Temporary road signs in Edinburgh's city center were recently corrected after displaying humorous misspellings of famous streets.
In a city known for its rich history and meticulous attention to detail, Edinburgh recently found itself at the center of an unexpected controversy. Temporary road signs, erected by Scottish Water for ongoing repairs, displayed glaring misspellings of two of the city’s most iconic streets.
The errors didn’t go unnoticed, sparking a wave of reactions from locals and visitors alike.
Princes Street becomes Princess Street
One of the most notable errors appeared on a sign at the junction connecting Princes Street and North Bridge to Waterloo Place and Leith Street.
The sign mistakenly referred to the recently closed thoroughfare as “Princess Street,” a blunder that left many Edinburgh residents aghast. Adding to the irony, a correctly spelled sign was found lying on the ground near St Andrew Square gathering dirt just meters away from the misspelled signage.
The German connection: Hanover Street becomes Hannover Street
Another sign, placed near St Andrew Square instructed delivery drivers to use “Hannover Street,” the German spelling for the street that connects Queen Street with Princes Street. The use of the German spelling added an international twist to the local controversy. The sign with the correct spelling was found discarded on the ground, raising questions about the quality control process behind the sign-making.
Public reactions and social media buzz
Evening News readers were quick to react to the unfortunate mistakes. David Russell quipped that they need a “spellchecker on [the] sign-making machine.” Others described the error as “unbelievable” and playfully labeled those behind it as “eejits.” The misspellings quickly became a topic of discussion on social media, with many sharing photos of the signs and expressing their amusement and disbelief.
Scottish Water’s response and repair works
Scottish Water acknowledged the errors and requested that any inaccurate signage be corrected as soon as possible. The “Princess Street” error was promptly fixed. The signs were part of ongoing repair works on the water and sewage network beneath Waterloo Place which has been closed to westbound traffic for approximately 11 weeks. The closure is part of a £3 million upgrade to a 130-year-old cast-iron water main.
A Scottish Water spokesperson expressed gratitude to those affected by the closures, stating, “Thank you to all those affected for your patience and understanding while we carry out these vital repairs.” The repair works are expected to continue for the duration of the closure, with cars and buses being diverted accordingly.
