Royal Mile

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Editor Pick

The Royal Mile

  • November 16, 2007
  • Rated 5 of 5 by Drever from Ayr
The Royal Mile

To walk down The Royal Mile it is to walk through history. Extending between Edinburgh Castle and the Palace of Holyrood it consists of the adjoining streets: the Espalande, Castlehill, Lawnmarket, High Street, Netherbow, Canongate and Abbey Strand.

At the top, historic Edinburgh Castle sits on its lofty perch – an extinct volcano. It contains the tiny 12th-century St Margaret's Chapel, the huge 15th-century cannon, Mons Meg and the Great Hall erected in 1510; also the Scottish Crown Jewels, the Stone of Destiny, and the National War Museum of Scotland. Its esplanade hosts the famous Military Tattoo in August each year.

On the right side of Castlehill is the Tartan Weaving Mill and Exhibition. It demonstrates the making of Scotland’s national dress. Scottish Whisky 'the water of life' is similarly covered at the Scotch Whisky Heritage Centre further down. For a camera eye view of the area visit the Camera Obscura & World of Illusions across the street - covered in a separate entry.

On the right of the Lawnmarket is Riddle’s Court a 16th-century house built by John McMorran the richest merchant in Edinburgh. The ‘Beam Room’ has an extraordinary original painted ceiling and the house contains a fine example of 17th century plasterwork.

On the left of the Lawnmarket is the 17th-century Lady Stair's House containing The Writers' Museum. It covers the lives and work of Scotland's great literary figures, in particular Robert Burns, Sir Walter Scott and Robert Louis Stevenson.

Passing Parliament House in the High Street (covered separately) St Giles Cathedral dominates the area. Its 900 years of history is also covered by a separate entry.

Across the street beneath the City Chambers is one of Edinburgh's unique attractions - Mary King's Close. Entered through Warriston's Close is a warren of hidden streets where people lived, worked and died between the 17th and the 19th centuries. You can walk through these underground closes and witness dramatic episodes and spectres from the past.

Further down the on the left stands John Knox House. This 16th-century house, the home of the fiery Presbyterian reformer now houses a museum covering his life. Across the road is the Museum of Childhood crammed full of objects telling of childhood, past and present.

On the right of last major section of the Royal Mile, the Canongate, is The People's Story Museum. Housed in the late 16th-century Canongate Tolbooth, it tells the story of the lives, work and leisure of local people from the late 18th century. Across the road the Museum of Edinburgh covers the history of the city.

On the right just before the bottom of the Royal Mile is the new Scottish Parliament – discussed separately. Straight ahead stands the Palace of Holyrood dating from the early 1500s. Successive kings and queens have made the palace their premier royal address in Scotland including Mary, Queen of Scots who lived here between 1561 and 1567. It remains the Queen's official home in Scotland.

That completes one ‘Royal’ historic mile.

From journal Exploring Edinburgh’s Royal Mile

Royal Mile

  • March 6, 2006
  • Rated 4 of 5 by Milja from Waterloo, Ontario
The Royal Mile is more than I expected. While there are many "tourist shops," they have been able to maintain focus on Scottish History. We were able to buy family clan books, tartans, shortbread, scarves, and so much more. Traditional Scottish food was also prevalent in the restaurants—we ate "bangers and mash" more than a few times! One favourite stop was a beautiful Church, St. Giles Cathedral. We also enjoyed the Museum of Childhood. We were somewhat limited by having two kids in a double stroller; though most stores were accommodating, the doorways could be narrow.

From journal Weekend in Edinburgh

Editor Pick

Royal Mile

  • November 28, 2005
  • Rated 3 of 5 by MikeInTown from Norristown, Pennsylvania
Royal Mile

The Royal Mile (High Street) is the street that was used by Scottish royalty to travel between their residences at Edinburgh Castle and Holyroodhouse Palace centuries ago. It is now a hub of tourism. Along with the centuries-old buildings that line this street are souvenir shops, old pubs, tour agencies, and restaurants. This area is alive with sightseeing buses, a bagpiper dressed in traditional Scottish garb, and crowds of tourists.

We went in and out of the numerous souvenir shops. Some of the common items being sold were wool clothing, plaid scarves, Loch Ness Monster dolls, whisky (Scottish national drink), haggis (Scottish delicacy of lamb or pork organs wrapped in its stomach tissue and cooked), toffee, bagpipe and drum music, and kilts. With the exception of the pubs and restaurants, the businesses close at 6pm.

