Ross Fountain

Standing as the centrepiece of Princes Street gardens, the Ross Fountain is one of Edinburgh’s most impressive Victorian treasures. The cast-iron masterpiece was gifted to the city in 1869 by local gun maker Daniel Ross, who fell in love with a similar fountain at London’s Great Exhibition of 1862.

The Ross Fountain’s intricate design features cherubs, mermaids and water nymphs in a triumph of Victorian artistry and engineering. The fountain was shipped from France to the Port of Leith in 122 different pieces before being assembled in the garden and opening in 1872.