A Mile of Historical Magic- The Royal Mile Edinburgh
- worththemilestrave
- Dec 29, 2025
- 4 min read
Scotland is one of the most beautiful places I have ever had the privilege of visiting. I traveled all around that amazing country, but one of my favorite experiences was The Royal Mile in Edinburgh. There is so much hidden history if you know where to look.
This is a must experience when you go to Edinburgh. I am going to share a couple of things with booking links, you can see along the way you might miss if you don't know the back story.
I suggest starting right at tippy top right outside Edinburgh Castle.
Edinburgh Castle the fortress on the hill. This is honestly its own adventure, but you might not know this is still an active military site and to this day and is the most besieged castle in Europe. It is protected by its rocky cliffs on 3 sides making it very hard to overtake. Don't be caught off guard either when at 1PM the cannon that goes off. No real cannonballs are used, this first sight can't say it was so lucky though.
1.
This is where your first hidden treasure is located. You will see red and white sign with Cannonball Restaurant on it. Look at the rock wall titled Castle Wind North. In between the top window and the one below you could miss one of the most amazing pieces of history in plain sight.... A cannonball still stuck in the wall. It's not called Cannonball Restaurant for no reason.
2. Start heading down of course taking in all of the shops. You will end up at an intersection with a charming pub named Deacon Brodie's Tavern. I want you to look at the sign hanging outside. You will see it is slightly different on both sides. That's because this isn't just another amazing pub in Edinburgh. The history behind that sign is Deacon Brodie was a well-respected craftsman and council member during the day, a model citizen actually. That was until people started realizing they were hiring him to come and work at their houses and then they would be robbed a short time later. That was because he was making copies of the house keys and later returning to rob the same people who had hired him. Karma really does catch up to you though because the same gallows he created for the city would be the same ones to deliver his death. The sign outside the bar with the mask on one side and not on the other tells a bigger story than you might never notice. We all know the story of Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde..this guy is rumored to be the inspiration for it.
3. Keep heading down more towards the most beautiful church St. Giles Cathedral. That was in not so much a hidden treasure. But you can walk across the street and find the handprints imprinted into the concrete with the likes of JK Rowling.
But this next part is mystical, magical if you will. You will come across the most beautiful statue with colored crests on it. This is known as Mercat Cross, it serves the purpose of marking trade and ceremonial events in Edinburgh. Mercat is Market in today's language. I want you to look to the very top of it, there you will find the national animal of Scotland. No it's not an eagle, beaver, or bear. She is shiny and almost hard to believe. It's a UNICORN. Yes this is true and most people would just write off the beautiful piece at the top as nothing more. Now you can use that for Trivia night!
4. You could pass this next place with a plaque on it and think of it just as a bode to a very historical figure. The John Knox House. What you might not know is this is the oldest structure on The Royal Mile dating back to the 1400s. In a city where everything is historically old it's hard to really take in what a true feat that was.
5. Now it's hard to really hard to look at all of the amazing shops and pubs along this amazing road and wonder if they all mean something. The next two actually do. A famous landmark The World's End Bar isn't just an epic name. Edinburgh used to be surrounded by a wall. A very famous one actually. But this bar was where the wall ended. So to leave the walled city you would have to pay a tax to reenter. Since alot of citizens couldn't afford it, to them that was literally where their world ended. They never would see outside of it. Which brings me to the next very famous Landmark.
6. The Tolbooth Tavern, a famous and historically haunted landmark with not just an epic name, but of course a history behind it. This building actually had a purpose. It would be where people who could afford to enter into the walled city of Edinburgh would stop and pay the toll.
Bonus: Right across the way is Bake House Close, for all you Outlander fans this is where Jamie's Print Shop is located.
7. Along the way you should have noticed some stone fountains. They were placed all throughout The Royal Mile. This is actually because the water would come from the castle and with gravity's help of course run downhill and provide the city with its water.
8. Now that you have walked a mile. Literally a mile. You end up at Holyrood Palace. Now you might be thinking ok so.... Well this is not just History, this is modern day. King Charles III of England stays at this establishment whenever he visits Edinburgh to this day.
History has a way of persevering and making itself known you just might have to look a little closer to see it.
As Always...
Take the Trip!
Samantha Cooley
Owner/Agent
Worth the Miles Travel
Comments