Princes Street was originally to be named St. Giles Street after the patron saint of the City of Edinburgh. However， King George III did not like the idea and objected. It was subsequently named Princes Street after his sons， the Duke of Rothesay （later King George IV） and Frederick， Duke of York.
In the original design of Edinburgh，s New town， Princes Street was planned to be a subsiduary to the main central street-GeorgeStreet. The unobstructedunobstructed adj.不被阻塞的 没有障碍的 畅通无阻的 views across to the Castle and the Old Town were probably the main reason for the failure of this plan and nowadays Princes Street is recognised as one of the most beautiful streets in the world. This fame is almost entirely due to the South side of the street， the North side is unfortunately a rather strange mixture of architectural styles where very few of the original buildings remain， most having been replaced by featurelessfeatureless adj.无特色的， 平凡的 （or downright ugly） department stores.
When the New Town was being constructed Nor，Loch was drained， the area was converted into public gardens called Princes Street Gardens. These gardens contain the Ross Band Stand （an amphitheatre）， the Scott Monument， a war memorial and a floralfloral adj.植物群的， 花似的， 花的， 植物的 clock， among other attractions.
On the street，s North side there are a number of department stores， including the famous Jenners Department Store.
Also on the street，s south side， as well as the gardens， are the Royal Scottish Academy and the National Gallery of Scotland at the foot of The Mound， Waverley station and the Balmoral Hotel.
The New Zealand city of Dunedin is named after Edinburgh， and many of its streets are also named for Edinburgh，s streets. Princes Street is the name of the southern end of Dunedin，s main street （north of the city centre it becomes George Street）.
The South side of Princes Street may have fewer buildings but it is vastly more interesting！ The wide open views to the Old Town owe nothing to the present century by the way， way back in 1816 a parliamentaryparliamentary adj.议会的 statute was obtained to protect against the possibility of any new building threatening the field of view to the South.
The Royal Mile
皇家麦尔大道
在苏格兰语中，由城墙围起来的城市或村庄称为“伯拉”。爱丁堡的原译音为“爱丁伯拉”，这里过去就曾是一个四周为城墙环绕的城市。与此相同，以现在的圣十字架宫为中心的“伯拉”至今仍然完整保留。连接这两个“伯拉”的便是皇家麦尔大道。
从城堡出来，大门正对的一条直直的下坡路便是皇家大道，这条皇家大道从爱丁堡城堡一直延伸到荷里路德宫，两边林立着教堂、苏格兰议会大厅、苏格兰最高法院这些象征着权力和威信的建筑，“皇家一英里”也成了爱丁堡的经典象征。如今，整条路的两边满是出售各式各样的纪念品以及苏格兰羊毛制品的小商店。只要花50便士，店员就能帮你把1便士在专门的机器上压出特色的图案模子，集成一套的话加上一个精美的包装，很有收藏价值。值得一提的还有几家苏格兰威士忌店，这里不但有各种品牌、年份的苏格兰威士忌，还有漂亮的酒壶，豪爽大方的苏格兰店主经常会拿出几瓶好酒请大家品尝。和店主聊得投机的话，买个酒壶，还能免费得到几个小包装的威士忌，这里随处都能感受到苏格兰人民的热情、豪爽。
这里保留了过去街道的原貌，还有众多的名胜，是游客很集中的地方。在皇家麦尔大道上，有很多气氛良好的餐厅或酒吧，还有很多挑选苏格兰土特产礼品的商店。
皇家麦尔大道只是俗称而已，其实它是由四条大街联结而成。
城堡前的一段坡路称为卡斯希尔，再向下便改称劳恩玛卡特路了。从这条路与乔治二世桥路的交叉口开始又称海尔街。此处附近图书馆与书店较多，法院与圣贾尔斯大教堂更是营造出一种庄严的气氛。但继续向东，餐厅与礼品店渐渐多起来，街道也变得嘈杂喧闹。下了坡之后，行人逐渐稀疏，周围多是中世纪的建筑，这便到了卡农凯特路。当道路两侧的房屋逐渐稀少之时，在路的对过便可见到圣十字架宫了。
在皇家麦尔大道上，您可以到气氛良好的餐厅或酒吧坐一坐，也可以挑选苏格兰的土特产礼品。不过，要想逛完所有的景点，可是需要耐心与时间的。
The Royal Mile is the popular name for the succession of streets which form the main thoroughfare of the Old Town of Edinburgh. As the name suggests， it stretches for a mile between the two foci of royal history in Scotland， from Edinburgh Castle at the top of the castle rock down to the Palace of Holyroodhouse. Along the way， the actual name of the street changes from “Castle Hill” to “Lawnmarket” to “High Street” to “Canongate”. The Royal Mile is Edinburgh，s busiest tourist street， rivalledrival n.竞争者， 对手 v.竞争， 对抗， 相匹敌 only by Princes Street in the New Town.
The street runs along a narrow ridge trailing down gently from the crag of castle rock， with steep closes （alleyways） running down between the lands （tenementtenement n.房屋， 住户， 租房子 houses） at each side.
From the Castle Esplanade， the short Castle Hill leads down to the Lawnmarket， which was the linen market， at the top of the High Street.
About a third of the way down the mile from the castle toward the palace is Parliament Square， named for the old Parliament House， which housed Scotland，s assembly between the 1630s and 1707 （when it was dissolved by the Act of Union）； today it is used for law courts. St Giles Cathedral， the High Kirk of Edinburgh， also stands in the square， as well as the Mercat Cross from which royal proclamationsproclamation n.宣布 are read.
Behind St. Giles is the Heart of Midlothian， a heartshaped mosaic built into the pavement. Tolbooth prisoners used to spit as they entered the prison， and this tradition is maintained by some people， who spit on the Heart for good luck as they walk past.
A little further down the Royal Mile， near its midpoint， is an intersection from which a street， called North Bridge， runs above Waverley Station to the New Town， and on the other side as South Bridge spans across the Cowgate， a street many storeysstorey n.［建］ 层 below， and continues past the University of Edinburgh. Down from John Knox，s House the Royal Mile becomes the Canongate， meaning the canon，s gait or monk，s walk， and continues past the sites of the old Tolbooth prison and the new Scottish Parliament Building to the palace， once Holyrood abbey.
During the annual Edinburgh Festival， the street becomes the city，s central focus， and is crowded with tourists， entertainersentertainer n.款待者， 表演娱乐节目的人， 演艺人员 and buskersbusker n.（英） （尤指伦敦街头）卖艺人（歌手或奏乐者）.
The Royal Mile consists of a number of connected streets， starting at Edinburgh Castle and its esplanade， that runs downhill from west to east， starting with Castle Hill， followed by the Camera Obscura.
The Assembly Halls leapt to prominence in 1998 for being the location for another historical event-selected as the temporary home of the new Scottish Devolved Parliament until a permanent building is constructed at the other end of the Royal Mile at Holyrood.