Edinburgh Old Town Tour: A Self-Guided Walk
Edinburgh's Old Town is built on a volcanic ridge that runs from the castle down to the Palace of Holyroodhouse. This spine — the Royal Mile — is one of the most historically dense streets in Europe. But the real Old Town is in the closes and wynds (narrow passages) that branch off on either side, dropping steeply down the ridge into hidden courtyards and buried streets.
The Castle to the Lawnmarket
Start at Edinburgh Castle, perched on the plug of an extinct volcano. Even if you don't go inside, the Esplanade offers sweeping views of the Firth of Forth to the north and the Pentland Hills to the south. The castle has been a fortress for over 1,000 years and houses the Scottish Crown Jewels (the Honours of Scotland), which are older than England's.
Walk east down Castlehill toward the Lawnmarket. On your left, look for the Cannonball House — a cannonball is embedded in the west wall, supposedly marking the gravitational height of the city's first piped water supply. On your right, the Camera Obscura has been projecting a live image of the city onto a white table since 1853. It's tourist-oriented but genuinely interesting.
The Closes: Edinburgh's Hidden World
At the Lawnmarket, start exploring the closes. These narrow passages were Edinburgh's original side streets, running between the tall tenement buildings (called "lands") where the city's population once lived stacked ten stories high, rich and poor sharing the same stairwell.
Lady Stair's Close leads to the Writers' Museum, dedicated to Robert Burns, Walter Scott, and Robert Louis Stevenson. The courtyard is peaceful and usually empty. Riddle's Court, next door, has a painted ceiling from the 1590s that was only discovered in 2014 during renovations.
Cross to the south side of the Mile and find Advocate's Close, which drops steeply through medieval arches to Cockburn Street below. The views through the close frame the Firth of Forth between stone walls. Continue east and duck into Anchor Close, where the first edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica was printed in 1768.
St. Giles' Cathedral and Parliament Square
St. Giles' Cathedral anchors the middle of the Royal Mile. Despite the name, it hasn't been a cathedral since the 17th century — it's technically the High Kirk of Edinburgh. The Thistle Chapel inside, built in 1911, is an extraordinary piece of Gothic Revival carving. Entry is free.
Outside, the Heart of Midlothian is set into the cobblestones — a mosaic heart marking the entrance to the old Tolbooth prison. Locals spit on it for good luck. Don't ask why; nobody agrees on the origin.
Canongate: The Lower Mile
Continue east past the junction with North Bridge into the Canongate, historically a separate burgh from Edinburgh. The Canongate Kirkyard contains the grave of economist Adam Smith and the poet Robert Fergusson (whose gravestone was paid for by Robert Burns). The 17th-century Canongate Tolbooth now houses a museum of Edinburgh life.
The Scottish Parliament building at the bottom of the Mile is one of the most controversial pieces of modern architecture in Britain. Designed by Enric Miralles and completed in 2004 (three years late and ten times over budget), it's either a masterpiece of organic design or an expensive mess, depending on who you ask. The public galleries are free to visit when Parliament is in session.
Arthur's Seat
Beyond the Parliament, Holyrood Park opens up around Arthur's Seat, an 823-foot volcanic peak in the middle of the city. The walk to the summit takes about 45 minutes from the Palace of Holyroodhouse and rewards you with a 360-degree view of Edinburgh, the Forth bridges, and on clear days, the Highlands. The path from the east (via Dunsapie Loch) is the least steep.
Practical Tips
Edinburgh's Old Town is compact — the Royal Mile is exactly one Scots mile (about 1.8 kilometers). But the closes add distance vertically, and the cobblestones are hard on feet. Wear sturdy shoes with ankle support if you plan to climb Arthur's Seat. Weather in Edinburgh changes rapidly; bring a waterproof layer even on sunny days. The Old Town is walkable year-round, but winter days are short (sunset around 3:30 PM in December).