The Jewels of the Mile

The Royal Mile is one of the most well-known thoroughfares in Britain and no visit to Edinburgh is complete without pounding the pavements at the heart of the Scottish capital’s Old Town. Take a tour of the headline attractions first, but leave time to discover the underbelly and whispers of Auld Reekie’s Royal Mile, uncovering centuries of secrets, hidden gems and mysteries.

The Royal Mile is made up of several consecutive streets, including Canongate, High Street, Lawnmarket and Castlehill, which start at the Palace of Holyroodhouse and head up to the iconic Edinburgh Castle. It runs almost exactly a mile in length and serves as a royal processional route. Edinburgh has been Scotland’s capital since the 15th century and the Royal Mile was initially at the heart of Scotland’s politics, business and city life, but as the city became increasingly crowded these streets weren’t as regal as they sound. In the 18th and 19th century, when Edinburgh’s New Town was built, the wealthy and enlightened swiftly abandoned the Royal Mile to take up residence in smart new housing, leaving the Old Town’s tenement blocks and narrow ‘closes’ and ‘wynds’ as places of poverty, occasional violence and intrigue.

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