This street is about as quintessentially Scottish as it gets, and one of the most picturesque in the city. It was laid out in 1856 to connect the city center to Edinburgh’s railway station, which until then could only be reached by steep, narrow lanes. It’s named after one of the city’s most respected 19th-century figures, Henry Lord Cockburn, who, during the height of the Victorian era, played a key role in preserving Edinburgh’s heritage and preventing the demolition of many historic buildings that were under threat from new developments. His head is even carved into the stone at No. 1, a clear sign of the esteem in which he was held. Today, this lively street is one of the city’s most charming, lined with colorful little shops of all kinds that give it its unique character.