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Grand gallery of the National Museum of Scotland with tiered white balconies and glass roof
Edinburgh

Mile to the Museum & National Museum of Scotland Tour

Welcome

A guided walk from the Mercat Cross on the High Street down the Royal Mile to the National Museum of Scotland, finishing with tea and a scone in the Museum Brasserie.

The Mercat guide starts at the cross, the old site of executions and proclamations, and tells the stories of the Old Town's streets, where commoners, queens and criminals once walked. At the museum, where the nation's treasures are kept, the guide introduces the Scottish collections and tells Scotland's history through its key objects. Afterwards you are free to explore the museum on your own before the tea and scone. Tours start at 10:30 on Saturdays and Sundays and last an hour and a half. Tickets are sold online in advance.

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The Daily for 31 October, from Scotland with love. A ring of standing stones set among mist and autumn birch
Round the cornerSignet Library1 min by roadSee itSignet Library

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  1. Guide in a black hooded cloak holds a candle in a stone vaultHaunted UndergroundA tour of an hour and a quarter from the Mercat Cross down into the Blair Street vaults under South Bridge, with a storyteller.Under a mile 1 min by road
  2. A flight of whiskies and their bottles on a table in a stone vault at the Lost Close, a chandelier behind.The Lost CloseUnder a mile as the crow flies
  3. The Real Mary King's CloseThe Real Mary King's CloseA preserved 17th-century street beneath the City Chambers on the Royal Mile, seen on a one-hour tour led by a costumed guide.Under a mile 1 min by road
  4. St Giles’ CathedralSt Giles’ CathedralThe High Kirk of Edinburgh on the Royal Mile, founded in 1124, John Knox's church and the mother church of Presbyterianism.Under a mile 1 min by road
  5. The dining room at Luckenbooths, leather banquettes and framed pictures under warm light.LuckenboothsUnder a mile 1 min by road
  6. A plate of crispbreads and pâté at Angels with Bagpipes.Angels with BagpipesA restaurant on the Royal Mile opposite St Giles', serving small and larger plates from a modern Scottish kitchen every day.Under a mile 1 min by road
Directions
A hotel studio room with a beige fitted kitchen unit and stainless sink beside a bed dressed in white and teal cushions, a wall of black-framed pictures above a patterned headboard.EdinburghOld Town ChambersPlace to stay · A step away
Gold handprints set in pavement, engraved "J K Rowling 2008AttractionsJ. K. Rowling’s HandprintsA step away
Stone colonnade with arched ceiling and windows along a covered walkwayRestaurantsSignet LibraryA step away
Heart of Midlothian mosaic set into cobblestones, with pedestrian shadows falling across itAttractionsThe Heart of MidlothianA step away
Stone steps through a narrow close frame the Scott Monument, EdinburghAttractionsAdvocate's CloseA step away
Cobbled Edinburgh street lined with sandstone tenements and a turreted corner towerAttractionsCockburn StreetA step away
Deacon Brodie's Tavern sign on the Royal Mile, hanging baskets in bloom belowRestaurantsDeacon Brodie's TavernA step away
Empty tables and murals fill The Deacon's House tearoom, shelves lined with china aboveCafeDeacon's House CafeA step away
Stone archway close, with a "Rare Whiskies" sign listing Ardbeg, Laphroaig and MacallanAttractionsRiddle’s CourtA step away

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Stay nearby

Places to stay near Mile to the Museum & National Museum of Scotland Tour, and when each is next free.

A hotel studio room with a beige fitted kitchen unit and stainless sink beside a bed dressed in white and teal cushions, a wall of black-framed pictures above a patterned headboard.Old Town Chambers
  • To stay
  • In Edinburgh
  • Under a mile from Mile to the Museum & National Museum of Scotland Tour
Check datesA round table and chairs stand before tall curtained windows looking onto stone buildings, a sofa and mounted television to the right.Moment George IV Bridge
  • Sleeps 2
  • In Edinburgh
  • Under a mile from Mile to the Museum & National Museum of Scotland Tour
Check datesWest End Muse
  • Sleeps 4
  • In Edinburgh
  • Under a mile from Mile to the Museum & National Museum of Scotland Tour
Check datesA turreted sandstone building with conical spires catches the evening light above rooftops, a large pine tree standing beside it.The Scott Hotel
  • A hotel
  • In Edinburgh
  • A mile from Mile to the Museum & National Museum of Scotland Tour
Check datesPlaces to stayEvery stay in EdinburghAll our places to stay nearby, to search by date and by who is coming.See them all
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We want to show you the best that Scotland has to offer. The makers and the creatives, the enduring experiences, the evocative tales, the concealed corners. The roads less travelled that take you to places that matter. The adventures that gather you up and sweep you away. The blend of the wild and the artistic that makes Scotland what it is. We’d love for you to join us.

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What we have written about it and more in Edinburgh.

From the magazineA Guide to Edinburgh’s Historic Sites and MuseumsFrom the magazineUnusual & Interesting Things in EdinburghFrom the magazineThe History of Edinburgh
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