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Discovering Edinburgh: The Royal Mile

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The Heart of Edinburgh's Old Town

 

The Royal Mile is the impressive thoroughfare which connects Edinburgh Castle at the top of the hill with the Palace of Holyroodhouse at the bottom. There can surely be no other street in the world which affords the visitor such a diverse blend of history, romance, horror and intrigue.

The street is actually divided into four sections, known in turn as Castlehill, The Lawnmarket, The High Street and The Canongate. The above photograph is taken from near the top of the Royal Mile, at the junction of The Lawnmarket and Bank Street, looking down towards the Palace (unsighted) and the distant Firth of Forth.

Contents 

What you will see featured on this page

This site is by no means an exhaustive guide to what you will find on Edinburgh's Royal Mile - it is not my intention for it to be such. It is, rather, a suggestion as to what particularly the first time or infrequent visitor to Edinburgh may find of most interest in the locale. I will be updating and developing it on a regular basis to hopefully prevent any of the information from becoming stale, out of date or unreliable.

Click on any of the features listed immediately below to go straight to their specific details or - as I would recommend to particularly the first time visitor - take the time to browse the site in full.

This site was last updated on Sunday 5th October 2008.

Edinburgh Castle 

The Home of Scotland's Crown Jewels

Edinburgh Castle from top of Royal MileEdinburgh Castle is undoubtedly one of Scotland's most famous landmarks. It is built on top of an extinct volcano and offers excellent views across the City of Edinburgh and far beyond. It is home to - among a great many other things - the Scottish Crown Jewels and "The Stone of Destiny," upon which ancient Scottish kings were crowned. It is open to the public all year round, except Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

Edinburgh Castle - A Short Musical Slideshow 

Click on the large arrow in the centre of the screen followed by the small one to the bottom left to activate the display.

Edinburgh Castle

A slideshow of the sights in and around Edinburgh Castle

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St Giles' Cathedral 

The Royal Mile's impressive place of worship

St Giles' Cathedral 2St Giles is the patron saint of Edinburgh. He lived in the 7th century - in France, strangely enough, and not Scotland - but this apparent inconsistency is probably explained by the long standing historical ties between the two countries. St Giles' Cathedral, which is also frequently referred to as The High Kirk of Edinburgh, is approximately 900 years old, parts of the building dating back to the early 12th century. It has some of the best examples of stained glass windows in Scotland, though none remain prior to the 18th century.

It is commonly thought of as the Mother Church of Presbyterianism, perhaps partly due to the fact that John Knox himself was once minister here but also for the fact that the "Solemn League and Covenant," drawn up in defiance of King Charles' plans to reintroduce espiscopalianism to Scotland, continues to be housed within the Cathedral.

A Guide to Getting Around Edinburgh 

Find full details of not only The Royal Mile but lots more!

This handy little guide, which will fit snugly into your pocket, offers both maps and a written guide to the attractions of Edinburgh and their precise locations. Why not order your copy today and save precious hours during your trip that would otherwise be spent trying to find your way around.

Pocket Map and Guide Edinburgh (EYEWITNESS POCKET MAP & GUIDE)

Amazon Price: $6.99 (as of 10/11/2008)

Edinburgh City Chambers 

The seat of local government on The Royal Mile

Edinburgh City ChambersThe City Chambers, the plans for which were drawn up by the famous architect John Adams in the mid-eighteenth century, have been home to the ruling council since 1811. They include among other sights of interest the city's cenotaph - the memorial to those who perished in the two World Wars - and a magnificent statue of Alexander the Great, mounted on his horse, Bucephalus.

Parliament Square 

The historic site of the old Scottish parliament, off The Royal Mile

Parliament Square, EdinburghThis was the site of the old Scottish Parliament building, prior to the Act of Union in 1707. It is a great shame that much of the original square was destroyed by fire in 1824, as were many more buildings in the surrounding area, but some of the original structures still remain.

The Royal Mile at a Glance 

A photographic composition

Click on any of the photos below to enlarge them...

Edinburgh - The Royal Mile 2 by Chennette

Edinburgh's Royal Mile (6785) by oobrien

The Royal Mile - Edinburgh, Scotland 2006 by i love your computer

Royal Mile, Edinburgh by Bettsy1970

edinburgh royal mile by Laura_Carb

Royal Mile, Edinburgh by backpackers_tv

Souvenirs of Scotland 

So many to choose from!

St Andrew's Cross Teddy BearThere are of course an almost infinite number of souvenirs to be purchased, both of Edinburgh and of Scotland as a whole, during any visit. But what if you couldn't carry those that you wanted to take home with you, or simply never got a chance to shop for them? What if you haven't actually managed to arrange your trip just yet?

That is where this online store could prove extremely useful! The teddy bear (pictured) is just one example of the huge range of quality merchandise available to buy at this fantastic St Andrew's Cross store at incredible prices. Find everything from t-shirts, to mugs, to BBQ aprons and lots more besides. Click here to go there now and take a look at what is available!

