How Long Does It Take To Walk Edinburgh's Royal Mile?

Scottish Attractions > Edinburgh's Royal Mile

Holyrood Palace was the main residence in Scotland for many of the Royals, the first being King James IV in the early 1500's.

Following his death in 1513, his son and heir, James V carried out much work on the Palace, during times of conflict with England.

His daughter, Mary Queen of Scots, who also lived here, continued the restoration work until the conflict ended in 1603 with the Union of the Crowns, and the Palace is now the official residence in Scotland for the present Queen Elizabeth. Edinburgh’s Royal Mile got it's name for two reasons : because of its Royal connection and also because it actually is just over one mile long. The Mile boasted the world's first skyscrapers, and expanded with many great buildings and fine architecture, and is now one of the world’s most famous streets.

Many attractions are to be found on the Royal Mile, including the Scottish Parliament building and Giles Cathedral, which make it a busy place all year round, but even more so in August, when the Edinburgh Fringe Festival has the high street bustling with tourists and street performers of all kinds.

August is the best time to visit as you would also have the opportunity of seeing one of the world’s most famous events, the spectacular showcase Edinburgh Military Tattoo, staged at Edinburgh Castle.

Mercat Cross is also on the Mile, and this is where important royal proclamations are read and where the calling of a general election would be announced. Near the top of the Mile is the Scotch Whisky Heritage Centre, where you can see how whisky is made. The Centre is believed to have a resident ghost, but maybe that's something to do with the whisky.

The Old Town has a huge variety of shops catering for all tastes, but you will not find the usual high street chains, you are more likely to find a selection of specialist shops, small restaurants and friendly bars.

More conventional shopping can be found in the New Town, mainly along Princes Street, which has a good selection of department stores.

As one of the oldest streets in the city, the Royal Mile is part of the Old Town conservation area, and not surprisingly is listed as a special area of architectural interest. The Old and New Towns are distinctly separate, which is good news as it provides choices for all visitors to Edinburgh, and the city centre is small enough to be seen on foot, which allows more time to appreciate the attractions and admire the picturesque buildings.

• Edinburgh Zoo
  
• Royal Yacht Britannia
  
• Glasgow Cathedral
  
• Melrose Abbey
  
• Glenmorangie Distillery Tour
  
• Blair Drummond Safari Park

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