While it’s definitely a rather intensive “touristy” spot, if you spend enough time going up and down The Royal Mile, and you will find some gems. There are alleyways that lead to little gardens and smaller shops. Entering one door led to a historical museum that was much larger than what the outside entrance suggested. The castle was interesting to explore and held a special surprise connected to my family history (hiding the Honors of Scotland). Also, the National Library of Scotland is in that area, and I could have spent more than a day just in that building!
Couple notes:
- I created a separate post for Edinburgh Castle.
- I kept pictures uncropped to give a more complete view, and also included a video at the end that does the same.
Videos:
Pictures:
Brewhemia is one of the first things we saw after exiting the train station in Edinburgh. The tunnel with stairs that leads to the Royal Mile is to the right of it.
Exiting the tunnel from the train station, heading toward the Royal Mile, this is directly across the street.
After exiting the tunnel, we turn left, and this is the first of many interesting curving buildings shaped to line with curving road. It’s not so much a distortion of the camera as it might appear here.
Another curved building with a curved road: Jeffrey Street.
Procaffeination and other shops near Royal Mile Edinburgh
Canongate Kirk in Edinburgh
Follow the little alleyways off of the main road, and you will often find courtyards with shops, gardens, and often simply where people live and hang out.
Edinburgh
St Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh, Old Town and Royal Mile area. The Adam Smith statue has a seagull on it, and when viewing other photos of this online, that seems to be a common site.
St Giles Cathedral, Edinburgh
Clock tower in Royal Mile, Ediburgh
Alexander and Bucephalus Statue on High St Edinburgh
Building on Canongate near the Wyrd Shop in Edinburgh
On the way to the Museum of Edinburgh, where we spent about an hour or so.
Across st from National Library of Scotland
National Library of Scotland, stairs in entry. This is where I was able to get some of the genealogy information.
The Witchery Shop
The Witchery Sign
The Coo Bakehouse, Edinburgh. There were so many names of places, tourist keepsakes, and other mentioning of coos… but I never saw a single actual real-life coo the whole time we were there. Lots of sheep. A couple of goats. Signs for otters. No coos. Guess I’ll have to go back and try again…
Victoria Street in Edinburgh is so pretty and difficult to fully capture in a photo.
A couple shops on Victoria Street.
Kevin taking pictures of Victoria Street.
“To look over the South Bridge and see the Colgate below full of crying hawkers, is to view one rank of society from another in the twinkling of an eye.” Robert Louse Stevenson, 1878.
Cowgate Cow – sign below says “The TOON COOcillar”
The Worlds End sign, Edinburgh
