are one of the many green spaces in the heart of Edinburgh.
The wider George Street (parallel to Princes Street) was originally intended to be the main commercial street and major thoroughfare, but its neighbour to the south overtook it due to its breathtaking views over the Gardens and to the Old Town.
St Giles cathedral

A prominent feature of the Edinburgh skyline, St. Giles' Cathedral or the High Kirk of Edinburgh is a Church of Scotland place of worship decorating the midpoint of the Royal Mile with its distinctive traditional Scottish crown steeple. The church has been one of Edinburgh's religious focal points for approximately 900 years. Today it is sometimes regarded as the mother church of Presbyterianism.[1]
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The 1992 Rieger organ of St. Giles'
St. Giles was only a cathedral in its formal sense (ie. the seat of a bishop) for two periods