Edinburgh Walks
Calton Hill & Arthur's Seat
Broughton street is a great place to start this walk where you can fuel yourself with a breakfast or lunch in some wonderful cafes & bakery's.
Either make your way through the St James Center - an amazing place to shop and eat! Or head towards Calton hill street and walk up towards the steps to Calton Hill.
When you get to the Dugald Stewart Monument take a photo of the amazing view.
From here you can retrace your steps back down towards the main road (A1) and walk along to Jacobs Ladder.
Walk down these steps and walk up New street till you hit the Royal Mile. At this point you have some great options for food & drinks.
After a wee tipple or a bite to eat carry on down the Royal Mile towards Holyrood Palace. Along the way you will pass a few interesting closes to explore and photograph.
Holyrood Palace is a wonderful place to visit if you have time and glimpse into what it was like living in 16th century Scotland. Booking tickets in advance throughout summer is advisable.
Walk along the Queens drive towards Holyrood park where there and multiple walking routes around the park some more strenuous than others! Make sure you choose the right one for you and make your way up Arthur's seat; the only place in Edinburgh where you can pretend you’re hiking the Highlands while still being close enough to grab a pint afterward.
This extinct volcano gives you a breathtaking view of the city—literally, because the climb will have you gasping for air. Pack a snack, brace for wind strong enough to rearrange your face, and enjoy Scotland’s most dramatic yet oddly convenient adventure.
Royal Mile & Grass Market
Welcome to Edinburgh’s Royal Mile, a historic street soaked in centuries of blood, filth, and ghostly whispers. Once a playground for plague-ridden bodies tossed from windows and criminals dragged to their gruesome ends, these cobbled stones have seen more suffering than a medieval battlefield.
Start this walk at the bottom of Cockburn Street next to the Edinburgh Dungeons which is a darkly entertaining, interactive attraction that drags visitors through Scotland’s grimmest history with a mix of live actors, special effects, and terrifying rides.
Walk up cockburn street which has a fantastic array of shops and restaurants. Turn right at the top and walk up the Royal Mile towards the castle.
If you are visiting in August then the whole Royal Mile will be a buzz with impromptu shows, performers & musicians all here for the Fringe festival! Embrace the chaos and enjoy the atmosphere. Everything from shows, accommodations and restaurants will book up quick around this time so booking in advance is a must.
Edinburgh’s Royal Mile is lined with closes—narrow, winding alleyways packed with dark history. Some of these tiny streets have seen murder, plague, and ghostly hauntings that still give locals chills. Here are a few of the best true stories:
1. Mary King’s Close – The Plague-Ridden Ghost Town
One of the most famous closes, Mary King’s Close, was sealed off during the 17th-century plague. Victims were said to have been locked inside to die, and their ghosts are still reported today. The most famous is Annie, the spirit of a little girl who supposedly haunts a small room, crying for her lost doll. Visitors often leave toys behind to comfort her.
2. Brodie’s Close – Home of Edinburgh’s Double Life Criminal
Deacon William Brodie was a respected businessman by day and a cunning thief by night. By using his job as a cabinetmaker to create copies of customers’ keys, he stole from the very people who trusted him. He even helped design the gallows where he was eventually hanged in 1788 after being caught in an armed robbery.
3. Advocate’s Close – The Devil’s Visit?
This close is tied to the legend of Major Thomas Weir, a well-respected Covenanter who shocked Edinburgh by confessing to witchcraft, incest, and devil-worship in 1670. He claimed to have been given his supernatural powers by Satan himself. After his execution, eerie sightings of his ghost were reported, and his abandoned home remained untouched for over a century.
4. Fleshmarket Close – A Butcher’s Alley Turned Crime Scene
Named for the meat market that once thrived here, Fleshmarket Close became infamous for a different kind of "meat trade"—body snatching. Burke and Hare, the notorious murderers who sold fresh corpses to medical schools, prowled the area in the early 19th century. Locals feared walking here alone at night, lest they wake up on an anatomy table.
Some things to look out for!
• The heart of Midlothian. The Heart of Midlothian is a heart-shaped mosaic set into the pavement on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile, near St Giles’ Cathedral. It marks the former entrance to the Old Tolbooth, which served as a prison, courthouse, and execution site until it was demolished in 1817.
People spit on the Heart of Midlothian as a tradition, originally as a sign of disdain for the prison and its harsh justice system. Today, many do it for good luck or as a local custom.
• The small brass bar embedded in the Royal Mile marks the spot of the last public execution in Edinburgh, which took place on 21 June 1864. The execution was of George Bryce, a robber and murderer, who was hanged outside the old Edinburgh Tolbooth near St Giles' Cathedral.
The brass marker is a subtle reminder of Edinburgh’s history of public executions, which were once common at that spot. It’s located near the Heart of Midlothian mosaic, another historic marker of the Old Tolbooth.
When you get to the Castle it is definitely worth paying to get inside and explore the historic site. If you time it right and are there for 1 o'clock you will witness the 1 o'clock gun being fired from a canon!
If you are here in August then there will be stands set up on the esplanade of Edinburgh castle for the Military Tattoo which is an annual military performance. It features military bands, pipers, drummers, dancers, and performers from around the world. A once in a lifetime show that will sell out so tickets must be bought in advance.
Make your way to Upper Bow and onto Victoria terrace. This beautiful street is filled with marvelous restaurants, cafes & shops.
Walk down onto the grass market and explore the historic area. There is a great viewpoint for photos of the castle just off the grass market called The Vennel.
There is a famous pub call Maggie Dicksons which is named after "Half Hangit' Maggie" who was 22 years old when she was charged with concealment of pregnancy, hung in the grassmarket and pronounced dead. She later woke up in her coffin on the way to the graveyard and was allowed to live for another 40 years as she had already served her punishment!
From the grassmarket walk along Candlemaker Row and through Greyfriers kirkyard. Make sure to pay your respects to Greyfriars Bobby. From here you can walk back up towards the Royal mile or stop off at the national museum of Edinburgh which is free.
Dean Village & Stockbridge
Dean Village is a picturesque historic area in Edinburgh, Scotland, nestled along the Water of Leith. Once a bustling grain milling village, its charming cobbled streets, stone cottages, and lush riverside setting make it a peaceful escape from the city's hustle. Today, it's a sought-after residential area and a popular spot for visitors looking to enjoy scenic walks and admire its well-preserved 19th-century architecture.
Walk over the bride and take a peek at Well Court, making your way over Bells Brae bridge and following Millers Row down towards the water of Leith Walkway.
As you walk along the river you will pass St Bernards well and eventually make your way up onto saunders Street which has Jubilee gardens at its end that every Sunday is host to the Stockbridge market. From here make your way to St Stephen Street which not only has the old Stockbridge market Arch but there is a wonderful array of bars & restaurants to choose from.
After a bite to eat, make your way to circle Lane and walk along one of the prettiest cobbled streets in Edinburgh.
At the end of circus lane walk down Clarence Street and pick up some marvelous pastries in Lannan Bakery.
From here find your way to Saxe Coburg street and follow the path down to Glenogle Road where you turn right and find Glenogle Place. At the end of Glenogle place you can cross over the bridge to the water of Leith Walkway and turn right towards Rocheid path.
Follow this path up towards Summer place and turn right along to the main road (B901). Turn left and you will find the East gate entrance to the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE) a world-renowned scientific center and a stunning green oasis founded in 1670. It is one of the oldest botanic gardens in the world, spans 70 acres of beautifully landscaped grounds and is home to over 13,000 plant species from around the globe. If you are here in winter the botanical gardens have an illuminated lights walk at night which is pretty spectacular.
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