The Compact Capital Of Scotland - Edinburgh

City Walks

Nov 24

Edinburgh is considered Scotland’s white collared city and has been recognized as the capital of Scotland since the 15th century. It is the second most populated city in Scotland, second to Glasgow. It is known for its heritage, culture and festivals. The city is made up of to sections. There is the compact and hilly medieval Old Town with cobble stone streets and an elegant Georgian New Town with gardens and neoclassical buildings. Edinburgh is a very walkable city, and the popular commercial streets in the New Town are Princes and Rose Streets. The Royal Mile in the Old Town is the tourist street from Edinburg Castle to Holyrood Palace. The National Museum of Scotland is free, by the time we got there it was closed, remember to check the hours online before going.

My tour guide explained, the word lieu (toilet) comes from the expression, ‘Prenez garde a l’eau!’, which means ‘beware of the water’. This was the phase shouted from the upper floors of the tenement buildings by residents as they emptied their chamber pots out the windows in the evenings. That must have been a real sight to see.

Here is what caught my eye, I hope you enjoy!

The facade of St Giles’ Cathedral, founded in 1124 by King David I, and has been a working church for over 900 years.

Inside St Giles’ Cathedral which was the backdrop to Scotland’s turbulent history and where Queen Elizabeth was lying in state for the people of Scotland to pay their respects.

Birds will find a place to sit anywhere

Edinburgh Castle which was built and added on to from the 11th century through the 21st century.

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Calton Hill: And the plans for Edinburgh’s Third New Town

By Carter McKee, Kirsten

Edinburgh: A History of the City

By Michael Fry

Lost Edinburgh (The Lost History Series)

By Coghill, Hamish

Edinburgh Castle overlooking New Town with the Royal Scots Grey monument in the foreground. The Royal Scots Gray were the famous calvary regiment during the Napoleonic Wars.

The Greenside Church opened it doors in 1839.

Dundas House at 36 St Andrew Square, was built in 1774 and acquired by the Royal Bank of Scotland in 1821.

The Scottish National Portrait Gallery building on Queen Street, built between 1885 and 1890, and designed by Robert Rowland Anderson. The building was donated to the museum by John Richie Findley, owner of the Scotsman magazine.

The Royal Palace in Crown Square

The majestic clock tower of The Balmoral Hotel at 1 Princes Street, where Old Town meets New Town. The hotel opened its doors in 1902 as The North British Station Hotel, and became the Balmoral in 1991.

The Duke of Wellington equestrian statue on Waterloo Place.

The Melville Monument in St Andrew Square. The figure at the top is Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville, nicknamed the ‘uncrowned king of Scotland’.

The impressive former British Linen Bank building on St Andrew Square

Georgian House, the 18th-century townhouse in Charlotte Square, has been restored and furnished by the National Trust for Scotland, is open to the public for touring.