Hidden Scotland
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Museums and history
in Edinburgh.

It’s 20:54 in Edinburgh.
Edinburgh

Closes, courts and the Royal Mile.

History is everywhere in Edinburgh, especially along the Royal Mile. Duck into narrow closes off the High Street, find a merchant's mansion round a hidden courtyard, and go down into streets sealed under the City Chambers. There's a museum of the city's working people, a Georgian townhouse furnished as it was in 1800, and a royal yacht moored at Leith. Wear good shoes, as the closes are steep and cobbled.

The People’s Story→
Mile to the Museum & National Museum of Scotland Tour→
Surgeons’ Hall Museums→
Dundas House→
Greyfriars Bobby→
Writers' Museum→
Susannah Alice Stephen Memorial→
The Real Mary King's Close→
Royal Yacht Britannia→
Lady Stair's Close→
Riddle’s Court→
Mercat Cross→
Place of the day20 hours ago

Mercat Cross.

The city's market cross beside St Giles', its 1617 shaft topped by a unicorn, where royal proclamations are still read aloud.

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From our collectionsA collection19 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 guide18 hours ago

Susannah Alice Stephen Memorial.

Hidden off the Royal Mile, this unusual statue features a parakeet in a garden trug, and was commissioned by the friends of landscape designer ‘Zannah’ Morris after her death in a diving accident in 1997. A great lover of life, it’s said she was also fond of the closes tucked away around the Old Town.

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Newly discovered17 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 guide16 hours ago

Advocate’s Close.

Leading off the Royal Mile, this narrow, 500-year-old close is notable among other things for the fine views it affords over the Scott Monument and Princes Street. It’s named in honour of Sir James Stewart, a former Lord Advocate of Scotland in the early 18th century.

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Lunch15 hours agoEdinburghWhiski Rooms0 yardsEdinburghJolly Judge0 yardsEdinburghDeacon Brodie's Tavern100 yards

Lunch near Writers' Museum.

The three closest tables: Whiski Rooms, Jolly Judge and Deacon Brodie's Tavern.

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From our collectionsA collection14 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 guide14 hours ago

The Flodden Wall and The Vennel Steps.

Part of the city’s boundary defences in the 1560s, the crenellated remains of Flodden Wall still stand strong, close to where the so-called Vennel Steps give arguably the best – and some of the closest – castle views in the city.

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Stay13 hours agoEdinburghOld Town Chambers800 yardsEdinburghMoment George IV Bridge0.5 milesEdinburghThe Scott Hotel1.0 miles

Stay near The People’s Story.

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

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From our guide12 hours ago

The Georgian House.

You know what you’re getting with this does-what-it-says-on-the-tin New Town attraction – but it’s still mighty impressive. Expect grand artworks, architectural pomp and intricate period furniture.

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From our collectionsA collection11 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 guide10 hours ago

Lady Stair’s Close.

There are more than 80 closes off the Royal Mile, but few are as picturesque – or as well known – as this moody little courtyard, reached by a dark passageway and dominated by a 17th-century townhouse, once the home of the first Countess of Stair.

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