Overview
Victoria Street is one of Edinburgh's most photographed locations for good reason: a short, steeply curving street of two-storey Georgian shopfronts, each painted in different deep, saturated colours, terracotta, teal, forest green, cobalt, with a raised pedestrian terrace running along one side. It feels like a street from a storybook, which is perhaps why it's frequently cited as a possible inspiration for Diagon Alley from Harry Potter (a claim Edinburgh doesn't deny and doesn't exactly confirm).
It was built in the 1820s as part of an improvement scheme to connect the Grassmarket to the Royal Mile, cutting through the medieval Old Town. The upper walkway along George IV Bridge offers a view down onto the curved roofline that's the one to photograph.
The Independent Shops
Victoria Street has managed to retain a remarkable concentration of independent shops for a street this prominent. There's a dedicated toy shop (Aha Ha Ha), a games specialist, a quirky gift shop or two, and, most usefully, Mr Wood's Fossils, a shop that does exactly what the name suggests and has been here for years. The street level itself, with its painted archways and window boxes, is the main event.
For Content and Photography
The light in early morning or late afternoon works particularly well, the south-facing shopfronts catch low light directly and the jewel tones photograph with unusual depth. In summer the window boxes are in bloom. In winter the Christmas lights here are among the best in Edinburgh. The upper terrace on George IV Bridge is the camera position you want: shoot downward into the curve of the street.
Practical Notes
- The street is open at all times and free to walk.
- George IV Bridge is the entry point from the Royal Mile end; Grassmarket is at the bottom.
- 5–10 minutes' walk from Waverley station through the Old Town.
- Busy with tourists in summer; quieter early morning and on winter weekdays.
- The Grassmarket area at the bottom has excellent coffee shops (Söderberg Bakery) and bars.