The Royal Mile in Edinburgh, Scotland. The Royal Mile The Royal Mile in Edinburgh on the map
1.
In the first half of the 12th century, King David I of Scotland settled in a fortress on Castle Rock and ordered the construction of the High Street, then called Via Regis (Royal Road).
Today we will not walk the whole way, but from the North Bridge to Edinburgh Castle.
Along its entire length, the street is filled with souvenir shops. Scottish romance is exploited to the fullest - bagpipes sound everywhere, kilts hang, and I'm not even talking about magnets and plates.
2.
If anyone wants to dress up in Scottish attire, it will cost him at least 200-250 pounds.
3.
Having taken a last look at Tron Kirk, which I wrote about in the previous part, let's go to the castle.
4.
Narrow gateways diverge from the Mile on both sides.
5.
City Chambers built in 1753. The building stands on the site of the Lord Provost's mansion. Queen Mary Stuart spent her last night here.
6. 
In front of it stands a monument to Alexander the Great taming Bucephalus.
7.
There are several more monuments on the street nearby. Here is Adam Smith, whom I think everyone remembers from an economics course at school or university. The monument is completely new - installed in 2008.
8.
A local politician with a long name is Walter Francis Montagu Douglas Scott, 5th Duke of Buccleuch, Lord President of the Privy Council. This one has been standing for a long time - since 1888. The official responsibilities of this lord include participation in the Privy Council of the British monarch, and the presentation of cases for royal approval.
9.
Mercat Cross is where official royal decrees were read. Placed in 1885 on the basis of the 14th century.
10.
The central place is Cathedral of St. Giles, or there is also a version of St. Egidia (St Giles" Cathedral). Saint Giles is the patron saint of the crippled and lepers, and is also considered the patron saint of Edinburgh.
11.
The oldest part of the building - four massive central columns - supposedly dates back to 1124. Most of the modern cathedral dates back to 1385. After the Reformation in 1560, the right hand of St. Giles with a diamond ring was sold to Edinburgh goldsmiths.
12.
For almost 300 years after the Reformation, the cathedral was also widely used for non-religious purposes. At various times, the cathedral housed a police station, a fire station, a school, and a coal store. The cathedral also housed a guillotine, and in one wing of the cathedral there was a prison for prostitutes.
13. Images of St. Giles 
In 1829, to symmetry and improve the appearance of the building, several chapels were demolished, more modern stained glass windows were inserted into the window openings, and the outer walls of the cathedral were lined with new hewn stone.
14.
15. Organ 
In 1872-1883, Sir William Chambers, Lord Provost of Edinburgh, financed a new restoration. During the renovation work, the old galleries and partitions erected during the Reformation were demolished.
16.
Stained glass windows with biblical scenes were inserted into the window openings - stained glass windows from the north-eastern part to the north-western part of the cathedral continuously, in chronological order, carry the narrative of the Bible.
17.
18.
19. Beautiful ceiling, isn't it? 
20. Archibald Campbell, Robert Stevenson and others are buried in the cathedral. 
21.
22.
24.
Monument to Scottish philosopher David Hume.
25.
This corner house is interesting because the Master Brody tavern is located there. This same Brodie owned a house in the 18th century and led a double life - a law-abiding merchant during the day, and a banal robber at night. In the end, he was safely amused, but this story impressed Stevenson so much that he brought this hero into his work “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.”
26.
27. Bank of Scotland, 1801 
28. A banker on the roof hands someone a bagel:). 
29.
30. Another look at the cathedral 
31. Do you see the cockerel? :) 
32. The souvenir rows are continuous 
33.
34.
rose up like a dark bulk Tolbus-kirk, aka the Church of St. John (St. John's Highland Church). Its 73-meter tower is the tallest in the city. The church is relatively young - it was built only in 1845. But due to the urban soot of the 19th century, the walls became heavily smoked and began to appear older (this is typical of many buildings in Edinburgh). The church was closed for many years; now it is used for various urban and tourist needs.
35.
36. Lanes of the Royal Mile 
37.
To the right you can see the watchtower building, with a Camera Obscura on top. It houses a museum with optical illusions, but we didn't go there.
38.
39.
40. Kelsk cross with elephant 
41.
The Royal Mile in Edinburgh (Edinburgh, UK) - description, history, location, reviews, photos and videos.
- Last minute tours to the UK
- Tours for the New Year Worldwide
Previous photo Next photo
The famous street in Edinburgh is four streets at once, which stretch for 1800 meters, that is, one mile. It starts at Edinburgh Castle and leads to Holyrood Bridge. The mile also includes small streets that diverge from the main one in different directions.
The Royal Mile began to appear in the 12th century. One day, an open market appeared at the foot of the castle, then wooden houses and courtyards for raising livestock began to be erected. After 4 centuries, the British burned them and built new houses from stone.
