Hidden Scotland
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Curious corners
in Edinburgh.

It’s 20:55 in Edinburgh.
Edinburgh

Odd corners of the Old Town.

Edinburgh hides a wonderful collection of curiosities. Find a dog cemetery inside the castle walls, a heart of granite setts on the Royal Mile, or a little Greek temple over a mineral spring by the Water of Leith. There are book sculptures left anonymously at the city's libraries, a mock Wild West street up a Morningside lane, and a bronze of a soldier bear. Keep your eyes open as you walk, as the strangest things turn up.

Wojtek the Soldier Bear Memorial→
Ross Fountain→
Edinburgh Book Sculptures→
World’s End Close→
Dolly the Sheep→
Library of Mistakes→
Golden Hawk Sculpture at Gladstone's Land→
Fudge Kitchen→
Edinburgh Castle Dog Cemetery→
The Wild West in Springvalley Gardens→
The Gardener's Lodge→
The Witches' Well→
From our collectionsA collection20 hours agoEdinburghRoyal Botanic Garden EdinburghEdinburghAshley Terrace BoathouseEdinburghDean GardensEdinburghCraiglockhart HillEdinburghAllermuir HillEdinburghNewhavenEdinburghDuddingston LochEdinburghDean VillageEdinburghCalton HillEdinburghHolyrood Park

Quiet Corners of Edinburgh

A few minutes' walk from the crowds, Edinburgh has gardens, closes and stretches of river it keeps to itself. These are the quiet corners worth finding when the Royal Mile gets too much.

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From our guide19 hours ago

Edinburgh book sculptures.

Between March and November 2011, a series of meticulously crafted ‘sculptures’ appeared around Edinburgh. Constructed from old books by an anonymous artist, they were intended as gifts to the city and its cultural institutions. Eleven of the sculptures can still be seen and admired – you’ll find a map on the Scottish Poetry Library website.

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Newly discovered18 hours agoEdinburghSicilian Pastry ShopCafeEdinburghBrewhemiaCafeEdinburghCramond BrigWalkEdinburghBattle of Roslin MonumentAttractionEdinburghWriters’ Museum in Lady Stair’s CloseAttractionEdinburghThe OutsiderRestaurant

Some good places to go, newly added to the site.

The newest places on our pages in Edinburgh.

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From our guide17 hours ago

Ross Fountain.

Purchased at London’s 1862 Great Exhibition by an Edinburgh gunmaker named Daniel Ross, this 19th-century cast-iron fountain now provides a highly decorative focal point in Princes Street Gardens.

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Lunch16 hours agoEdinburghThe Hermitage Bar400 yardsEdinburghMontpeliers0.5 milesEdinburghCastello Coffee0.8 miles

Lunch near The Wild West in Springvalley Gardens.

The three good places closest to it: The Hermitage Bar, Montpeliers and Castello Coffee.

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From our collectionsA collection16 hours agoEdinburghCorstorphine HillEdinburghCammo EstateEdinburghDunbar's Close GardenEdinburghHolyrood Park and Arthur’s SeatEdinburghDr Neil’s GardenEdinburghAllermuir HillEdinburghThe MeadowsEdinburghArthur’s SeatEdinburghDuddingston LochEdinburghHolyrood Park

Green Spaces in Edinburgh Worth Finding

Edinburgh has more green space than most cities, from an extinct volcano in the middle of it to gardens that have been growing for centuries. These are the parks and hillsides worth finding.

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From our guide15 hours ago

Library of Mistakes.

Recent British history suggests that this West End business and finance library is aptly named. It’s a charitable venture and aims to promote the study of financial history – as well as the ability to learn lessons from past errors.

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Stay14 hours agoEdinburghOld Town Chambers0.6 milesEdinburghMoment George IV Bridge0.6 milesEdinburghThe Scott Hotel0.9 miles

Stay near Dynamic Earth.

The three good places closest to it: Old Town Chambers, Moment George IV Bridge and The Scott Hotel.

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From our collectionsA collection12 hours agoEdinburghCalton HillEdinburghAllermuir HillEdinburghCraigmillar CastleEdinburghArthur’s SeatEdinburghBlackford Hill and the Braid HillsEdinburghCorstorphine HillEdinburghHolyrood Park and Arthur’s SeatEdinburghCity ObservatoryEdinburghEdinburgh CastleEdinburghLauriston Castle

The Best Views in Edinburgh

Edinburgh is a city best seen from above, and there are plenty of places to do it. From hilltops to monuments to an old staircase with the castle framed at the top, these are the views worth the climb.

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From our guide11 hours ago

St Bernard's Well.

Back in 1760 a natural spring was discovered on the fringe of the New Town, just above the Water of Leith. Within decades an extravagant well was erected around it, complete with pillars and a statue of Greek goddess Hygeia. The well still stands and is occasionally open for public visits.

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From our guide11 hours ago

Edinburgh Castle Dog Cemetery.

Scamp, Dobbler, Yum Yum and Tinker are among the four-legged friends laid to rest in this small burial plot in the grounds of the castle, used since Queen Victoria’s reign as a burial site for regimental dogs.

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Place of the day10 hours ago

Circus Lane.

A curving cobbled mews of the early 1800s behind Royal Circus in Stockbridge, closed at one end by St Stephen's clock tower.

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