Royal Mile

The Royal Mile has over 70 named closes running off it, most of which tourists never enter

Edinburgh’s Old Town is a city within a city. The Royal Mile, running almost exactly one mile from Edinburgh Castle to the Palace of Holyroodhouse, is its spine. Off either side, narrow passages called closes cut through the tenement blocks to the streets and levels below. A close is a covered or semi-covered alley in the Scots sense of an enclosed passage; a wynd is a wider, open-sky lane running parallel. There are more than 70 named closes on the Mile. They came into existence because Edinburgh was enclosed by its city wall and could not expand outward, so it built upward and inward, with buildings stacked sometimes 10 or 11 storeys and close-packed against each other.

In 1566, Mary Queen of Scots gave birth to her son James VI at Edinburgh Castle; earlier that same year, her private secretary David Rizzio was stabbed to death at the Holyrood end of the Mile while having supper with her. In 1707 the Act of Union was ratified at Parliament House on the High Street. The Great Fire of 1824 swept through the Old Town killing at least ten people and reshaping parts of the streetscape still visible today. Most visitors walk the central thoroughfare, shop in the souvenir outlets, and miss most of this entirely.

Edinburgh Castle

Edinburgh Castle sits on Castle Rock at the western end of the Mile. The Crown Room reopened in April 2026 after restoration and now gives full access to the Honours of Scotland (the Scottish crown jewels) and the Stone of Destiny. The Western Defences also reopened in spring 2026. Adult tickets cost £23.50 online (£26 walk-up); children aged 7 to 15 pay £14 online. The castle sells out in summer and once online allocations close, no walk-up tickets are available. Book in advance. Arriving at opening time (9:30am) significantly reduces crowding at the Crown Room and on the battlements.

The One O’Clock Gun fires Monday to Saturday at 1pm (except Good Friday, Christmas Day, and during official funeral periods). The timing derives from a 19th-century naval signal system that allowed ships on the Firth of Forth to set their chronometers.

The Palace of Holyroodhouse

The Palace of Holyroodhouse at the eastern end is the official Scottish residence of the monarch and is partially open to visitors when the Royal Family is not in residence. Check opening dates on the official site before visiting; it closes on short notice for official events. The adjacent ruins of Holyrood Abbey, a 12th-century Augustinian foundation, are included in admission and are accessible through the palace grounds.

Brass studs set into the road on the Abbey Strand just outside the palace mark the historic boundary of the Holyrood Sanctuary, a legal zone where debtors could claim refuge from arrest. The “S” marks on the gatehouse still visible today indicate where that protection began.

What to see along the way

St. Giles’ Cathedral on the High Street is the mother church of Scottish Presbyterianism and dates primarily from the 14th and 15th centuries. Entry is free but a donation is encouraged. The Thistle Chapel inside (built 1909) is one of the finest examples of early 20th-century Gothic revival craftsmanship in Scotland. The National Museum of Scotland on Chambers Street, a short walk south of the Mile, is free and holds the most comprehensive collection of Scottish history, science, and culture in the country. Allow at least three hours.

The closes themselves are all publicly accessible and free. Mary King’s Close, a preserved underground close beneath the Royal Mile, runs ticketed tours (around £20) through chambers that were sealed and built over in the 17th century. It is genuinely atmospheric and worth booking in advance. The Scotch Whisky Experience near the castle entrance does a decent job of explaining production and regional character without requiring you to buy anything.

Where to eat

The Old Town has a wide range of options. Howies Victoria on Victoria Street (the curved Victorian street descending from the Mile toward the Grassmarket) focuses on Scottish ingredients: Cullen Skink, venison, and haggis done without condescension. Prices are moderate for the Old Town. The Grassmarket below the castle has several independent pubs and cafes that feel less oriented toward tourists than the Mile itself. The Sheep Heid Inn in the nearby suburb of Duddingston claims to be Scotland’s oldest pub (dating to 1360), has a functioning Victorian skittle alley, and is worth the 30-minute walk or short bus ride from the city centre.

For whisky specifically, the Highland Hideout on Old Town opened in early 2026 with around 200 rare malts and a menu of Highland produce. It is a more considered option than the tourist-facing whisky shops on the Mile itself.

Where to stay

The Witchery by the Castle on Castlehill is a theatrical option immediately beside the castle esplanade, with elaborately decorated suites and a well-regarded restaurant. Prices start around £350 per night and it books out weeks in advance. For mid-range Old Town accommodation, the Grassmarket Hotel on the square below the castle offers comfortable rooms with views of the castle rock and direct access to the pub and restaurant scene below the Mile. Budget travelers are well served by the Old Town’s concentration of hostels on and around the Cowgate, running from around £25 per dorm bed.

Practical information

Edinburgh is on Greenwich Mean Time in winter (UTC+0) and British Summer Time in summer (UTC+1). Edinburgh Waverley station is the main rail terminus, served by LNER from London Kings Cross (under 5 hours) and ScotRail from Glasgow Queen Street (50 minutes). The city centre and Royal Mile are easily walkable from Waverley. Princes Street, running parallel to the Mile on the north side of the Old Town ridge, connects to the main bus network and the tram line to Edinburgh Airport (about 30 minutes, £7.50 single).

August is the Fringe month and Edinburgh’s population roughly doubles. Hotel prices triple. Book months in advance if visiting in August. The same applies to Hogmanay (New Year) street events, which require ticketing. January through March offers the lowest prices and manageable crowds; the castle and most attractions remain fully open.