Victoria Street

The tourists who are visiting Edinburgh for the official Festival must be disappointed to find the noise and commotion of many huge lorries and cranes around the main tourist venues. The extensive views from the Castle Esplanade are obliterated by the dismantling of the stands by a huge crane now that the Tattoo is over and beside the University more cranes, lorries and remains of temporary structures indicate the places where hundreds of thousands of people enjoyed the Fringe events. Now only a few street buskers remain in the High Street yet the pavements are still full of tourists who possibly have missed the buzz and excitement that has been there over the past few weeks. For most the festival is over, yet officially the Edinburgh Festival is not over till next Sunday. What a pity that the original “highbrow” Festival continues after the huge and very popular Fringe, Book and Jazz Festivals have finished.

Not many of the tourists who wander along the Royal Mile just behind these buildings are aware of the attractions of Victoria Street with its places to eat and little specialist shops. The street was built in the early 19th century as an access route to the Royal Mile and the Old Town from the west of Edinburgh and so eliminating the extremely steep main road from the west and Grassmarket below to the Lawnmarket at the top of the High Street and the castle. It is one of Edinburgh’s most colourful streets in a city where grey stone is prevalent.