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Old Calton Burial Ground

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Old Calton is the graveyard on the slope below Calton Hill, cut in two by Waterloo Place and mostly ignored by the crowds heading up to the view.

It is worth the detour. David Hume lies here in a round tower Robert Adam designed for him, and there is an obelisk to the political martyrs of 1793. Nearby is a memorial to Abraham Lincoln, with a freed slave at his feet, put up for the Scots who died in the American Civil War. The stones lean, the grass is long, and the castle sits framed at the end of it. Free, open in daylight, and five minutes from Waverley.

Close byThe StreetA cafe and bar over two floors on Picardy Place, at the heart of the city's LGBT quarter, with food until late and DJs at the weekend.2 min by roadSee itMan standing outside The Street bar, with rainbow murals and pavement seating
Close by
  1. Paper sculpture of a fox beneath a tree, crafted from an open bookEdinburgh Book SculpturesEleven sculptures cut from old books, left anonymously at Edinburgh's libraries and museums in 2011 and 2012, and still on show there.Under a mile1 min by road
  2. Rows of stone columns on Calton Hill under a grey skyCity ObservatoryWilliam Henry Playfair's observatory of 1818 on Calton Hill, restored in 2018 as the home of the Collective gallery.Under a mile1 min by road
  3. Balmoral clock tower and Princes Street seen through a window frameNelson MonumentA tower shaped like an upturned telescope on Calton Hill, built from 1807 for Trafalgar, whose time ball drops as the one o'clock gun fires.Under a mile1 min by road
  4. Calton HillCalton HillA volcanic hill at the east end of Princes Street, crowned with monuments and one of the great views of Edinburgh.Under a mile1 min by road
  5. Edinburgh Street FoodEdinburgh Street FoodUnder a mile3 min by road
Directions
Man standing outside The Street bar, with rainbow murals and pavement seatingRestaurantsThe Street0.3 miles
The stone arch at the foot of Fleshmarket Close, its name above and steps climbing away, people walking up.AttractionsFleshmarket Close0.3 miles
Framed pictures line an exposed brick wall beside a yellow-topped bar with beer tapsRestaurantsArcade Bar0.3 miles
Old gravestones in a churchyard below Edinburgh tenements and Arthur's SeatAttractionsNew Calton Watchtower0.3 miles
Bronze giraffe sculptures stand beside a glass-fronted building on the pavementAttractionsThe Dreaming Spires0.4 miles
Bratwurst and Frenchfries stall beside a vegan churros stand at a Christmas marketAttractionsIt’s Time to Admire Edinburgh’s Christmas Decorations0.4 miles
Arched windows outlined in fairy lights above wooden tables in a purple-walled pubRestaurantsThe Banshee Labyrinth0.4 miles
Woman in red robe sprinkling green powder into a glass jarShoppingThe Department of Magic0.4 miles
Red telephone box on a corner beneath a sandstone tenement terraceAttractionsGilbert the Phone Box0.4 miles
Stay nearby

Places to stay near Old Calton Burial Ground, and when each is next free.

A man walks past Bucken Booths entrance flanked by black lamp postsOld Town Chambers
  • To stay
  • In Edinburgh
  • Under a mile from Old Calton Burial Ground
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 Old Calton Burial Ground
Check datesWest End Muse
  • Sleeps 4
  • In Edinburgh
  • A mile from Old Calton Burial Ground
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 Old Calton Burial Ground
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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