The Mound facts for kids
View up the Mound towards the Bank of Scotland
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 Location in Edinburgh city centre
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| Former name(s) | The Earthen Mound |
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| Length | 380 m (1,250 ft) (including The Mound and North Bank Street) |
| Postal code | EH1 |
| Coordinates | 55°57′0.28″N 3°11′44.13″W / 55.9500778°N 3.1955917°W |
| North (bottom) end | Princes Street |
| South (top) end | Bank Street/Royal Mile |
| Construction | |
| Completion | 1827 |
The Mound is a special road in central Edinburgh, Scotland. It is built on a huge pile of earth. This road connects Edinburgh's newer part, called the New Town, with its historic area, the Old Town.
The Mound was created by dumping over 1.5 million cartloads of earth. This earth came from digging the foundations for buildings in the New Town. It was all dumped into a lake called Nor Loch, which was emptied in 1765. Today, that area is Princes Street Gardens.
History of The Mound
The idea for this "Earthen Mound," as it was first called, came up in 1783. John Grieve, who was the city's leader at the time, suggested it. He wanted to help traders on the Royal Mile connect better with people living on Princes Street.
Building the Mound was officially agreed upon in 1827. Over the years, it was improved a lot. By 1830, it was covered with a smooth, hard surface for roads, and trees were planted. It looked mostly finished by then.
Later, in 1844, people planned ahead for a railway tunnel. The first tunnel was finished in 1846. A second tunnel was added in 1892.
What The Mound Is Like
The Mound is a very busy road, even though it is quite steep. It carries traffic between Princes Street in the New Town and the Royal Mile in the Old Town. The very top part of The Mound is called Bank Street North.
The bottom part of The Mound is close to the Princes Street tram stop. Because it is built up high, The Mound offers amazing views. You can see over Princes Street, the New Town, and even Calton Hill.
In 1959, an "electric blanket" was put under the road surface. This was to stop ice and snow from building up. It does not work anymore, but it was one of the first of its kind.
Famous Buildings on The Mound
Many important buildings and places are located on The Mound. These include:
- The National Gallery of Scotland: This is a famous art museum where you can see many beautiful paintings.
- The Royal Scottish Academy: This place supports Scottish art and artists.
- New College: This is part of the University of Edinburgh. It has tall, impressive spires.
- The General Assembly Hall of the Church of Scotland: This is where important meetings for the Church of Scotland take place.
- The Bank of Scotland Headquarters: This is a grand building with a large dome. It is the main office for the Bank of Scotland.
- Museum on the Mound: This museum is inside the Bank of Scotland building. It teaches you about money and banking.
- Noted buildings on The Mound
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The Scottish National Gallery
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The Bank of Scotland headquarters on The Mound
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New College and the General Assembly
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Royal Scottish Academy
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