The road from the castle to the royal palace of Holyroodhouse is known as 'The Royal Mile'. It is a very old thoroughfare running through the oldest part of the city where there are many famous historic houses and narrow lanes called 'closes'. The newer part of the city lies north of the famous Princes Street, which is the widest and most impressive of the many wide streets, elegant squares and imposing terraces that are to be found in Edinburgh.
The trains bringing visitors to Edinburgh run right into the heart of the city. Climbing up the steps from Waverley Station, the visitor is greeted by a blaze of colour in Princes Street Gardens and a splendid view down the mile-long length of Princes Street itself. The grey stone buildings that line one side of Princes Street have been described as 'a series of palaces'; they are, in fact, department stores and shops. In some shops you can see beautiful displays of Scottish tartans and woollens, and tempting arrangements of shortbread, Edinburgh rock and, of course, Scotch whisky. About half way along Princes Street is the tallest spire in the city—a monumental memorial to Sir Walter Scott—and a little farther on is the Floral Clock. This unique clock, made entirely of growing flowers, is always in full bloom during the Edinburgh Festival.