The Heart Edinburgh's Old Town: The Royal Mile

The stretch is full of politically and architecturally significant landmarks that are also major tourist attractions that suits the taste of all travelers with stories ranging from history to the supernatural. It’s also a fantastic place to shop for antique jewelry, souvenirs and a collection of the region’s finest spirits. The royal mile Edinburgh also has plenty of dining options with a number of fine dining establishments offering specialist foods and Scottish fare.

These attractions are among the most popular on the royal mile:

The Edinburgh Castle is one of Scotland’s most iconic landmarks with over 1.7 million visitors every year. The castle sitting on top of an extinct volcano has loomed over the royal mile for centuries and offers amazing panoramic views to a great distance on all sides. Having faced hostile forces for an astounding 23 times, it is the most embattled fortress in Europe. Some of the highlights of the castle include the Scottish crown jewels that went missing for about a century and the St Margaret’s Chapel which is the oldest building in Scotland which was spared from destruction when the castle was besieged in 1314 by Robert the Bruce.

Apart from its stunning architecture, the castle also has many interesting things ranging from the ghost story of the surveyor piper who went missing mysteriously in the underground tunnels to the toe nails of an elephant that lived in the castle in 1838 on display. As a long-standing tradition since 1861, an old artillery cannon is fired exactly at 1pm every day. This helped the sailors back in the day to set their maritime clocks. Now it’s a fun tourist attraction the sound of which often surprises the tourists on Princes Street below.

Next stop just further down from the castle is Camera Obscura & World of Illusions. This strange and unique perspective of the city from the royal mile is brought to you by a giant pinhole camera fixed to a periscope which gives an incredible 360-degree view of the surrounding. The six floors of this attraction have some rooms with clever optical illusions and some ingenious optical contraptions to keep visitors amazed throughout. Some of its major attractions include the Magic Gallery and its host of interactive experiences with plasma domes, kaleidoscopes, and other optical devices. More highlights include Rooftop Views, Bewilderworld, Light Fantastic and Eye Spy Edinburgh which all feature dozens of optical effects, illusions, 3D images, holograms and a number of other entertaining effects related to light and perception.

The attraction is open most of the days from 9 am to 10 pm with exceptions on holidays and seasonal timings. The tickets are £16.00 (adults) £14.00 (students and seniors) £12.00 (children 5-15 years) and free for children under 5 years. The best time to visit is in the morning and evening.

Located on High Street, this royal mile tourist attraction has much insight to offer into the history growing up through the ages. The first museum of its kind dedicated to celebrating childhood, this place is a nostalgia trip to all the old-timers and a fun way to learn for the children. The exhibits feature toys, games, routines, clubs, clothing, schooldays, and depictions of the life of children throughout the last century. The children will enjoy looking at dolls, teddies, toys, trains, pedal cars and other things associated with children from the last couple of decades. They can listen to sounds and audio recordings from the 1930s and even experience a while Victorian street.

It’s quite easy to mistake the Museum of Childhood to any other retail outlet on the royal mile and walk by unless you’re specifically looking for it. The first building house two galleries and the second one on the other side has three floors. Entry to the museum is free and the timings are: Monday- 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, Tuesday and Wednesday- Holiday, Thursday-Saturday 10 am to 5 pm and Sunday- 12 pm to 5 pm.

Being the ancient city that it is, Edinburgh has plenty of historically significant places both above the city and in the underground, one such famous attraction that has captivated the imagination of both the locals and the tourists is the Mary King’s Close. Closes are underground streets and spaces and this one lies beneath the buildings in the royal mile. Its name comes from Mary King, a merchant burgess who resided in the building around 1635. The close was partially demolished to build the Royal Exchange in the 18^th century and some of it was buried with the rest closed off to the public. It eventually became shrouded in myths and tales of haunting by spirits of the victims of the Bubonic plagues and those who were murdered in the place.

Although Mary King’s Close has some chilling tales of ghost haunting, it is also a fantastic place to learn about the history of the city and the life of the inhabitants. Guided tours are available every 15 minutes from 10 am to 9 pm and are quite useful to learn about the place as the guides speak multiple languages.

The St Giles’ Cathedral founded in 1120 was the church of John Knox during the period of Scottish reformation and is widely considered as the Mother Church of World Presbyterianism. Its famed crown steeple is unmistakable and easy to spot from anywhere on the royal mile. Its main attraction includes the elaborate stained glass windows which feature celebrated scots, the intricate work inside and the high ceiling and its crown steeple which is part of the city’s magnificent skyline.

Si Giles’ while being a tourist attraction is also a working church that plays an important role in the cultural lives of the natives. Volunteer guides are available to guide visitors, answer questions and conduct tours. The Cathedral Shop and Cafe is the place for visitors to pick up souvenirs, books, CDs or gifts and is open from 10 am to 6 pm (summers)/4:30 pm (winters). There is also a special rooftop tour guide for small groups of 4 people which gives outstanding views of the city.

The Heart of Midlothian is a heart-shaped mosaic made out of different colored granite setts that is a part of the pavement close to the west door of St Giles Cathedral. Visitors to the royal mile Edinburgh are quite surprised to see the locals spitting on the heart now and then as they walk by as a tradition. The story behind the tradition is that the Heart marks the spot where once stood a prison and earlier to that was a place where the public paid taxes and even had brutal executions. The heart is the only remaining marker after the prison was taken down in 1817. While the spitting today is done for good luck, the tradition itself may have started out as a sign of disdain for the former prison.

