Day 1, Part 1: Edinburgh Castle to Leith Links, Edinburgh

Virtual Walk: Scotland 2021

5th January 2021: 73.90km virtually walked today of 8854km. 2.5% of 467 people's totals submitting 2955.91km.

Route 1A: Edinburgh to Traquair

Our journey starts in Edinburgh on the iconic Edinburgh Castle Esplanade, which looks out over the capital city of Scotland from the summit of the volcanic plug which it has occupied for centuries. It towers 80 metres from the rock and is visible for at least 10 miles in every direction; a great vantage point from which to protect the city, which replaced Scone as Scotland’s capital in 1437. Before we head down the first section of the Royal Mile on our great adventure, we’ll spend a little time enjoying Edinburgh’s famous fortress, at the pinnacle of the UNESCO World Heritage Site designated in 1995 and includes the Old Town and New Town.

The castle we see today dates from the 12th century but there have been other structures before this one dating back to c900BC. When the Romans arrived, it was a fort to the Votadini people, later to be known as the Gododdin living in Din Eidyn. The English ruled the area between 638-1018AD, and it was at this time that the name was anglicised to Edinburgh. It was developed as a fortress under David I of Scotland between 1124-53AD and over the centuries it has been besieged, sacked and possessed by the English several times; in fact, it is the most besieged castle in the UK. The ‘Black Dinner’ was held at the castle in 1440 which inspired the ‘Red Wedding’ scene in the Game of Thrones based on ‘A Song of Ice and Fire’ by George R R Martin. The rival Clan Douglas were invited to dine with 10-year-old James II, were served a black bull’s head, a symbol of death, then dragged out to Castlehill where they were beheaded!

James III made the castle his permanent residence which continued until James IV built the Palace of Holyroodhouse at the end of the Royal Mile in 1501; an area at that time located outside of Edinburgh. The castle served from that time onwards as a military fortress and a place of refuge in less peaceful times. Mary, Queen of Scots, gave birth to James VI of Scotland and James I of England here in June 1566. Charles I was the last monarch to stay at the castle in 1633 and Oliver Cromwell used the castle as headquarters for his Scottish invasion; the last hostile army to hold the castle. The castle did see a further century of attack during the Jacobite rebellions; the Jacobites took Edinburgh in 1745, but the castle remained secure due to its heavy guns.

Edinburgh Castle hasn’t seen action since 1745, but several additions were made with the threat of Napoleon in the late 1700s: a seven-storey barracks being the largest of these. In 1818 the historian, Sir Walter Scott, was given a Royal Warrant to break down a wall in the Crown Room to access a chest where the Honours of Scotland, Scotland’s Crown Jewels, were discovered; they had been sealed there since 1707 when the Act of Union saw their role disappear. They were put on display the following year and have remained so, only interrupted by the Second World War when they were hidden deep within the castle. Post-war the jewels have been used for some state occasions and, on display, were joined by the Stone of Scone, also known as the Stone of Destiny. The stone was relocated from Westminster Abbey in 1996 where it had sat since 1296, apart from a brief trip to Scotland when 4 Scottish students stole it on Christmas Day 1950! It will only return to the Abbey for future coronations, being an integral part of the Coronation Chair.

The castle’s appearance was improved during Victorian times to make it a more attractive feature on the Edinburgh skyline. Despite this, Edinburgh Castle remains a military base to this day so is not an ‘access-all-areas’ attraction run by Historic Environment Scotland. There are fantastic views across the city from her battlements, a great place to enjoy views of the ‘Athens of the North’, as well as being able to visit The Royal Palace, the Crown Room, The Great Hall, National War Memorial, Mons Meg (one of Europe’s oldest surviving cannon), St Margaret’s Chapel and the ‘one o’clock gun’ to name but a few. The latter is an old tradition dating back to 1861 when ships on the Forth checked their chronometers to the firing of the gun; this still happens every day at 1pm from the Mills Mount Battery except Sundays, Christmas Day and Good Friday. Another interesting note is that St Margaret’s Chapel is the oldest building in Edinburgh. David I built it as a private family chapel and dedicated it to his mother’s memory. This is a very abridged version of the Castle’s history so if you would like to read more there are some books on our Book List (located in the ‘Files’ Section).

