National Gallery of Scotland restitch1 2005-08-07

The Mound is an artificial slope in central

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

, Scotland, which connects Edinburgh's

New New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...

and Old Towns. It was formed by dumping around 1,501,000 cartloads of earth excavated from the foundations of the New Town into

Nor Loch The Nor Loch, also known as the Nor' Loch and the North Loch, was a man-made loch formerly in Edinburgh, Scotland, in the area now occupied by Princes Street Gardens and Waverley station which lie between the Royal Mile and Princes Street. G ...

which was drained in 1765 and forms today's

Princes Street Gardens Princes Street Gardens are two adjacent public parks in the centre of Edinburgh, Scotland, lying in the shadow of Edinburgh Castle. The Gardens were created in the 1820s following the long draining of the Nor Loch and building of the New Town, ...

History

The construction of the Earthen Mound, as it was originally called, was first proposed in 1783 by residents of the

Lawnmarket The Royal Mile () is a succession of streets forming the main thoroughfare of the Old Town of the city of Edinburgh in Scotland. The term was first used descriptively in W. M. Gilbert's ''Edinburgh in the Nineteenth Century'' (1901), des ...

to improve connection to

Princes Street Princes Street ( gd, Sràid nam Prionnsan) is one of the major thoroughfares in central Edinburgh, Scotland and the main shopping street in the capital. It is the southernmost street of Edinburgh's New Town, stretching around 1.2 km (three ...

(which was then built only from St Andrew Square to Hanover Street) in correct anticipation of the need for such a new route. It was extended over the years until by 1830 it was macadamised and landscaped so that it appeared more or less complete. When the

Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway The Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway was authorised by Act of Parliament on 4 July 1838. It was opened to passenger traffic on 21 February 1842, between its Glasgow Queen Street railway station (sometimes referred to at first as Dundas Street) and ...

was extended to

Waverley station Edinburgh Waverley railway station (also known simply as Waverley; gd, Waverley Dhùn Èideann) is the principal railway station serving Edinburgh, Scotland. It is the second busiest station in Scotland, after Glasgow Central. It is the north ...

in 1846, tunnels were driven through the Mound to allow access east to west. Bank of Scotland HQ

Some of Edinburgh's most notable buildings and institutions have their premises on the Mound, including the

National Gallery of Scotland The Scottish National Gallery (formerly the National Gallery of Scotland) is the national art gallery of Scotland. It is located on The Mound in central Edinburgh, close to Princes Street. The building was designed in a neoclassical style by Wi ...

, the

Royal Scottish Academy The Royal Scottish Academy (RSA) is the country’s national academy of art. It promotes contemporary Scottish art. The Academy was founded in 1826 by eleven artists meeting in Edinburgh. Originally named the Scottish Academy, it became the ...

, the spires of the University of Edinburgh's New College, the

General Assembly Hall of the Church of Scotland The Assembly Hall is located between Royal Mile#Castle Esplanade and Castlehill, Castlehill and Mound Place in Edinburgh, Scotland. It is the meeting place of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. History Following the Disruption of ...

, the elegant domed Headquarters of the commercially owned

Bank of Scotland The Bank of Scotland plc (Scottish Gaelic: ''Banca na h-Alba'') is a commercial and clearing bank based in Scotland and is part of the Lloyds Banking Group, following the Bank of Scotland's implosion in 2008. The bank was established by th ...

, and its museum,

Museum on the Mound The Museum on the Mound is a museum in Edinburgh, Scotland, that focuses on money, coinage and economics. It is located in the Bank of Scotland Head Office building (latterly part of HBOS and now part of Lloyds Banking Group) on The Mound. It ha ...

. The Mound is a busy, if fairly steep, thoroughfare taking traffic to and from

in the New Town to the

Royal Mile The Royal Mile () is a succession of streets forming the main thoroughfare of the Old Town of the city of Edinburgh in Scotland. The term was first used descriptively in W. M. Gilbert's ''Edinburgh in the Nineteenth Century'' (1901), des ...

in the Old Town. The lower end, or 'Foot' of the Mound is a few metres' walk from the

Princes Street tram stop Edinburgh Trams is a tramway in Edinburgh, Scotland, operated by Edinburgh Trams Ltd. It is a line between St Andrew Square in the New Town, Edinburgh, New Town and Edinburgh Airport, with 15 tram stops, stops. Construction began in June 20 ...

. Due to its raised elevation, the Mound commands expansive views over Princes Street and the New Town of Edinburgh and towards

Calton Hill Calton Hill () is a hill in central Edinburgh, Scotland, situated beyond the east end of Princes Street and included in the city's UNESCO World Heritage Site. Views of, and from, the hill are often used in photographs and paintings of the ci ...

. An 'electric blanket' was installed under the surface of the roadway of the mound to keep this clear of ice and snow in 1959. It is no longer operational but was one of the first of its type.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mound Hills of Edinburgh Streets in Edinburgh Royal Mile 1781 establishments in Great Britain

History

See also

References