Princes Mall was once home to independent retailers but now houses high street chain stores, as well as a large food court.

Designed in the early 1980s, it was built underground so that its roof, a landscaped plaza, was at street level to preserve the view from Princes Street across to Edinburgh Castle and the Old Town. It opened as Waverley Market in November 1984, taking its name from the flower and fresh food market that once occupied the site. An official opening by Queen Elizabeth II took place on 25 July 1985.

Coinciding with a major refurbishment in the early 1990s, it changed its name to Waverley Shopping Centre. In 2004 it was renamed Princes Mall by the new owners who revised the layout and made the most of the original natural light atrium areas. It was then rebranded as Waverley Mall In March 2016 following significant renovation.

This photo is special to me because I hadn’t planned to take it; I happened to be passing at the right time with my camera, and those long shadows radiating out from the spike-like finials caught my eye.