5.0(1 reviews)
The Royal Mile - From Huts to High Rise
1 hour
Commentary: Audio · en
About this activity
Follow Angus who will will tell you about many of the Mile's famous closes, offering a quiet retreat from the busy main street, and a glimpse into the layers of language underlying the present names of many buildings and areas.
Highlights
- Edinburgh Castle Views
- Royal Mile
Full description
Start at the foot of the Edinburgh Castle Esplanade down to the Tron, on the junction with the Bridges for a brief introduction to how Edinburgh's Royal Mile has developed from timbered medieval buildings to the complex street of today.
Follow Angus who will will tell you about many of the Mile's famous closes, offering a quiet retreat from the busy main street, and a glimpse into the layers of language underlying the present names of many buildings and areas.
Continually altered, repaired, adapted and sometimes restored, the Royal Mile is a living witness to Scottish history since the Middle Ages.
The tour may run an extra five or ten minutes due to crowds or traffic.
Follow Angus who will will tell you about many of the Mile's famous closes, offering a quiet retreat from the busy main street, and a glimpse into the layers of language underlying the present names of many buildings and areas.
Continually altered, repaired, adapted and sometimes restored, the Royal Mile is a living witness to Scottish history since the Middle Ages.
The tour may run an extra five or ten minutes due to crowds or traffic.
Hi, I'm Angus, I'd like to take you on a tour through the centuries down the Royal Mile. Edinburgh started as a huddle of huts round a stockade, through mediaeval high rise living, extensive Victorian clearance, but also, luckily, several modern examples of preservation.
I've experienced homelessness in London and Edinburgh since health problems brought most of my previous career paths, including; gravedigging, kitchen portering, combat engineering, forestry and fencing, building new stuff and, best of all, knocking down old stuff to an unwelcome and creaky end. I was told about Invisible Cities by the staff at Big Issue a couple of years ago. Not a highbrow architectural tour, but a great opportunity for me to share my passion for history and mixed opinions about our Scottish town planners. My tour lasts an hour and is around 99% downhill. Okay, I'll admit I failed maths at school so that's a guess.
Come along!
I've experienced homelessness in London and Edinburgh since health problems brought most of my previous career paths, including; gravedigging, kitchen portering, combat engineering, forestry and fencing, building new stuff and, best of all, knocking down old stuff to an unwelcome and creaky end. I was told about Invisible Cities by the staff at Big Issue a couple of years ago. Not a highbrow architectural tour, but a great opportunity for me to share my passion for history and mixed opinions about our Scottish town planners. My tour lasts an hour and is around 99% downhill. Okay, I'll admit I failed maths at school so that's a guess.
Come along!
Included / Excluded
- Walking Tour of Edinburgh Royal Mile
- Gratuities
Meeting point
Start Location
Grassmarket
Cancellation policy
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the activity starts
Up to 24 hours before the beginning of the activity: full refund Less than 24 hours before the beginning of the activity or no-show: no refund