EDINBURGH CASTLE
On entrance to the Castle from the top of the Royal Mile you first pass through the Esplanade, a wide parade ground from which you have views north over the city and south to the Pentland Hills. The espalanade is the site of the world famous Edinburgh Military Tattoo that takes place annually as part of the Edinburgh International Festival. For three weeks in August each year the Scottish regiments host a lively programme of military music, marching and historical re-enactments under floodlights before packed crowds of tourists and locals alike.
The castle entrance is guarded by members of the Highland Regiment, you then enter the Castle through the Gatehouse with its magnificent drawbridge. This is a relatively recent addition to the castle, dating only from the 1880's, but it does offer a grand entrance way to the Castle, on either side of the entrance stand statues of Robert the Bruce and William Wallace. There are some six gates between the entrance and the Argyle and Mills Batteries which were designed to keep the English at bay from overrunning the Castle in an attack. On the northern side of the Castle is the Mills Mount Battery, this is where you will find one of the Castle's most distinctive features - the One O'clock Gun. Originally fired to allow boats on the Firth of Forth to set their clocks, - the gun is still fired each day, which acts as a modern day time check for the citizens of Edinburgh. Then if you make your way round to the western side of the castle you will find the Castle Vaults, these contain an exhibition about the castle's military history, which includes one of the Castle's most famous attractions - the 5 ton cannon Mons Meg. This 15th century cannon was the most advanced piece of artillary of its era and is estimated to have been able to fire a 500 pound stone a distance of almost two miles. Next to the vaults is the Castle Prison, where you can visit the prison cells of yesteryear. Also along this side of the Castle is the New Barracks, and to their right the Ordinance Storehouse and Hospital. Entering the upper level by Foog's Gate, on the highest terrace stands the remnants of the castle's oldest building St. Margaret's Chapel and reckoned to be the oldest roofed building in Scotland. Entering Crown Square you come upon the Scottish National War Memorial, a commemorative site for the dead of each of the twelve Scottish Regiments of both World Wars and more recent battles too. The Royal Scots Regimental Museum across the square contains large rooms filled with military memorabilia which is worth seeing. The Great Hall or Banqueting Hall, built by James IV on the south side of Crown Square, was the meeting place of the Scottish Parliament until 1639. Its hammer-beam ceiling, was restored to its former glory in the late nineteenth century and is an fascinating piece of design.
The Palace Block on the south-east corner of the castle housed the royal apartments. Mary Queen of Scots gave birth to James I/VI in 1566 in a small antechamber adjoining her own room. Next to this in the centre of the Palace Block is an exhibition surrounding the story of the 'Honours of Scotland' or the Scottish Crown Jewels and the recent return to Scotland of the Stone of Scone or Stone of Destiny.
The Stone of Scone and the 'Honours of Scotland' (the Scottish Crown Jewels) are also on display in this Palace in the Crown Room,. They include the Scottish Crown, thought to be the oldest crown in Europe, the Sword of State, and a 15th century sceptre. These pieces of Scottish history were hidden in the castle when the Act of Union took effect in 1707, and were only put on display again in 1822. Along with the 'Honours' sits the Stone of Scone,which was brought back to Scotland in 1997 after 700 years absence. This was the coronation seat of Scottish kings until King Edward I carried it away as war booty in 1296. Since then it has been kept under the coronation chair in Westminster Abbey (apart from the time is was kidnapped from England by two Scottish patriots in the late 1960s).

