The Royal Mile

Why go

The Royal Mile joins two royal residences while passing through the everyday fabric of the Old Town. Castlehill and Lawnmarket lead to St Giles’ Cathedral and Parliament Square; Canongate continues towards Holyroodhouse. The branching closes and bridges reveal changes of level that a straight walk down the main street can miss.

What to look for

• Gladstone’s Land stands on Lawnmarket, the former linen market.
• St Giles’ Cathedral and Parliament Square mark the High Street stretch.
• Canongate leads downhill towards the palace and Holyrood Abbey.

The full story

The Royal Mile is a collective name for several streets: Castle Esplanade, Castlehill, Lawnmarket, High Street, Canongate and Abbey Strand. Together they extend for roughly a Scots mile between the castle and Holyroodhouse. Each stretch has a different role in the city’s history, from the parade ground beside the fortress to the markets and religious buildings farther downhill. Lawnmarket takes its name from the linen trade. Canongate derives from the canons’ gait, or monks’ walk, recalling the religious community associated with Holyrood Abbey. Between them, the High Street opens around St Giles’ Cathedral and the courts. The crossings with the bridges expose another feature of Edinburgh’s development: major roads run above older, lower streets. South Bridge can look like an ordinary shopping street from above, although Cowgate lies far below. Looking along the ridge and then into its side streets reveals both the medieval plan and later engineering.

Useful to know

• Walk from the castle towards Holyroodhouse for a downhill progression through the named streets.
• Pause at the closes and the bridge crossings rather than treating the Scots-mile length as one continuous sight.

Your next visit

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