Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Suggested Itineraries
IF YOU HAVE 1 DAY
Stick to the city's famous Royal Mile and
Edinburgh's Old Town. It is every bit a day's
worth of activity, with plenty of history and
attractions from
Edinburgh Castle
to the
Palace of Holyroodhouse,
shops, restau-
rants, and pubs. Wander down some of the
alleys off the Royal Mile, too.
IF YOU HAVE 2 DAYS
Take the hop-on, hop-off bus tour that
emphasizes New Town (see p. 101). Your
ticket is good for 24 hours (although the
buses stop running in the late afternoon or
early evening). Get off at
Calton Hill
for the
views, which Robert Louis Stevenson said
were the best in the city. Amble down
Princes Street for a bit of shopping, and
afterwards, rest in
Princes Street Gardens.
Admire some art at one of the branches of
the National Gallery.
IF YOU HAVE 3 DAYS
Take in
Leith,
Edinburgh's once rough-and-
tumble port. Now increasingly gentrified, it
is still evocative of a historic seaside village.
The
Royal Botanic Garden
on your way
back into the city center is worth a visit. It
is one of the best in Britain—and that's say-
ing something. If you have any time to
spare, take one of the strolls outlined in
chapter 9, and visit Stockbridge or the
Meadows, which feel off the main tourist
tracks.
IF YOU HAVE 4 DAYS OR MORE
Climb
Arthur's Seat
for views of the city
and the sea, or if you have children, take
the family to the
Edinburgh Zoo.
Explore
the regions around the city, with excur-
sions up to St. Andrews, to the coast and
North Berwick, or west to nearby, historic
Linlithgow.
8
TOP ATTRACTIONS
Along the Royal Mile
Old Town's
Royal Mile
is an attraction in itself, stretching down the spine
of a ridge from Edinburgh Castle to the Palace of Holyroodhouse. The street bears
four names along its length: Castlehill, Lawnmarket, High Street, and Canongate.
Walking along, you'll see some of the most interesting old structures in the city, with
turrets, gables, and towering chimneys. Some of the highlights are listed here, in
order from west to east.
Edinburgh Castle
Few locations in Scotland have lore equal to that of Edin-
burgh Castle. The very early history is somewhat vague, but in the 11th century,
Malcolm III and his Saxon queen, later venerated as St. Margaret, founded a build-
ing on this spot. There's only a fragment of their original pile in St. Margaret's Cha-
pel, which dates principally to the 1100s. After centuries of destruction, demolitions,
and upheavals, the buildings that stand today are basically those that resulted from
the castle's role as a military garrison over the past 300-odd years. It still barracks
soldiers. And many of the displays are devoted to military history, which might limit
the place's appeal for some. The castle vaults served as prisons for foreign soldiers
in the 18th century, and these great storerooms held hundreds of Napoleonic sol-
diers in the early 19th century. Some prisoners made wall carvings still seen today.
However, it is not all about war. Visitors can see where Mary, Queen of Scots gave
birth to James VI of Scotland (later James I of England) in 1566. Scottish Parlia-
ments used to convene in the Great Hall of the castle. Another highlight for visitors
is the Scottish Crown Jewels, used at the coronations, along with the scepter and