THE ROYAL MILE
The Royal Mile is divided into four sections, CastleHill, Lawnmarket, High Street and Canongate, and there are many priceless buildings and places on it's path from Castle to Holyrood Palace
Canonball House stands on the opposite side of CastleHill with an actual cannon ball embedded in its castle-facing wall above the stairs to Johnston Terrace. This cannonball was placed there to mark the gravitation height of the city's first piped water supply, and not as the result of some fierce battle as rumour has it.
A few yards from Canonball House is the Scottish Whisky Heritage Centre, which gives a worthwhile sample of the whisky-making process which Scotland has become famous for.
Outlook Tower and the Camera Obscura stand opposite, a seventeenth century house that was converted for this purpose with a mirrored periscope device reflecting the moving Images from outside onto a round white table. The roof-top viewing area gives some of the best views of the city and is equipped with viewfinders and telescopes. There are displays of old pictures of Edinburgh, a pin-hole camera exhibition and a holography presentation.
The dark, towering spire of St John's Church is the highest in the city and stands prominently on Castle Hill. The Assembly Hall across the road is the meeting place of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland and is used during the Festival for some large theatrical productions.
Lawnmarket, a wider stretch of the Mile was once a daily fruit, vegetable and dairy produce marketplace, and houses some impressive buildings. On the left are Milne's Close and James Court, two courtyards restored in the late 1960s to give an impression of seventeenth and eighteenth century Old Town buildings and which at present are used for student accommodation.
Gladstone's Land was an earlier seventeenth century tenement building which was favoured by the wealthier residents of the Old Town in it's time.
Lady Stair's House down the close of the same name was built in 1622. It is now a museum to three of Scotland's more famous literary sons, Robert Burns, Sir Walter Scott and Robert Louis Stevenson.
Brodie's Close was the home of Deacon Brodie, upon whom Robert Louis Stevenson is said to have based his character, Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. Brodie was a carpenter and councillor by day but by night, he turned to robbery and theft, for which he was later to pay the price on the Gallows.
The heart-shaped stones "The Heart of Midlothian" outside the Parliament Square mark the site of the old city jail and passers-by spit on the stones for luck. Around the area of St. Giles you can also see the Tolbooth and the Mercat Cross.
Behind St Giles Cathedral, the Georgian designs of Parliament Square continue and it is worth visiting Parliament House using the door marked number 11. It may not seem accessible to the public but it is a municipal building open to visitors.
The Scottish Parliament sat in Parliament House between 1639 and 1707 and is now attached to the Court of Session for the Scottish Law Courts . The Mercat Cross at the eastern end of the square was a traditional meeting place for merchants, merry-makers and executions, - Royal proclamations were also made here to the people.
The present St Giles Cathedral or the High Kirk of Edinburgh belies the ancient structures that have occupied this spot at one time or another, the first church on this actual site dates from around the ninth century. St. Giles was rebuilt in the fifteenth century, and was the base for John Knox's Reformation of the style of Scottish worship from Catholic to Protestant. Much to his dislike, Scotland, France and England were all ruled by Catholic queens at the time.
And it was against the Catholic faith that John Knox protested with great zeal.
In 1826, the much-neglected St Giles building was refurbished by William Burn, and there is plenty to appreciate inside, especially in the Thistle Chapel.
Adjacent to the Cathedral on the High Street is the City Chambers, then Cockburn Street veers off to the left with a host of independent clothes and music shops. Also around this middle area of the Royal Mile are plenty of pubs and eateries to choose from.
The Museum of Childhood contains a wealth of toys, dolls, and games from through the centuries and is a great place to visit and it's free. John Knox's House jutting out into the Canongate, is reckoned to be one of Edinburgh's oldest building dating as far back as 1490.
Set at the eastern end of the Canongate and the termination of the Royal Mile is the Abbey and Palace of Holyroodhouse, more commonly referred to as Holyrood.
The Abbey was founded in 1128 and the Palace was built in the early 1500s, - both are set in a valley, sheltered by Arthur's Seat (an active volcano about 250 million years ago) and Salisbury Crags. The abbey stands in the grounds of the palace with little more than the nave left to see of this once beautiful building. Tours covering some of the more public areas of the Palace last around thirty-five minutes and leave regularly.

ROYAL MILE LANDMARKS

Witches Well
drinking fountain which commemorates the 300 or so women who were found guilty of witchcraft and subsequently executed on this
spot between 1479-1722
Goose Pie House
Home of the 18th C poet, Alan Ramsey
Cannonball House
Late 16th C. A cannonball embedded in the walls marks the head height of the city's first piped water supply and not
as Legend has it a cannonball that was fired during an attack on the Castle in 1745!
Scotch Whisky Heritage Centre
Learn all about how whisky is brewed and the various techniques involved in blending different malts - and of course if you are an adult you also get to try a wee dram.
(open daily 10.00-5.30)
Tollbooth Kirk
By Graham and Pugin (the latter, designer of the Houses of Parliament
in London) This is now open as a centre for the Edinburgh Festival.
The Hub (open daily 8.00-5.30)
Festival Centre, Ticket office, etc
Camera Obscura and Outlook Tower
(Open April-Oct, Mon-Fri 9.30-6.00, Sat and Sun 10.00-6.00, Nov-March,10.00-5.00)
One of Edinburgh's top visitor attractions since the mid 1800's, with exhibitions of old photographs of Edinburgh, Holography and the Camera Obscura which reflects a panoramic view of the City onto a white table.
Originally this house was fitted up by Patrick Geddes in 1892 as "The nucleus of the University of the Future for all neo-technic thinking and teaching.
Boswell's Court
Tenement built in c.1600
It was named from the chief resident, Dr. Boswell, doctor of medicine, dwelling there about the end of the eighteenth century.
Assembly Hall
Site of the Annual General Assembly
of the Church of Scotland.

