The Balmoral

Why go

At the eastern end of Princes Street, the building shows how railway travel reshaped central Edinburgh. Its Scottish baronial influence gives the skyline a different character from the New Town’s Georgian terraces. The tower is the main feature to notice during a walk around the station and Princes Street.

What to look for

• The clock tower marks the hotel beside Waverley Station.
• The architecture draws on the Scottish baronial style.

The full story

The Balmoral opened in 1902 as the North British Hotel. Its location beside Waverley Station made it a railway hotel, offering accommodation to travellers arriving in Edinburgh or continuing their journeys. The building’s scale and tower give that transport history a conspicuous place at the eastern end of Princes Street. Its architecture combines Victorian grandeur with influences from the Scottish baronial tradition. This makes it a useful contrast to the earlier Georgian buildings of the New Town. The clock tower was intended to be visible at a distance and is traditionally set two minutes fast to help passengers reach their trains in time. The hotel retained the North British name until refurbishment in the late twentieth century, when it became the Balmoral. The name does not place it near Balmoral Castle, which is far to the north. For a city walk, its exterior and railway setting provide the useful historical connection; hotel facilities belong to a separately arranged visit.

Useful to know

• Include the exterior in a walk between Waverley Station and Princes Street.
• Arrange any hotel dining or other guest experience separately from sightseeing.

Your next visit

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