The Royal Mile

Your trip to Edinburgh isn’t complete without walking the Royal Mile from one end to the other. The city’s most famous street is the historic heart of the Old Town, and the best way to get to know it. Our free walking tour of Edinburgh’s Old Town sets off from here every day, at 154 High Street.

Sights to explore

The Royal Mile is actually made up of five streets: Castlehill, Lawnmarket, High Street, Canongate and Abbey Strand. You’ll see signs for all of them, but it’s all the Royal Mile! It runs for about one Scots mile (1.8 km), linking the city’s two royal residences.

Along the way you’ll pass many of Edinburgh’s most iconic landmarks. Start with Edinburgh Castle at the top, and don’t miss the Scotch Whisky Experience and Camera Obscura on Castlehill.

Around the Lawnmarket and the High Street, you’ll see St Giles’ Cathedral, the Mercat Cross, the City Chambers and the Tron Kirk.

Continue down the Canongate to find several free museums, including the Museum of Childhood, the Museum of Edinburgh and The People’s Story.

You can also visit John Knox House, Canongate Kirk, Dynamic Earth and the Scottish Parliament, before finishing at the Palace of Holyroodhouse.

The closes of the Royal Mile

If you have time to explore further, step into some of the more than eighty narrow alleys branching off the Royal Mile, known as closes or wynds. They are the most characteristic feature of the Old Town, and some of them hold lovely surprises.

As you’ll see, buildings in Edinburgh were packed very close together. This was the result of a lack of space and overcrowding, at a time when living outside the city walls was too dangerous.

In some closes you’ll feel that sense of confinement. Others you’ll love for their beauty, their hidden gardens and courtyards, or for how well they preserve the look of the medieval city.

Some of our favourites are Lady Stair’s Close, Advocate’s Close, Brodie’s Close, Borthwick’s Close and White Horse Close.

The World’s End

Halfway down the Royal Mile, where it meets St Mary’s Street, stood the main entrance to the city, a gate known as the Netherbow Port. Look at the ground and you’ll see golden cobbles marking its exact position.

The area is known as the World’s End. The gate marked the limit of the walled city and was used to control who came in and to collect tolls. The idea that it marked the end of the known world for many people, who never left the city in their lives, is part of the local folklore, and you can now have a drink in a pub of the same name at this crossroads!

Things to do on the Royal Mile

To really uncover the history of the Royal Mile, join one of our walking tours, all starting outside 154 High Street. On the Free Walking Tour of Edinburgh you’ll learn about the major events of the city’s history, while the Free Ghost Tour reveals its darker side, with stories of witchcraft, murder and punishment in its most atmospheric closes.

Harry Potter fans can join the Free Harry Potter Tour, and the Free Dean Village & New Town Tour starts here too, making the Royal Mile the best starting point to discover Edinburgh on foot.

You can also browse dozens of shops selling every kind of souvenir, and choose from plenty of restaurants and pubs, many serving traditional Scottish dishes.

Today, the Royal Mile is full of visitors, street performers, bagpipers, shops, cafés and pubs, but it still keeps the spirit of Edinburgh’s chaotic medieval past, and it’s one of the most memorable places to explore in the city.