Sights and Scenes in Europe Author:William Stevenson Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III. EDINBURGH. Edinburgh-Scott's Monument -- The Castle -- Regalia of Scotland -- Mons Meg -- Barracks-St. Giles -- Jenny Geddes -- Parliame... more »nt House -- Engine -- John Knox's House -- The Cannongate -- Streets and Closes -- Holyrood Abbey -- Holyrood Palace- Gallery of Portraits -- Audience Chamber -- (Queen's Bedroom -- Supper Room -- The Grassmarket -- Grcyfriars' Churchyard -- The New Town -- Antiquarian Gallery -- Gallon Hill -- The View -- Leith -- New - haven Fishwives -- Scotch Women -- Business Habits. Edinburgh has a population of over 200,000 and is one of the most interesting and picturesque cities in Europe. It is built on two ridges of hills, the castle and old town being on the highest. It has been called the Modern Athens, but whether for scholastic or topographical reasons I do not know ; it is certain, however, that the immense rock on which the castle stands, was admirably fitted by nature for an Acropolis. Formerly a lake or marsh existed between the old and new towns, but it has been drained and laid out in beautiful gardens along the margin of which lies Princes street, the finest modern street in the city. My hotel is on Princes street, and opposite the beautiful monument to Sir Walter Scott, made familiar by prints and engravings to most Americans. This fine monument is erected on a granite platform about thirty feet each way, and is in the form of an open spire, about two hundred feet high. The style is florid gothic, every device which that order will permit of having been used in its ornamentation. But one side of Princes street is built on, and looking from my window across the gardens, the castle, St. Giles' Cathedral and the lofty and antique buildings of the old town rise in picturesque and imposing irregularity. EDINBURGH C...« less