Royal Mile
ATTRACTION Keywords:
Good Place to Drink,
Good Place to Eat,
Monument - Historical,
Street / Avenue
Bookended by Edinburgh Castle and Holyrood Palace, the Royal Mile (it's actually slightly longer than a mile) is the grand center of Edinburgh's Old Town. The Royal Mile is dominated by granite, giving it a dark, Gothic feel, and lined with majestic buildings - banks, churches, courthouses.
It was first modeled in the 12th century, when it was called Via Regis (the Way of the King). It’s not many thoroughfares that can claim to follow a path carved out by a glacier!
Even though these days it's Tourist Central - it's jam-packed during the Edinburgh Festival, and year-round is heavy on the tartan'n' shortbread kitsch - it still somehow manages to maintain its feeling of splendor.
Latest Reviews
Review by Amy-Michigan, May 2012
Doing what: Secrets of Edinburgh's Royal Mile Afternoon Walking Tour
Great afternoon spent on the Royal Mile. Thank you!
Review by Mary G, August 2011
Doing what: Secrets of Edinburgh's Royal Mile Afternoon Walking Tour
It was a very rainy day when we went for this tour. With our rain coats in placed we traversed this old city on the Royal Mile and learned some of its history. We really enjoyed the information given to us by our guide.
Review by Maureen S, February 2011
Doing what: Secrets of Edinburgh's Royal Mile Afternoon Walking Tour
We really enjoyed this tour. At first we thought it might just be going round a few places but we visited places that you would never have found on your own. The guide was really good and very interesting. Although we had been up and down the Royal Mile repeatedly, we had never noticed the things he pointed out to us. Well worth the money.
Practical Info
The Royal Mile is actually a series of streets, running from Castle Esplanade in the west through Castlehill, Lawnmarket (which used to be the old open-air linen market), High Street and Canongate. It finishes at Abbey Strand, which leads into Holyrood Palace.
