By Monique Sanmiguel Photos: Courtesy David McKelvey, Unsplash & Freepik
Edinburgh is one of the European cities with more legends and is the second one most visited from the United Kingdom after London.
The charm of its streets and buildings, most of them with a medieval style, make it a magical city. Impressive castles, dark alleys, enchanted houses and majestic gardens make of the Scottish capital a mysterious and evocative city.
Royal Mile, a medieval passage
The almost 2 kilometers long Royal Mile is the main artery of the old city and along it are the Old Parliament, St. Giles Cathedral, and the City Hall. Moreover, it unites de Castle of Edinburgh with the Holyrood Palace from mid XII Century.
A stroll down Royal Mille is the best place to find souvenir shops, charming cafes or restaurants and underground passages.
In the alleys better known as closes is the most charming part of the Old Town. Some of them are so dark that is difficult to walk down them to find patios, gardens or nothing at the end.
The most visited ones are:
Lady Stair’s Close, near the Castle, where the Writer’s Museum is found. It is devoted to three famous Scottish writers. Lady Stair’s House was built in 1622 and it has a literary road drawn in its front yard, it’s made from famous quotes of writers written on the stones.
The underground city called The Real Mary King’s Close, is more than 20 meters deep and it was sealed and buried by new constructions. Today it is a great city attraction. It is even possible to get to know how its inhabitants from the XII Century lived and died.
White Horse Close is one of the allies at the end of Royal Mile and it is considered one of the most beautiful ones. The stables of the Holyrood Palace used to be there as well as the departing place of the transportation connecting Edinburgh with London. This resulted in wonderful stories. It was the place where whisky and food were found for the travelers at the White Horse Inn.
Edinburgh Castle, the King observing its kingdom
Edinburgh Castle dominates the Scottish capital on top of a volcanic rock at the far west, called Castle Rock. Its origins go back to the mystery of medieval kings mythology. This fortress has been part of the great historical events such as births and deaths of the Scottish royalty, scene of battles, invasions and conspiracies; apart from having been at a time a prison and a military arsenal.
At the Crown Chamber one can see the jewels of the Scottish Crown and the Stone of Scone (destiny rock). This is an ancient symbol for the Scottish monarchy.
St. Margaret’s Chapel in a romantic construction, is the oldest building in the city. It was the King David I who ordered it in 1130 in honor of his mother Margaret of Scotland. She became a saint in 1250.
Everyday at 1 pm sounds the clock of the Castle and it´s called the One o’clock Gun. This tradition goes back to 1861 when a cannon was shot at one o’clock so the sailors close to port could adjust their chronographs and navigating instruments. At the Castle there is a pet cemetery created in the XIX century for the soldiers to bury their pets, specially their dogs.
The Palace and the Holyrood Abbey
At the end of the Royal Mile is the Palace of Holyroodhouse, it is the official residency of the Royal British Family in Scotland. The Palace was built in 1501 under the order of Jacobo IV to live there with his wife Margarita Tudor. Prior to the Palace, the Holyrood Abbey was built in 1126.
Today this Palace is visited frequently by the Queen Elizabeth II and her royal family to enjoy private and quiet place near nature. Crownings, weddings, intrigues and betrayals, as well as funerals have been a central part of the history of Holyrood.
New Town, neoclassical new city
North Bridge links the old city High Street with the gardens of Princess Street, the district which in the XVIII Century enlarged Edinburgh to turn into a city with large avenues and manorial buildings. This residential area was planned by James Craig in 1766 to end with the problem of overpopulation in the Old Town. This aristocratic neighbourhood has nice plazas and buildings as well as a large park with a monument to Walter Scott, as well as the National Gallery.
Leith, a Cosmopolitan port neighbourhood
Lieth didn’t use to be what is now. Until the beginning of the XX Century Leith was just a port area where all sort of people arrived, from sailors to kings. Today it has an artistic atmosphere, it´s full of musicians, writers, pubs, restaurants and art galleries. However, it still keeps a bit of the taste of its original inhabitants. There is a mall called Ocean Terminal with boutiques and from its terrace, the Royal Yacht Britannia can be seen. This is the boat of the royalty that has been anchored there for more than 44 years. It´s a nice experience to visit it and have tea with scones at the Deck Tea Board.
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