Follow the historic spine of Edinburgh, The Royal Mile, which connects the mighty Edinburgh Castle at one end to the grandeur of Holyrood Abbey at the other. This atmospheric thoroughfare lets you explore everything from the dramatic views of Arthur’s Seat to the unique wonders found at the Camera Obscura & World of Illusions. As you wander past Canongate Kirk and the Palace of Holyroodhouse, you'll step through centuries of Scottish history and royal life.
Arthur's Seat
Holyrood Road, The Royal Mile, Edinburgh, EH8, United Kingdom
You can climb an extinct volcano without leaving the city centre.
Camera Obscura & World of Illusions
Castlehill, The Royal Mile, Edinburgh, EH1 2ND, United Kingdom
Scotland's oldest purpose-built visitor attraction has been bending light and bending minds since 1835, when entrepreneur Maria Theresa Short set up her optical show on Calton Hill.
Canongate Kirk
153 Canongate, The Royal Mile, Edinburgh, EH8 8BN, United Kingdom
Adam Smith, the father of modern economics, is buried in a modest grave in this kirkyard, and for most of the twentieth century almost nobody noticed.
Edinburgh Castle
Castlehill, The Royal Mile, Edinburgh, EH1 2NG, United Kingdom
There's a tiny chapel hiding inside one of Europe's most besieged fortresses, and it's been standing since around 1130 — making it the oldest surviving building in Edinburgh.
Holyrood Abbey
Canongate, The Royal Mile, Edinburgh, EH8, United Kingdom
These roofless Gothic arches, open to the sky and the Edinburgh rain, are what remains of one of Scotland's most important medieval monasteries.
Palace of Holyroodhouse
Canongate, The Royal Mile, Edinburgh, EH8, United Kingdom
On the night of 9 March 1566, Mary Queen of Scots was having supper in a tiny room off her bedchamber when a group of armed nobles burst in, dragged her Italian secretary David Rizzio from behind her skirts, and stabbed him fifty-six times.
Royal Mile
The Royal Mile, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
This street isn't actually a mile long — it's a mile and 107 yards, which happens to be exactly one Scots mile, a measurement that hasn't been used since the eighteenth century.
Explore The Royal Mile with VoiceWalks
GPS-guided narration at every landmark. Tap a spot on the map, hear the story.