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Edinburgh · History

The Royal Mile: from castle to palace

The Royal Mile links two seats of power: the castle, high on a volcanic rock, and the Palace of Holyroodhouse at the foot of the hill. Walking down it means walking through nine centuries of Scottish history, from John Knox's Reformation to the Parliament reconvening in 1999. The whole route runs downhill and finishes beside Holyrood Park.

  • 6 stops
  • 1.8 km
  • 1 h 45 min
  • Free
Start with GPS Read about this stop 1
The Esplanade and the gatehouse of Edinburgh Castle

The route

Stop by stop

  1. 1 Edinburgh CastleA fortress on an extinct volcano that has been royal residence, prison, barracks and keeper of Scotland's Crown Jewels.
  2. 2 St Giles' CathedralThe mother church of the Scottish Reformation, where John Knox preached and where, so the story goes, a flying stool sparked a revolution.
  3. 3 John Knox HouseThe best-preserved medieval house on the Royal Mile belonged to Mary Queen of Scots' goldsmith, yet bears the name of her fiercest enemy.
  4. 4 The Canongate: Tolbooth and KirkFor seven centuries this was a separate town, with its own council house, its own jail and a church born of a royal decision.
  5. 5 Scottish ParliamentScotland went nearly three centuries without a Parliament; when it got one back, it asked an architect from Barcelona to build its home.
  6. 6 Palace of HolyroodhouseThe monarch's official residence in Scotland, where Mary Queen of Scots watched her secretary being dragged off to his death.

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What you’ll discover

The Royal Mile: from castle to palace

Two royal ends

You start on the castle Esplanade and finish at the gates of the palace where Mary Queen of Scots lived.

Houses that talk

Inscriptions, coats of arms and clocks from the 15th to the 17th centuries that you can read from the street.

An unexpected finale

The Scottish Parliament, by Catalan architect Enric Miralles, facing a Renaissance palace.

Keep exploring

More routes in Edinburgh

Back to Edinburgh
Mysteries & legendsBodysnatchers, ghosts and a faithful dog MixedFrom Victoria Street to Calton Hill: Edinburgh's highlights

Itineraries

How many days do you have in Edinburgh?

We’ve planned it day by day for you: which routes to walk and in what order, what else to see and where to eat.

1

Edinburgh in 1 day

All three routes in one full day: the highlights, the history and the legends at dusk.

See the itinerary 2

Edinburgh in 2 days

A gentler pace: the three routes over two days, plus extra sights and where to eat.

See the itinerary 3

Edinburgh in 3 days

The city in depth: one route a day, extra museums and neighbourhoods, and a day for good food.

See the itinerary