We return to the Esplanade built in 1753 as a stage for the Edinburgh Military. Since that time, several monuments and memorials have been erected along the Princes Street side. Since 1950 the Edinburgh Military Tattoo, as it was then called, has taken place here every August. It began after a simple performance of ‘Something About a Soldier’ in 1949 at the Ross Bandstand in Princes Street Gardens to display army support for the new Edinburgh International Festival. The Edinburgh Military Tattoo became The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo in 2010 when the Royal title was bestowed by Queen Elizabeth II. Around 220,000 people come to Edinburgh annually to see the spectacle which now takes place here.

We bid the castle farewell and wander down onto Castlehill. We are on the Royal Mile, as it is known, which comprises the Esplanade, Castlehill, Lawnmarket, High Street and Canongate which takes us to the Palace of Holyroodhouse at the other end, just over 1 mile away. It was given this name as it was the processional route of the kings and queens since the 15th century from the Palace to the Castle. The ‘Mile’ was traditionally lined with tenements called ‘Lands’, many of which were built over when the city was rebuilt in the late 1800s. Some of the old tenement lower floors still exist as they are the part of the foundations of the new buildings which replaced them. More about that later.

Just at the entrance to the Esplanade is Contini Cannonball Restaurant. Cannonball House, dating back to the 1650s, is so named for a cannonball lodged in the wall facing Edinburgh Castle, said to have been fired by government troops towards Holyroodhouse at the time of Bonnie Prince Charlie in 1745. It is more likely to do with marking the gravitational height for a water reservoir which still stands across the road, now a tourist shop. Water was gathered from several springs in the Pentland Hills to feed a group of 14 cisterns, from Castlehill down through the Old Town and into the surrounding area using gravity, from 1674-1820: one of the first piped water supplies in Scotland. We will pass a few of them as we wander.

Set back from the road past Cannonball House in an old school building is the Scotch Whisky Experience. There are no whisky distillers left in the city so today you either travel out of Edinburgh to visit them or you come to this 5-star attraction. Following an immersive barrel ride through the whisky-making process, you can walk through displays, visit the largest collection of Scotch whisky gathered by Brazilian Claive Vidiz, and experience the Sense of Scotland Room which educates you to the complexities of regional whiskies and matches you to the right whisky for your palate. Next door to the Experience is home to The Witchery which is in the 16th century Boswell’s Court. The Witchery takes its name from the hundreds of women burnt at the stake for witchcraft on nearby Castlehill in the 16th-17th centuries. The building dates from 1595 and was owned by a merchant but is named after a doctor who lived there in the late 18th century. His nephew, James Boswell, was the one of Samuel Johnston and James Boswell fame, who toured the Western Isles together in 1775 and wrote a book about their experience. Since the 1970s it has been home to fine dining and rooms offering luxurious old school decadence at a fine price! On the corner of Castlehill is ‘The Hub’, a very modern name for a 19th-century building originally used as a meeting hall for the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. After being an actual church, it is now home to the Edinburgh International Festival as a ticket office, information centre and venue. A plaque dedicated to the founder of the Festival in 1949, Sir Rudolf Bing, was unveiled on this building in 2017.

From the Hub, we cross the cobbles onto Lawnmarket, the oldest part of the Old Town. Formerly called Land-Market it was the place where locally grown produce was sold at market; this continued here well into the 1700s. Behind the building frontages in this area run several courts and closes. We pass by Milne Court built in 1690 now University of Edinburgh residences. We pass through West Entry Close onto James Court dating to 1725. A fashionable address, it became home to wealthy and influential people of the time including the writer, James Boswell (again of Dr Johnson fame) and David Hume, the philosopher. We walk behind the buildings, including Gladstone's Land, onto Makar’s Court and as we do so pass Lady Stairs Close. The Close was named after Lady Stair who bought a property on the Close in 1719; the building is now a Writers Museum dedicated to 3 of Scotland’s famous literary people: Robert Burns, Robert Louis Stevenson and Sir Walter Scott. Makar’s Court was designated as such in 1999 in honour of the ‘makars’ or workers in the craft of writing. The remainder of the area is called Wardrop’s Court and we follow the Close at the end of this Court back onto Lawnmarket. Across the street from us is Deacon Brodie’s Tavern which commemorates William Brodie, a pillar of 18th century Edinburgh society, a cabinet maker, Town Councillor, and respected family man who was leading a double life! Having run up serious debt and maintaining 2 mistresses, by night he led a gang of burglars responsible for a crime wave across the city that lasted 18 years. The authorities did catch up with him and he was eventually hung in 1788. He served as an inspiration to Robert Louis Stevenson who went on to write ‘Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’.