We visited the Royal Mile during the last weekend in October so by 6pm, not only were the souvenir shops and stores closed, but it was also dark. With all the old medieval buildings that line the Royal Mile, the street seems to transform itself into a scene out of a witch tale in the evening. Naturally, this is the time that various tour companies get dressed up in ghoulish costumes and conduct ghost tours. My wife and I did not do any of these tours but we saw groups of people following their guides up and down the street.

Unfortunately, groups of tourists walking the dark streets and listening to ghost stories become tempting prey for pickpockets. I saw a group of four giggling teenagers pretending to inadvertently bump into people and then attempt to take their wallet. I even saw one of the guys stick his hand into an unsuspecting lady's pocketbook, but he came up empty-handed. My reason for mentioning this is not to discourage people from visiting this wonderful city. We always felt safe walking in Edinburgh. However, since I did see this one incident, I would like to remind you to use your street-smarts and secure your valuables, regardless of where you are traveling. Even in a place as friendly as Scotland, there are still a few people who wouldn't mind ruining your vacation.

From journal Sightseeing Weekend in Scotland

Editor Pick

Royal Mile

  • September 23, 2004
  • Rated 5 of 5 by aliante1981 from Dubna, Russia
Four ancient streets, stretching from Castlehill Street to Canongate, comprise this mile-long walk, featuring most of the highlights of any trip to Edinburgh. Let us start our walk at the Tolbooth Kirk, the church which has the city’s highest spire and was built in 1840. Right next to it there is the Scotch Whisky Centre – a must for anyone interested in traditional Scotland. Then we pass the Outlook Tower, which you can climb (for a reasonable fee) to get to the observatory which offers some of the best views of Edinburgh.

Lawnmarket Street brings us to some more architectural gems, including Gladstone’s land, which is a 17th-century merchant’s house, and Lay Stair’s House, now a museum on the lives and writing careers of the famous Scottish writers Stevenson, Scott, and Burns. If you make a written application, you can visit Signet Library and view its lavish interiors; otherwise, you’ll have to content yourselves with barely an outside view. Lawnmarket becomes High Street, and that is where one can find the St. Giles Cathedral, with the somewhat funny figure depicting an angel playing bagpipes, and the City Chambers, built by john Adams in the mid-18th century. There is also the Mercat Cross, which is the place where Bonnie Prince Charlie was declared king in the 18th century, and is considered to be the center of Edinburgh. Further down the line is the austere Tron Kirk, which was built for the Presbyterians in 1630.

The last part of the walk is Canongate. Moubray House was declared the signing place of the Treaty of the Union, until a new place had to be searched for, because of the angry mob who wanted to sabotage the Treaty. Then comes a real gem – John Knox’s House, which is the oldest house in Edinburgh, built in 1490. John Knox’s museum is housed in the building, with a few pieces of memorabilia featured, and is open daily. Museum of Childhood and Morocco Land (which got its exotic name from a statue of a Moor at the entrance) tenement house complete the lineup.

From journal Whisky, Wars, and Highlanders

Castle & Royal Mile

  • April 23, 2003
  • Rated 4 of 5 by dolmio from cork city, Ireland
From Edinburgh Castle itself as far as The Worlds End bar (which serves a mean Aberdeen Angus steak) you can just feel the history all around you. This area is steeped in culture and history, some of it bloody and destructive.

The Castle itself is absolutely magical, and one would imagine it best suited in a childrens fantasy book rather then perched on a cliff overlooking a major modernized city. It's also very possibly the inspiration for the castle in Harry Potter as J.K Rowling actually wrote the first book in a little cafe called The Elephant Room only two minutes from the Royale Mile.

If you think the castle looks impressive from the outside then you should definitely take a look at the inside. There are some lovely gift shops just inside the main gate and is a good choice for picking up little mementos. The view of Edinburgh from the castle walls is not to be missed, and the view carries on as far as the eye can see.

My favorite room at the castle is in the center of the courtyard and is tecnically a large, beautifully decorated hall dedicated to every soldier that has died fighting for Scotland over the last 200 years.

On your way out don't forget to get a free sample of some of Scotland's finest whiskey. You'll need it to protect you from the harsh Scottish elements.

The Royale Mile itself is as you would imagine a dedicated tourist area with a variety of gift shops, bars, and restaurants. Don't miss it though as the buildings on this road are hundreds of years old and the architecture is world class. The world famous ghost tours also start on this street and don't leave Edinburgh without trying one as they are full of historical and cultural information, as well as being scary as hell.

From journal magical Edinburgh

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