Old Town Edinburgh occupies the ancient volcanic ridge running from Edinburgh Castle down to the Palace of Holyroodhouse, a spine of history shaped by nearly a thousand years of continuous urban settlement. The neighbourhood’s distinctive skyline of tenements, spires, and the castle rock has remained largely intact since the 17th century. It is the cultural and historical core of Scotland’s capital and one of the best-preserved medieval streetscapes in Europe.
What is Old Town Edinburgh known for?
Old Town Edinburgh is known for the Royal Mile — the collective name for Castlehill, Lawnmarket, High Street, Canongate, and Abbey Strand — which stretches roughly one Scottish mile from Edinburgh Castle to the Palace of Holyroodhouse, lined with museums, closes, kirks, and independent shops. The neighbourhood also contains Greyfriars Kirkyard, the Scottish Parliament building, and a dense network of narrow medieval closes and wynds that once housed the entire population of the city within its defensive walls. Key landmarks include St Giles’ Cathedral, the Real Mary King’s Close, and the Museum of Edinburgh on Canongate.
Best things to do in Old Town Edinburgh
The single most rewarding activity in Old Town is walking the full length of the Royal Mile and ducking into its side closes, such as Advocates Close, Riddles Court, and White Horse Close, each revealing layers of medieval and early modern architecture. Beyond the street itself, visitors can tour Edinburgh Castle to see the Scottish Crown Jewels and the Stone of Destiny, explore the underground vaults beneath South Bridge, attend a performance at the Festival Theatre or Traverse Theatre, and visit the National Museum of Scotland on Chambers Street, which is free to enter.
- Edinburgh Castle and the Scottish Crown Jewels
- Real Mary King’s Close underground tour
- National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street
- Greyfriars Kirkyard and the Greyfriars Bobby statue
- Scottish Parliament building visitor tours
- Victoria Street’s curved Georgian tenement shopfronts
Where to eat in Old Town Edinburgh
Old Town offers everything from traditional Scottish cuisine to contemporary dining, concentrated along the Royal Mile, Grassmarket, and the Cowgate. For haggis, neeps, and tatties or Scottish stovies, Whiski Rooms on North Bank Street and The Grain Store on Victoria Street are well-regarded local options. The Grassmarket square hosts several pubs with long histories, including the White Hart Inn, reputedly one of Edinburgh’s oldest licensed premises. Deacon Brodie’s Tavern on the corner of Lawnmarket and Bank Street is a historic pub named after the 18th-century Edinburgh councillor who inspired Robert Louis Stevenson’s Jekyll and Hyde.
- Whiski Rooms, North Bank Street — Scottish whiskies and traditional dishes
- The Grain Store, Victoria Street — Scottish produce in a vaulted space
- Deacon Brodie’s Tavern, Lawnmarket — historic pub on the Royal Mile
- White Hart Inn, Grassmarket — one of Edinburgh’s oldest pubs
- Mums, Forrest Road — comfort food and full Scottish breakfasts
Where to walk in Old Town Edinburgh
The most rewarding walk in Old Town begins at the Esplanade of Edinburgh Castle, follows the Royal Mile downhill through Lawnmarket and High Street past St Giles’ Cathedral, continues along Canongate past the Museum of Edinburgh and Canongate Kirk, and ends at the Palace of Holyroodhouse and the base of Arthur’s Seat in Holyrood Park. A secondary route descends from the Royal Mile via Victoria Street into the Grassmarket, then follows the Cowgate eastward past Greyfriars to Chambers Street.
How to get to Old Town Edinburgh
Old Town Edinburgh is most directly reached from Edinburgh Waverley railway station, the city’s main rail hub located immediately north of the neighbourhood at the foot of the North Bridge and Waverley Bridge; from Waverley, the Royal Mile is a five-minute walk uphill via the Cockburn Street switchback or the stairs of Fleshmarket Close. Edinburgh Trams run along Princes Street adjacent to the Old Town, and numerous Lothian Buses routes including the Lothian Buses 35 serve Chambers Street and the Cowgate. Edinburgh Airport is approximately 30 minutes by tram to Princes Street.
Best time to visit Old Town Edinburgh
Old Town Edinburgh is a year-round destination, but August brings the Edinburgh Festival Fringe — the world’s largest arts festival — which transforms the neighbourhood’s streets, courtyards, and venues into performance spaces, making it the most atmospheric but also the most crowded month to visit. Late spring (May–June) and September offer good weather with smaller crowds. The Edinburgh Christmas Market in East Princes Street Gardens, adjacent to Old Town, runs from late November through December and draws significant visitor numbers to the area.