Museum of Edinburgh 

A look at the history of Edinburgh and The Royal Mile

Museum of Edinburgh, CanongateThis somewhat unimposing building towards the bottom of The Royal Mile - on The Canongate - belies the collection of historical treasures that may be found within. The collar and dish of Greyfriars' Bobby are certainly huge attractions to those familiar with the tale but there are a great many other items of interest to be found here.

Admission to the museum is free.

More Edinburgh Sites on Squidoo 

Check out what they have to offer

The Queen's Gallery 

The Queen's Gallery, HolyroodhouseThe Queen's Gallery exhibits various works of art from The Royal Collection. It is located in what was formerly The Duchess of Gordon's School (1846) and the Holyrood Free Church (1850), immediately outside the gates of Holyroodhouse Palace at the very foot of The Royal Mile. It was opened in 2002 by HM The Queen as part of her Golden Jubilee celebrations within the city of Edinburgh.

Do you want more information on the City of Edinburgh? 

Try accessing some of these links

Getting to Know Edinburgh
Visit Scotland gives you a range of information from travelling around the city to where to stay in it.
Official Tourist Board - accommodation, attractions and events around Edinburgh.
Accommodation, attractions and events in Edinburgh - Official Tourist Board
Edinburgh Guide
A comprehensive, frequently updated guide to what's on and what's hot in Edinburgh.
Edinburgh Festivals - City Guide
Edinburgh Festivals - official online listings for every Edinburgh Festival - Bank of Scotland Children's International Theatre Festival, Edinburgh International Film Festival, Edinburgh Art Festival, Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival, Edinburgh Military Tattoo and lots more besides!
Edinburgh City Guide - overview
Presenting a rather Gothic cityscape as it spreads out below its ancient Castle, reaching out to the port of Leith, Edinburgh is far from dour. The canny Scots have crafted a capital that is crammed with culture, filled with fun and festivity, veneered with sophistication but reeking of history.

The Palace of Holyroodhouse 

Her Majesty the Queen's Official Residence in Scotland - the end of the Royal Mile

The Palace of HolyroodhouseIt is thought that the Palace of Holyroodhouse dates back as far as 1128, when King David I of Scotland founded the Abbey. Throughout the intervening centuries, much upgrading and development work has been undertaken on the site at the instigation of a succession of Kings, both prior to and following the Union. Mary, Queen of Scots, also spent a significant part of her life here. The roof of the original Abbey collapsed in the 16th century but much of it still stands today.

Why not come and see the glories of Edinburgh and its Royal Mile for yourself? 

Begin planning your trip right here!

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More Information on The Royal Mile from around the Web 

Guides to all you could want to know

Edinburgh Royal Mile
All the History, People, Photos and Information. Lists every shop, close and places of interest, places to eat and places to stay in the world's ultimate festival city.
Edinburgh Castle to Holyrood; The Royal Mile: Scotland
Edinburgh's Royal Mile... the largest, longest and finest street for Buildings and Number of Inhabitants, not only in Britain, but in the World.. Daniel Defoe, 1723
Royal Mile - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Royal Mile From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Places to Visit - Edinburgh's Royal Mile
Illustrated Guide to Places to Visit in Scotland - Edinburgh's Royal Mile
The Royal Mile - A Guided Walk From The Official Edinburgh Military Tattoo Web Site
A guided walk along the Royal Mile in Edinburgh from the Edinburgh Military Tattoo
Edinburgh Old Town - a Tourist Guide to Shops, Restaurants, Pubs, Cafes, Hotels and Tourist Attractions in the Capital of Scotland
Edinburgh Old Town - a Tourist Guide to Shops, Restaurants, Pubs, Cafes, Hotels and Tourist Attractions in the Capital of Scotland
The Royal Mile High Street Edinburgh
Edinburgh's Royal Mile and High Street are often used to represent the same area. Here we have a list of the facinating things to see and do while visiting
Edinburgh Architecture - The Royal Mile
Edinburgh, Scotland's capital city, has many interesting buildings all within walking distance of Princes Street and the famous Royal Mile.

What did you think? 

This is the place where you can let me know...

Thank you for your visit to this page and your time spent looking through it. I very much hope that you found something that you liked and are now inclined to visit Edinburgh and see more for yourself.

Janet

Interesting site with good information about Royal Mile - which is fascinating!
People can stay right on the Royal Mile at self caterign apartments through http://www.edinburgh-flats.com/

Posted August 20, 2008

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Gordon_H

About Gordon_H

My name is Gordon Hamilton and I live in the United Kingdom.


I first began visiting Edinburgh as a very young child and have done so on an extremely regular basis ever since. I find it to be a city that has a unique appeal for so many different reasons, quite unlike anything I have experience elsewhere. This site looks at only a very small - if hugely significant - part of it.

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