Lawnmarket
The name is derived from "Laon" which is where the city's linen used to be produced, for the Lawnmarket is where Edinburgh's linen market used to be held.
Milne's Court
dates from around 1690
James Close
from about the mid 1700's. James Boswell (writer) and David Hume (philosopher) both lived here.
Lady Stair's House
(Open June-Sept, Mon-Sat 10.00-6.00, Oct-May Mon-Sat 10.00-5.00. Open on Sundays during the Festival, 2.00-5.00)
Built in 1662 and now the home of the Writers' Museum, with interesting relics and maunuscripts relating to Scotland's greatest literary figures - Robert burns, Sir Walter Scott and Robert Louis Stevenson.
Gladstone's Land
(Open April-Oct Mon-Sat 10.00-5.00, Sun 2.00-5.00)
National Trust for Scotland 16th C house, restored and furnished to give the impression of life here in the 1600's. Decorated wooden ceilings and 17th C painted wall friezes.
Brodie's Close
Named after William Brodie, a respectable member of 18th C.
society by day, but a burglar by night.

St. Giles Cathedral

HIGH STREET
The High Kirk of St Giles
(Open Mon-Sat 9.00-5.00)
Later additions to the late medieval tower and "Burgh Kirk". From here John Knox preached and directed the Scottish reformation in the early 1500's.
Parliament House
1632-1640. Built for the Scottish Parliament and used until the Act of Union in 1707.
Monument to King Charles II
Erected in 1685
Parliament Square Law Courts
Built by Robert Reid (1776-1856) after designs by Robert Adam (1728-1792), architects who both embody the Age
of Reason.

Mercat cross
Traditionally from whence declarations were made to the townspeople of Edinburgh.
Heart of Midlothian
A heart set into the street cobble stones and marking the site of an ancient tollbooth, the stones mark the site of the doorway of the Old Tolbooth, the town prison that stood here for some 400 years

City Chambers
Designed by John Adam , brother of Robert building which houses the town council.
Mary King's Close
Closed after the plague of 1645, this Close can be booked for guided tours.
Anchor Close
Also known as Fowlar's or Fuller's Close, Fisher's Close, Fordyce Close. Named from the 'Anchor Tavern in Fuller's Close' kept by George Cumming.
Tron Kirk
Now the Old Town Information centre
(Open April-May, Thurs-Sun 10.00-5.00, June-Sept, daily, 10.00-7.00. Tel: 0131-20-1637)


The Tron Kirk

Brass Rubbing Centre
(Open June-Sept, Mon-Sat10.00-6.00, Oct-May Mon-Sat 10.00-5.00, Open
on Sundays only during the Festival,
2.00-5.00)
Surviving remnant of the Collegiate Church founded in 1460 and now housing a collection of replicas of ancient Pictish Crosses and medieval brasswork from which you can take impressions on paper.
Museum of Childhood
(Open June-Sept, Mon-Sat10.00-6.00, Oct-May Mon-Sat 10.00-5.00, Open
on Sundays only during the Festival,
2.00-5.00)
Historical toys, books, dolls, and
much frequented by children.
John Knox house
(Open Mon-Sat 10.00-4.30)
Devoted to the life and career of the Scottish religious reformer, this picturesque house has inscribed on
the outside: "LYFE GOD ABUFE AL AND YI NYCHTBOUR AS YI SELF"
Moubray House
Daniel Defoe's office, and thought to be the oldest surviving dwelling in the town, but unfortunately not open to the public

