Just five shops open on Princes Street amid coronavirus lockdown

The street has fallen eerily silent.

Just five shops from the scores usually teeming with customers on Princes Street appeared to be open to the public on Thursday morning.

At the West end of the famous thoroughfare Tesco Express next to the Royal Bank of Scotland was doing a steady business with shoppers nipping in for essentials.

Further along, one of the newest and most controversial additions to the area, Poundland was also open, with a window display full of toilet roll. They were also advertising in their window for hiring staff.

Princes Street has fallen silent.

At 101-103 , the largest Boots in the Capital was partially open, but only for prescriptions, and with doors manned by a security guard.

Just further along the road Superdrug was also preparing to welcome customers, as long as they maintained a suitable distance.

That bastion of Princes Street shopping, the Marks and Spencer food hall, home of the prawn mayo sandwich, was the last of the five shops that appeared to be open this morning, with the entrance manned by staff members.

A bus stop standing empty.

With restrictions on opening curtailing the sale of all but the most essential of items, flagship shops like Debenham's and Jenner's were, like all the rest of the outlets, firmly shut.

Many frontages displayed messages of hope to customers, and some were at pains to point out tills had been emptied.

The famous old street itself was, while understandably remarkably quiet, not completely dead. There was a steady stream of Lothian Buses, cleaning vehicles, and trams.

The street is normally teeming with life.

The hotels at either end of the street, The Balmoral and the Caley, were closed, with the Balmoral already partially boarded up.

As for the people themselves, there were a good number of shop workers and city centre residents to be seen, and some of the less fortunate begging in doorways.

If we have missed any shops from the list please contact [email protected].