The Royal Mile was a collection of merchants and artisans. Taverns and brothels operated here around the clock. The Inquisition met here and financial affairs were carried out. In general, each resident found his place.
It's best to start your journey along the Royal Mile near Edinburgh Castle. Along the way you can see many interesting buildings. For example, the place where the famous Geoffrey Tailor Kiltmaker is made. Or the World of Illusions Museum and Camera Obscura. There is a whiskey museum nearby, which is worth a visit for a tasting.
On one of the streets belonging to the Mile - Lawnmarket - you can buy good souvenirs: kilts, plaid blankets, wool scarves, socks and mittens.
On Parliament Square there is an old building where local authorities met. Nearby is St Giles' Cathedral. Parliament Square used to be the place where criminals were executed, and today festivals are held here.
St Giles' Cathedral
Finally, there's the dreaded Mary Kings area on the Royal Mile. More ghosts live here than in the whole of Great Britain. About 300 years ago, a plague epidemic raged in the city. To stop its spread, the authorities decided to block the entrance to the area with bricks. Hundreds of people died without waiting for help.
Address: Edinburgh, Royal Mile.
The Royal Mile in Edinburgh is the heart of the city and its main and world-famous street. Not a single tourist who has visited will be able to pass by it, since no matter where he goes, sooner or later, he will still end up on the Royal Mile.
The Royal Mile in Edinburgh got its name for a reason. It is called a mile because its total length is 1.8 km or by Scottish standards exactly 1 mile. It connects the two main attractions of the city -, on the one hand, and the current royal residence - Holyrood Palace, on the other hand. This is where the word “royal” appeared in the name of the street.
Structure of the Royal Mile of Scotland
Royal Mile in Edinburgh is actually made up of four stretches, each with its own name Castlehill, High Street, Lawnmarket and Canongate. In addition, it unites all the branches, squares, courtyards and tunnels, so if we consider it schematically, the Royal Mile will resemble the skeleton of a fish. Most often, it is the various branches from the main street that are of the greatest interest to tourists, as they can find a lot of unexpected things there.
The Royal Mile is the center of city events
The central part of the street is the most crowded place in the city. Royal Mile is not exclusively pedestrian, so tourists have to jostle on both sides of the busy road, between layouts with souvenirs or pastries. It is here that all significant city events are held - carnivals, parades, festivals. Sometimes, even on an ordinary weekday, you can see living statues, magicians, jugglers and bagpipers here.
The entire length of the Royal Mile can be covered in just 20 - 25 minutes, so there is no need for transport to get from Holyroodhouse Palace or Edinburgh Castle to the city center. In addition, only by walking you can see unusual shop windows, medieval-style squares and original restaurants. For example, the End of the World pub or the Deacon Brodie tavern, named after the robber and murderer who became the prototype for Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hite in the book by Robert Stevenson.
What Edinburgh attractions can be found on the Royal Mile?
It is a mistake to think that the Royal Mile is just a street where you can stroll, go shopping or see a bagpiper in a traditional Scottish kilt. There are quite a few places here that are worth visiting or at least paying attention to. Not far from Edinburgh Castle is the Scottish Whiskey Heritage Centre, where you can see 3.5 thousand types of whiskey and learn what and how it is made.
The former St. John's Church can be seen from afar, as it is an ancient building highest on the Royal Mile. Currently, concerts and theater performances are held here, and it is from here that all the festivals held in this area are managed. If there are few of them in winter, then in summer they are held every week, so this section of the Royal Mile is not crowded with the influx of tourists.
The center of religious life in Edinburgh is St. Egidio's Cathedral. The temple is striking in its scale and the relics stored in it. Honorary citizens of Scotland are buried here, including the famous writer Robert Stevenson.
On the Royal Mile you can visit the Museum of Childhood, the Museum of Illusions, the People's History of the City Museum and the house museum of the Scottish reformer John Knox, and those thirsting for more vivid impressions may be interested in a walk through the Edinburgh crypts and underground tunnels near the South Bridge.
Edinburgh is considered an ancient city, and even its central street in the evening looks more like a medieval one than a modern one. To experience this, many tourists come to the Royal Mile at night, when there are almost no people around, and the whole environment simply breathes history. Some guides offer thrill-seekers to walk through the most intriguing places with mysterious history and flying ghosts in the dark - cemeteries, dungeons and dark squares.
The Royal Mile in Edinburgh: where is it located?
City center. You can get there by bus number 35.
The Royal Mile is a quarter in Edinburgh where, literally, there are attractions at every turn. The history of the Royal Mile's name dates back to David I, who granted local merchants the right to trade at the foot of Castle Rock. The market was connected to the castle by High Street, which in those days was called “Royal Street”. Since - it just so happened - the length of the street was exactly one Scottish mile (1.8 km), the street was also popularly nicknamed the Royal Mile. Later, the toponym took root and took the official form for the name of the historical quarter.