CANONGATE
Chessel's Court
Built in 1745 as mansion apartments.
Morocco Land
Restored early 18th C. tenement which takes its name from a half length figure of a Moor on the front
Canongate Tollbooth
(Open June-Sept, Mon-Sat 10.00-6.00, Oct-May 10.00-5.00, and also, during the festival: Sun 2.00-5.00)
The tower was built in 1591. The building now houses a museum:
"The Peoples' Story", everyday life of the inhabitants of Edinburgh down the centuries.
Canongate Kirk
Built in 1688 after James VII had given orders for the Nave at Holyrood Abbey to be converted from the parish church to the chapel for the Order of the Thistle.
Panmure House
Late 17th C house once belonging to Adam Smith, the famous theoretician of political economy.
Huntly House
(Open June-Sept, Mon-Sat 10.00-6.00, Oct-May 10.00-5.00, and also, during the festival: Sun 2.00-5.00)
Restored 16th C, and now contains a museum of local history, and also relics relating to Field Marshal Earl Haig.
White Horse Close
From an Inn on this site stagecoaches
used to leave for London.
New Scottish Parliament Building
Designed by Catalan architect Enric
Miralles, scheduled to open in 2002.


The Scott Monument


A scene from Greyfriars Kirkyard

HISTORICAL PLACES

HOLYROOD PALACE
The Palace is located on the site of Holyrood Abbey, an Augustinian monastery that was founded in 1128 by King David I. King David had pledged to build an Abbey for Canons devoted to the Cross, - Holyrood actually means "Holy Cross"
By the early 1300's there was already a Royal Residence built adjacent to the Abbey Church. Now, the oldest part, on the left as you look at the entrance and front courtyard, was built in 1528-32 by John Ayton, master mason to James V. Later, in the 17th C, the present much extended form was created during rebuilding for Charles II.
Today the Palace is often used as a Royal Residence, and this means that it is sometimes closed to the public at irregular times. The interior is intriguing, both the older Historical Apartments where Mary Queen of Scots often stayed, and where her private secretary and confidant Rizzio was stabbed to death on instructions from her husband, Lord Darnley, and the State Apartments which are notable for their paintings, decoration, ornate plasterwork and chimney pieces dating from between the 1600's and 1900's.


Holyrood Palace

Holyrood Park
Holyrood Palace is set against the beautiful backdrop of Holyrood Park, which stretches to 650 acres and is one of Edinburgh's favourite rambling areas. The Royal Park is freely accessible to the public and offers an escape from the hustle and bustle of the city within the space of a few minutes. One of the biggest attractions in Holyrood Park is Arthur's Seat which stands at around 822 ft.
A favourite visitor spot in the park is Duddingston Loch, this is also a bird sanctuary which is situated next to Duddingston Kirk. Adjacent is the village of Duddingston, where time almost stands still, so strong is the historic atmosphere. The village pub, the Sheep Heid Inn, is one of the oldest in Edinburgh and has an interesting interior design. Well worth a visit for a relaxing drink.

Arthur's Seat & Salisbury Craggs
The pedestrian in Edinburgh seldom walks on level ground, the city having been built on a series of hills. The gradients, however, are never to steep, and the ideal way to see Edinburgh is by foot.
The local terrain is the result of the fact that Arthur's Seat was the principal volcano in this region millions of years ago. The highest point in Holyrood Park is Arthur's Seat at around 822 ft and if you fancy a gentle workout the ascent is not as difficult as it looks and is well worth the effort for the glorious views from the top, with the whole city, the Forth estuary and the country spread out in front of you.

ST. GILES CATHEDRAL
Across the High Street is St Giles' Cathedral, the High Kirk of Edinburgh, with its distinctive open crown steeple supported by eight flying buttresses. A church is believed to have stood on this site since at least ad 854. The present building is from around the Fifteenth century. The exterior of St. Giles is the result of a refacing of the old stonework and supervised by the architect William Burn in 1829. The interior includes the Thistle Chapel (1911) by Sir Robert Lorimer, famous for its ornate wood carving, which is the chapel of the Order of the Thistle, (one of the oldest orders of chivalry in Europe). Parliament Square, at the rear of St Giles', was at one time the churchyard of St. Giles. John Knox was interred there, but the exact site of his grave is now unknown. Beneath the arcade is the entrance to Parliament House, once the seat of the Scottish Parliament, which was dissolved on the Union of Parliaments in March 1707.
Parliament House is now the seat of the supreme law courts of Scotland, for Scotland's separate legal system was kept after the Union. Visitors should check out Parliament Hall, an interesting place with a hammer-beam roof that doesn't contain a single nail. The large stained-glass window at the south end, which depicts the inauguration of the Court of Session by King James V in 1532, was designed in Munich in 1868.
The Heart of Midlothian, a heart-shaped pattern of stones in the roadway a few yards from the main door of St Giles', is a memento of a grim past. For the stones mark the site of the doorway of the Old Tolbooth, the town prison that stood here for some 400 years before it was demolished in 1817.

