Edinburgh’s historic center is bisected by Princes Street Gardens, a broad swathe of parkland in the heart of the city. Southwards of the gardens is the castle, perched on top of an extinct volcanic crag, and flanked by the medieval streets of the Old Town following the Royal Mile along the ridge to the east. To the north of Princes Street Gardens lies Princes Street itself – Edinburgh’s main shopping boulevard – and the Georgian period New Town, built after 1766 on a regular grid plan.
The Stone of Destiny legend suggests that the real stone was secretly swapped for a fake at some point in its history.
