Edinburgh Royal Mile


The Edinburgh Royal Mile is Old Town's busiest tourist street, rivaled by Princes Street in the New Town. As the name suggests, the Royal mile is an approximately one Scottish mile long, and runs between two foci of history in Scotland, from Edinburgh Castle at the top of the Castle Rock down to Holyrood Abbey. Most Probably Edinburgh's oldest street, The Edinburgh Royal Mile connects Edinburgh Castle with the Palace of Holyrood House. The Edinburgh Royal Mile is an eclectic mix of tourist shops and eateries as well as pubs and historical attractions. It also serves as the heart of Scotland's legal system, being the home of both the High Court of Justiciary and the Court of Session. We can say that Royal Mile is “Largest, Longest and Finest Street in the World".

Edinburgh's Royal Mile (it is actually one mile and 107 yards from entrance to Edinburgh Castle to the gates of the Palace of Holyrood House) is not only a popular tourist attraction but also provides a fascinating insight into the history of the City and of Scotland itself.

Edinburgh Castle sits on top of what was, at one time, a volcano. It has been used as a fortification for over 2,000 years - there was a hill fort there in the time of the Romans. What is now Princes Street Gardens was originally a loch - the Nor' Loch - which added to the defences of the rock.

The Royal Mile runs east down the shoulder of the hill from the castle. The shoulder itself was formed when the whole of Scotland was covered by an ice sheet and the flow of the glacier ran from west to east - dropping rubble and earth in the lee of the rock. The castle esplanade (the location for the annual Edinburgh Military Tattoo) leads to the Royal Mile itself. The Royal Mile consists of a number of connected streets, starting at Edinburgh Castle and its esplanade, and runs downhill from west to east, starting with Castlehill, followed by * Lawnmarket * High Street * Canongate * Abbey Street

The Free Church of Scotland College and Assembly Halls on Bank Street, overlooking Princes Street Gardens, extend all the way back to the Royal Mile, down a considerable length of Castlehill. The Assembly Halls, with its skyline of towers and turrets was built as "recently" as the latter half of the 19th century, designed by the architect William Henry Playfair. The Assembly Halls have leapt to prominence in 1998 because they were selected as the temporary home of the new Scottish Parliament until a permanent building was constructed at the other end of the Royal Mile at Holyrood.

Early in his reign, King David (1124-1153) granted resonsibility for a parish church at St Giles (the Patron Saint of Edinburgh) to the Lazarites, a religious order dedicated to helping lepers. St Giles is regarded as the patron saint of lepers. This church was burned down by the English in 1385. Much of the present building dates from 1829 but the famous crowned steeple dates from 1495 - extensions have been added over the centuries. John Knox was minister in St Giles 1559 and as a result of the Reformation, the last mass to be sung in the "High Kirk of St Giles" was in 1560. In 1637, when the Bishop of Edinburgh attempted to read a newly-introduced English Liturgy, legend has it that Jenny Geddes, a vegetable seller, threw a stool at the preacher who dared to "sing masse in ma lug" (ear). The most recent extension was in 1911 when the knights of the Thistle, Scotland's highest order of chivalry, built a chapel dedicated to the Order.

Source: www.rampantscotland.com

The Royal Mile - Highlights of Edinburgh's historic street

There are lots of things to see on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh but a handful of them stand out as must-see attractions for anyone visiting Edinburgh, whether on a longer holiday or on a short break.

At the very top of the Mile lies Edinburgh Castle, Scotland's number one visitor attraction. The Castle sits on top of Castle Rock, an extinct volcano and has been a fortification for over 2,000 years. The view and wealth of display in the castle is well worth a visit. The Edinburgh Military Tattoo also takes place here every August and attracts thousands. It is a sell-out every year.

Sitting at the bottom of the Royal Mile, Holyrood Palace is the Queen's official residence in Scotland. Another famous figure in Scottish history married and lived here -- Mary Queen of Scots. In the immediate vicinity of the palace there are the ruins of Holyrood Abbey and Holyrood Park.

The High Kirk of Scotland has a history spanning back more than 900 years. With its four main pillars dating back to 1120, St. Giles is one of Edinburgh's most impressive buildings. St. Giles Cathedral is the second church on the Royal Mile to dominate the skyline. Throughout its history, the church witnessed key moments in Scottish history and massive structural changes within the church itself. The interior of St. Giles was once divided into four separate churches through thick walls and had to be restored several times. Additions have been made to St. Giles throughout the centuries but some have been demolished. The latest one is the Chapel of the Thistle completed in 1911 which is absolutely incredible.

Mary Kings Close is a narrow street just off the Royal Mile offering access to the back of the buildings. This alleyway is a historic and wildly popular tourist attraction depicting life of ordinary people in medieval Edinburgh through stories, myths and tales of a ghost or two.

The Camera Obscura just lower down from the Castle Esplanade is a giant camera tower that captures live moving images of the world outside. The view from its tower gives visitors a new perspective of Edinburgh City Centre and the Old Town.

"Further down the Royal Mile is the Tolbooth Kirk. Originally built to house the Tolbooth congregation and the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, this octagonal gothic spire is now official home of the Edinbugh Festival where you can buy tickets for all the shows. The Hub, as it is most widely known, is the tallest church building in Edinburgh and dominates the city's skyline."

Source: www.stuckonscotland.co.uk