Tag: travel

The Royal Mile runs through Edinburghs Old Town from the Castle situated above the city on volcanic rock to Holyrood Palace on foot of Arthurs´s Seat.

The Mile is overlooked by impressive, towering tenements, between which cobbled closes and narrow stairways interlock to create a secret underground world. (The Royal Mile)

Actually the Royal Mile is a given name to a succession of streets running from the Castle to the Palace, first used around 1900 and then as the title to a guidebook in 1920. It´s a busy tourist street with lots of shops selling everything plaided and lots of whiskey, little coffeeshops, tearooms and restaurants. And then there is the lovely view on the hills on the other side – Edinburgh is built on seven hills (the result of early volcanic activities) and it is a constant up and down and the crossings on different hights.

Quite hidden lies a beautiful little 17th century garden, Dunbar´s Close Garden, the perfect hidden gem for a quick escape and enjoy some moments of silence.

After a little break in the garden I went to visit Holyrood Palace and Park and then took a bus to see the Castle during sunset – unfortunately there was no time to visit it too. Next time… until then I made my way back down the Royal Mile.

St. Giles´ Cathedral – the history City Church of Edinburgh, founded around 1124. Original a catholic church it became a protestant cathedral during the Reformation.

In front of the cathedral a statue of the philosopher David Hume.

…and the Heart of Midlothian, marking the former position of the 15th-century Old Tolbooth, which was the “was the administrative centre of the town, a prison, and one of several sites of public execution.” (Heart of the Midlothian)

The Royal Mile has about 80 very narrow alleys and “closes” showing the medieval beginnings of this area – just get lost in them!

Before we go back down south, let´s stay up in the north just a little more to the west – back in Edinburgh! Right on the foot of Arthurs´s Seat and on the one end of the Royal Mile lies Holyrood Palace.

The Palace of Holyroodhouse (which is the official name) is the residence of the British monarch in Scotland and has been the residence of the Kings and  Queens of Scotland since the 16th century. One can even visit Mary, Queen of Scots private chambers and see the bed she slept in. And again she must have been as tiny as Victoria! Even so history tells another story and I wonder how she fitted in her bed?

Mary was eloquent and especially tall by sixteenth-century standards (she attained an adult height of 5 feet 11 inches or 1.80m. (Queen Mary of Scots)

Mary married both of her scottish husband at the palace, in the chapel and in the Great Hall. Also open to the public are the State Apartments – but it isn´t allowed to take pictures while inside the palace.

The garden around the Palace was closed but it was possible to visit the Augustinian Holyrood Abbey – or better said what is left of it. Founded in 1128 and situated near the castle (on the other end of the Royal mile) it became an important administrative centre. It might have been used as a royal residence from the 14th century on until a new gothic palace next to the abbey was built in the 16th century, but also partly destroyed and burned by a Reforming mob in 1559.

After the Scottish Reformation was formalised, the abbey buildings were neglected, and the choir and transepts of the abbey church were pulled down in 1570. (Holyrood Palace)