GREYFRIARS KIRK
Greyfriars Kirk, whose entrance gates stand at the south end of George IV Bridge, is one of Edinburgh's most historic and atmospheric churches. The churchyard, is a calm and pleasant place to visit, ensuring you forget you are in the heart of the city. Greyfriars is Edinburgh's oldest graveyard, and was built in the 1620s, but was greatly damaged by fire in the 19th century and was subsequently re-built. An interesting fact about the church has to be that it has been estimated that there are some 80,000 people buried in the kirkyard.
The present church, belonging to the Church of Scotland, was the first new church to be erected in Edinburgh after the Reformation. The National Covenant, that militant expression of the Presbyterian faith, was signed here in 1638. Another piece of Scotland's troubled ecclesiastical history is the treatment dealt out to the Covenanters who were imprisoned here, under conditions of great hardship, and indeed some were executed for their religious beliefs. The nearby Martyr's Monument is a memorial to them.
Greyfriars Bobby
Immediately outside the churchyard gates, at the crest of Candlemaker Row, stands the celebrated bronze likeness of Greyfriars Bobby. Bobby was the pet of policeman John Gray who died in 1858. The loyalty of the little Skye terrier was so great that for 14 years the dog is said to have lived on his master's grave in Greyfriars Kirkyard.This is perhaps the most famous memorial to a dog to be found anywhere in the world.

PRINCES STREET GARDENS
For visitors and shoppers who wish to escape the noisy traffic of Princes Street, it is literally only a few steps to the quiet of Princes Street Gardens. The gardens are in two parts, separated by the roadway of the Mound and the classic architecture of the art galleries. The gardens fill the valley between Old Town and New Town, with Princes Street itself lining the northern side. The gardens were once the site of the Nor' Loch (part of the Castle's defensive moat) but this was drained in the 1750s in order that some gardens could be built. In 1816 an Act of Parliament protected the site from commercial development and so to this day the gardens remain an oasis in the heart of the city. During the summer months the park acts as a mecca for visitors and locals alike in search of panoramic views of the city . Also situated at the foot of the Mound is the oldest Floral Clock in the world. Dating from 1903 it is made up of over 20,000 flowers and has electrical hands.If you visit the clock, arrive in time for the quarter past the hour ritual of a little cuckoo appearing from its home.
In the middle of West Princes Street Gardens stands the Ross Theatre, where a varied programme of entertainment is presented in the season, normally beneath the protection of a large canopy.
East Princes Street Gardens
At the eastern end of the gardens stands the memorial of the oldest regiment in the British Army, the Royal Scots, inscribed with its long roll of campaign honours and of course the Scott Monument also stands here.

SCOTT MONUMENT
In East Princes Street Gardens soars the 200-ft spire of the Scott Monument, Edinburgh's tribute to one of her most famous sons, the novelist Sir Walter Scott. The marble likeness of Scott at the base was designed Sir John Steell - Scott's favourite dog, Maida, lies at his feet. Many characters from Scott's novels, as well as figures from Scottish history, adorn the monument at various levels, and there is a small exhibition area halfway up. A circular stairway can be climbed to the top which numbers 287 steps in all but it is worth the time and effort.

THE MEADOWS
The Meadows and Bruntsfield Links, which lie on either side of Melville Drive, are probably the biggest recreational area around this part of the city. The Meadows has been a popular public park since 1860, it consists of a large stretch of parkland criss-crossed with paths, and is used regularly for football, cricket, cycling, hockey, tennis, bowls, jogging and general relaxation in the fine weather. At one time it was a large expand of water called the South Loch or Burgh Loch, and provided the town of Edinburgh to the north with its main water supply.

CALTON HILL
Situated at the eastern end of Princes Street, Calton Hill marks the edge of the original New Town development., though it may not be as dramatic as Castle Rock or the Arthur's Seat, it's a must for the stunning views around the city. To the west, Princes Street and the castle - to the south, the Old Town with Arthur's Seat lurking in the background - to the east and north lie the Forth, the port of Leith, and our first glimpse of the New Town.
The visitor who climbs Calton Hill and wanders among it's impressive memorials will discover many chapters of Edinburgh's history.

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