The Royal Mile includes 4 consecutive streets with adjacent alleys and dead ends.
Start of the Mile falls on the castle esplanade, now used as a parade ground. In the front row of the houses closest to the castle is the Whiskey Heritage Centre, which houses a grand collection of this drink from different regions of Scotland. Not far from it is the Camera Obscura, a museum of optical illusions that was very popular in the last century.
Great video with beautiful views of Edinburgh
Longmarket Street begins below, the buildings on which fully correspond to its name: every centimeter of the area is occupied by benches, shops and offices, intrusively offering their goods to passers-by. It is worth noting that this area sells some of the best kilts in Scotland, which tourists often buy as a stylish and easily recognizable Scottish souvenir.
Even lower is the same High Street. Today the site is the center of Edinburgh's social life and regularly hosts public forums, concerts, festivals and performances by buskers and dancers. Many tourists enjoy taking photos next to the Heart of Midlothian, which is set in stone paving stones on the exact spot where Tolbooth Prison previously stood. Also on High Street is the Knox Museum, the Scottish religious reformer.
The name of the last street of the Mile is Canongate, which means “monastic street”, speaks for itself. In the past, all religious institutions in Edinburgh were located on this street, which were inseparable from most social institutions. Therefore, in addition to Canongate Church, this street also houses universities, orphanages, a history museum and the Scottish Parliament, which crowns the Royal Mile.
There are dark legends about the Mile among the residents of Edinburgh associated with the plague epidemic. In the Middle Ages, doctors believed that the “Black Death” was transmitted through direct contact with a sick person, although, in fact, rat fleas were carriers of the plague. So, at one time the Mile was blocked, blocking all the exits for a month, and every single resident of the quarter died out - some from the plague, some from hunger, and some, exhausted, were finished off with a bayonet by the gendarmes-cleaners. They say that in some alleys, since then, the ghost of a little crying girl has been regularly seen, who, huddled in a corner, calls for help from every passerby. Although such a situation may well turn out to be a banal joke on the part of local residents speculating on the legend.
Panoramic walk
However, even without an excursion into history and urban legends, Edinburgh will appeal to lovers of bright and magnificent celebrations. It's hard to believe, seeing the old gloomy colonial buildings, but the Scottish capital is the world city of festivals. Their annual number in Edinburgh sometimes exceeds several hundred, and each has its own narrow concept.
The scale of the bagpipe festival is amazing: hundreds of people from all over Scotland fill the air with the sounds of this unusual instrument - so that even the castle walls vibrate.
Connoisseurs of theatrical art will love the Fringe Festival, the only such event in the world that combines classical theater with surreal psychedelia.
The Royal Mile itself means little, without the rest of Edinburgh it is nothing, but the city also cannot exist without the Mile. This place allows you to discover new horizons and explore the unknown, and therefore it is impossible to get enough of Edinburgh, even if you often visit the Royal Mile.
The Royal Mile is not a typical object. To explore it all, you will have to try and cover the 1.8 km, which takes a mile, on foot. By the way, this length is taken as a unit of measurement called the Scottish mile.
The first half of the 12th century is considered to be the time of its origin. Then King David I, who was ruling at that time, settled in the fortress, which later turned into. It was he who played an important role in the history of these streets. The road leading east from the royal residence, with the permission of the monarch, was quickly filled with local merchants, and therefore received the name Lawnmarket. Behind this section of the road, by order of the king, Via Regis or the Royal Road was built, later renamed High Street. The continuation of the mile was Canongate Street, which belonged to that part of the Royal Mile that was considered the most prestigious and wealthy. The fourth element of the route was Castlehill, located right next to the Edinburgh Palace.
Wooden houses and household buildings, shops and taverns began to quickly appear along all four streets. All this contributed to the fact that small streets began to diverge on both sides of the main road, expanding the city. They themselves formed courtyards, dead ends and pens for livestock. In the mid-15th century, most of the wooden buildings were destroyed by fire during armed conflict between Scotland and Scotland. Later, the British themselves restored the lost structures: by order of Henry VIII, stone buildings were erected along the Royal Mile in the mid-16th century. With the help of these restoration works, the king sought to achieve his goal - to obtain the consent of the Scots for the marriage of his son to Mary Stuart.
For a long time, unsanitary conditions, which spread diseases, remained a significant problem in these streets. In addition, by the middle of the 17th century, the population of the Royal Mile exceeded acceptable limits. The situation was improved thanks to the construction of the so-called New Town in the 18th century. The next significant changes awaited the streets only in the second half of the 18th century. Then new buildings, modern at that time, were built, and some old ones were remodeled.
