<P> Scotland Yard (officially New Scotland Yard) is a metonym for the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), the territorial police force responsible for policing most of London . </P> <P> The name derives from the location of the original Metropolitan Police headquarters at 4 Whitehall Place, which had a rear entrance on a street called Great Scotland Yard . The Scotland Yard entrance became the public entrance to the police station, and over time the street and the Metropolitan Police became synonymous . The New York Times wrote in 1964 that just as Wall Street gave its name to New York's financial district, Scotland Yard became the name for police activity in London . </P> <P> The force moved from Great Scotland Yard in 1890, to a newly completed building on the Victoria Embankment, and the name "New Scotland Yard" was adopted for the new headquarters . An adjacent building was completed in 1906 . A third building was added in 1940 . In 1967, the MPS moved its headquarters from the three - building complex to a tall, newly constructed building on Broadway in Victoria . In summer 2013, it was announced that the force would move to the Curtis Green Building--which is the third building of New Scotland Yard's previous site (1890--1967)--and that the headquarters would be renamed Scotland Yard . In November 2016, MPS moved to its new headquarters, which continues to bear the name of "New Scotland Yard ." </P>

Where did the name scotland yard come from