The National Museum of Scotland contains within it a diverse array of artifacts and exhibits that brings together the collections from the Museum of Scotland and Royal Scottish Museum. Located a few hundred meters from the royal mile, the museum overlooks Chambers Street as an icon of the Scottish heritage. After extensive renovation, the museum reopened in 2011 with extended space for new galleries and refurbishment on many of the existing ones. The overall effect of the rework has been to bring to the public view most of the exhibits that were formerly kept only in storage. The museum houses thousands of exhibits from different areas of science, arts and humanities that are divided into a logical organization that takes the visitors sequentially from prehistory to modern times. Its wide range of collections includes exhibits such as Dolly, the Sheep, Arthur's Seat Coffins, The Cramond Lioness, Moby the Whale, Muonionalusta Meteorite and more.

Being a place of deep history, you would find many antique and jewelry stores that sell genuine antiques along with trinkets and other curiosities. Here are some of the places to try:

The Royal Mile Curios is one of the oldest antique and jewelry dealers established in 1875. Situated right on the royal mile you can find some genuine antique items and gorgeous Scottish jewelry that are several decades if not hundreds of years old. You also get decorative and other items made out of gold and silver. The jewelry while antique in nature is also in excellent condition and needless to say quite pricey, however, the quality speaks for itself. The old ornaments on sale are often not as chic as the modern-day jewelry but make for a great romantic gift for a loved one. The store features some timelessly elegant pieces on display and is a must-visit for anyone who appreciates classic designs.

Cranachan and Crowdie is a top-rated gift store on royal mile Edinburgh that is famous for authentic Scottish food and drink souvenirs. This gift shop with its quality food and gift items is popular both with the locals and the tourists alike. They serve a range of items including oatcakes accompanies by marmalades, jams, and chutneys. Their menu also features the local Black Bun and award-winning chocolates and even Scottish dog treats. Along with their regular menu they also have gluten-free and vegan options that include biscuits and even beer that make them a favorite locally. Their delicious traditional Scottish fare is also popular among natives of the city who seek new and authentic small producers.

Cranachan is a Scottish dessert made out of whipped cream, oatmeal, whiskey, honey, and raspberries while Crowdie is a traditional Scottish cheese made of sour milk or buttermilk. Their fierce adherence to Scottish heritage goes into the very name of the business. So while you’re here be sure to check in to this store. Also, the store is dog-friendly with a special Scottish treat made just for dogs! The store is usually open from 11 am to 6 pm every day except on holiday seasons.

Nutcracker is a one-stop-shop for all your Christmas and festive accessories. Popular among the locals and the tourists, this store on the royal mile features a range of Santas and Santa collectibles that are fantastic takeaways on your visit to Edinburgh. Their gift ideas also include Christmas stockings, hanging decorations, table decorations, decorations for the tree and even Christmas themed fragrances. They also specialize in German wooden nutcrackers from Steinbach and Ulbricht and other figurines that are fantastic souvenirs to take home from Edinburgh. Although the store is Christmas themed, it’s a worth place to browse any time of the year as they store a lot of varieties of ornaments, curiosities, quirky souvenirs and little collectibles that would interest anyone. The store opens every day at 10 am.

If you’re traveling in Scotland in the month of August then you’re in for a treat with two of the largest events happening in Edinburgh.

To put it across in simple words, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival is the world’s biggest art festival. The event has so much going on that trying to put it together under one umbrella is nearly impossible. The Fringe festival which is open to everyone involves dance, theatre, comedy, cabaret, exhibitions, musicals, opera, events, children’s shows, live music performances and a lot more in its 400-page brochure! The event is open to everyone who wishes to put on a show and up-coming artists from all over the world flock to the Fringe to perform new shows and how to follow in the footsteps of some of the greatest who got there break here ( Hugh Laurie, Stephen Fry, Rowan Atkinson, Emma Thompson and more).

The story of its name the Fringe dates back to 1947 when the Edinburgh International Festival was still a small event. Eight theatre groups who weren’t invited to the event still came over to Edinburgh and performed outside the regular show. These acts earned the name “Fringe” shows and the name stuck since. Eventually in 1958 many fringe performers being regular to the event formed the Festival Fringe Society which offered an opportunity to the growing number of performers and acts every year. Even today the society maintains the same spirit of the original and doesn’t select or censor any of the performance.

The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo is an iconic annual military demonstration performed by the British Armed Forces, international military bands and Commonwealth which involves artistic performances and skills of military display teams. The event takes place on the esplanade of Edinburgh Castle and is attended by over half a million visitors from around the globe every year. The audience joins in the spirit and stamp and cheer to the sounds of military drums and horns and clap to the performers. They are also awe-struck by the acrobatics and daredevil feats of the military teams and formations.

The military tattoo takes place in the evening every weekday during the festival season of August. Saturdays during the display have two performances where the second one ends with a fantastic fireworks display which lights up the Castle and leaves everybody in awe. So far over 46 countries have participated in the Edinburgh Tattoo and it’s estimated that normally over 30 percent of the audience is from overseas and tourists fly in specifically for the august festivals in Edinburgh. You will need to buy tickets to the event and the price and dates are announced by the Royal Edinburgh Military well in advance.

Since the royal mile is a stretch, it can be reached by a number of bus and train stations depending on where you need to be. The bus lines 31, X18 and X37 make a stop at the royal mile. The Edinburgh station is 459 meters away (7-minute walk) and the Waterloo Place station is 545 meters away (8-minute walk).

The royal mile features Edinburgh’s top tourist attractions and places of historical and political significance. To explore all of it book accommodations with us along with your flight tickets to Edinburgh airport to get cheap deals. Plan the best vacation by early booking and avail outstanding services along with big savings.