Until mid-1749, the two parts of the Royal Mile were separated from each other by gates. They were located at the junction of High Street and Canongate. Passage through them was paid, so only wealthy citizens could enter the rich part of the street.
How to get there
The mile stretches through the old center of the Scottish capital. It starts at the Edinburgh Palace and reaches almost to the Palace of Holyroodhouse. To get to the Royal Mile, you can use the Skylink 300 bus route, which runs along it. The stop at the eastern end of the mile is called Scottish Parliament, and the westernmost stop is almost in the middle and is called the Museum of Childhood. The western edge of the road - Edinburgh Palace - can be reached by bus route 2, the stop of which is called Grassmarket.
Royal Mile in Edinburgh on the map
- One of the mile squares, Parliament Square, has a rather interesting history. According to historical facts, several centuries ago this territory was the main place for public executions. Today, the dark past has been forgotten, and its space is used to hold festivals of various types.
- Once established as a market street, Lawnmarket continues to serve its original functions today. Previously, linen merchants were located here, and today it is in this part that a large selection of traditional Scottish souvenirs is presented, among which you can find interesting and high-quality items.
- Not far from Edinburgh Castle you can find an entertaining attraction. It is called "Camera Obscura and the World of Illusions." Visiting here will be interesting for both children and adults.
- The Royal Mile is crossed by two bridges. They are located in the High Street area. One of them, the Northern one, is intended to connect the districts of the old and new city, and the other, the Southern one, is built up with shops on top, and contains crypts at the base.
The Royal Mile also has its dark side. It is mainly connected with the history of the street Mary King’s Close or Mary King’s Dead End. For a long time it existed as an ordinary residential street in the old part of Edinburgh. But in the 18th century, the construction of a new building for the capital’s government began, for the sake of which several alleys, including Mary King, were destroyed and walled up. They were used as foundations for new buildings. There are opinions that the street was laid out not only for the construction site. As local legend goes, during the period when the plague was raging in Edinburgh, some people were simply left on Mary King to stop the spread of the infection. In this regard, there are many stories about ghosts living in these places. The initiator of the appearance of one of these stories was a paranormal investigator from, who claimed that he heard the spirit of a girl walled up in one of the rooms. At the beginning of this century, it was decided to open the walled up areas and study them. Experts put this place in order and organized a museum, which opened its doors in 2003. It was called "The Real Mary King's Close". Today, this unique exhibition, located right among the medieval dark streets, provides an opportunity to get acquainted with what the city looked like several centuries ago and learn how the life of its inhabitants was structured. However, the dead end does not lose its mystical essence: it is often included in excursion programs that offer travelers a look at the other, mysterious side of the Scottish capital.
Hotels and restaurants
For those who want to find a place to stay overnight at one of the main historical attractions, there is a fairly large choice. Most of the hotels are located in the western part of the Royal Mile, closer to the Edinburgh Palace. Just a couple of minutes' walk away is The Witchery by the Castle. The price tag in this hotel is quite high and starts from 20,000 rubles per night. If you follow the streets a mile east, you can find more affordable options. At the intersection with Bank Street is the Royal Mile Residence, the minimum room rate of which ranges from 10,000 to 12,000 rubles. A block from the previous one you can find St Giles Apartments, where you can stay for 5,800 rubles, and a couple of blocks away - Stay Edinburgh City Apartments, where a night will cost from 4,500 rubles.
On the streets of the Royal Mile there are also many establishments where you can have a quick snack or a full lunch. Among them are cafes, bakeries, coffee shops, restaurants and even taverns. Some of them are themed, such as The Canon's Gate restaurant, located near the junction of High Street and Canongate. In addition, here you can find several establishments dedicated to the national Scottish drink - whiskey. These include Cadenhead's Whiskey Shop, Whiski Bar & Restaurant and several others.
Excursions
As one of the main attractions of Edinburgh and all of Scotland, the Royal Mile is included in the programs of many excursions around the city. Depending on how busy it is, a guided walk can take from an hour to 4-5 hours. Such excursion support costs from 15 euros ( ~1,064 rub. ) from each participant.
The Royal Mile, almost from the very moment of its inception, has become one of the main arteries of the old part of the city. A walk along it allows you to look at the Edinburgh of the past, imagine yourself as a resident of medieval Scotland, take interesting photos and simply immerse yourself in the atmosphere of the local bustling town of the 15-18 centuries.
The abundance of museums, attractions and unique buildings such as St Giles' Cathedral, the Museum of Childhood and many others will make a trip along the Royal Mile productive and memorable.
Business card
Address
Royal Mile, Edinburgh, Scotland
Is there something wrong?
Report an inaccuracy
Loading...