We turn right and walk up to Gladstone’s Land, one of the first high rise buildings to ever be built. As spare land ran out within the city walls the only place to go for developers was up. Most developers were merchants who purchased plots of land to build tenements. These buildings became known as ‘Lands’ and were named after their owners. Gladstone’s Land is such a place, a fine example dating back to the 1500s. It was purchased by merchant Thomas Gladstone in 1617 who extended the property to the front to increase the accommodation within. It was common for these buildings to reach 10 storeys in height, the wealthiest living in the middle section and the less wealthy above and below. This building was scheduled for demolition in the 1930s, by then an overcrowded slum. The National Trust for Scotland purchased parts of the building as it became available and restored it to the time of the Gladstone’s, stripping back over 3 centuries of decor, alterations and divisions. You can visit the rooms to experience life as it was, then as a contrast visit their Georgian Town House, on Charlotte Square, for a taste of the New Town life the wealthy left the Old Town to enjoy! Gladstone’s Land ground floor area is currently undergoing conversion into a traditional ice cream parlour and coffee shop with an improved visitor experience and new self-catering apartments above.

Directly across the road, we enter Riddle’s Court. It’s worth a view! A 16th-century merchant's mansion house is found here, once occupied by high-status residents requiring easy access to the castle. It played host to a royal banquet in 1598 and David Hume made it home in 1751. Riddle’s Court was transformed into University Halls by Patrick Geddes in 1892; Patrick Geddes was responsible for the conservation of a number of areas in the Old Town. He was a firm believer that social structure and behaviour could be influenced by the change of surroundings and environment. He regenerated and protected over 70 sites and was the founder of the Camera Obscura on Castlehill (more about that on our return journey) and Pittencrieff Park, Dunfermline. The Patrick Geddes Centre, an event space, is based in the mansion house at the Court, having been restored by the Scottish Historic Buildings Trust to reveal its architectural history. We pass tributes to Patrick Geddes in the close entrance and Court area comprising display boards and a monument.

Exiting the Court, we turn down Fisher’s Close which leads us through to Victoria Terrace above the shop fronts of Victoria Street. The street was created in 1829-34 as part of the regeneration of the Old Town. The Terrace was part of this, and shops built underneath. We walk past Scott’s Kitchen restaurant under arches where a Quakers Meeting Room is located. Looks innocent enough but recent talk is that the remains of Major Weir’s house, ‘wizard of West Bow,’ is believed to be part of this building; the house was located on West Bow which curved up from Grassmarket onto Upper Bow. The Major was burned for witchcraft in 1670 and his sister hung!

Taking the steps down at Upper Bow onto the elegant Victoria Street we walk down the hill past a variety of colourful shop windows. The street curves down from George IV Bridge onto Grassmarket and was originally called Bow Street until Queen Victoria acceded to the throne and the city renamed it in her honour. No 40, once Robert Cresser’s Brush Shop from 1873-2004, is a shop whose interior barely changed from its creation. Now a shop dedicated to all things Harry Potter, fans believe the Street was the inspiration behind Diagon Alley and they wonder if this little shop was the inspiration for Ollivanders - a plaque attests to this thought outside. We walk onto West Bow then Grassmarket where at the end of the road we see what looks like a pillar to the side of the road. This is one of the wellheads that connected to the reservoir on Castlehill, the Bow Wellhead, which supplied water to the area until 1820 when other means became available including piped water to properties (all lead at that time of course!).

Grassmarket, another one of the oldest parts of the city dating from the 14th century. Initially, an area just within the city walls, the royal horses were stabled here, and tournaments were held; it became a bustling marketplace from 1477, where cattle, horses and corn were traded, with plenty of taverns and inns for the drovers bringing cattle to market. The White Hart Inn is said to be the oldest pub in Edinburgh dating from 1516 and is said to be haunted. In 1791 Robert Burns stayed at the Inn, on a trip to say goodbye to his mistress, Clarinda, who was sailing to the West Indies to repair her marriage. Burns wrote the poem, ‘Ae Fond Kiss’ in a response to this. The Covenanters Memorial marks the spot where public executions took place from 1660. In the late 17th century over 100 people were hung here for their religious beliefs during the time of the Covenanters, a period known as ‘The Killing Time’; others were also hanged for witchcraft and other offences. An area of poverty by the late 1800s, a Mission hall was started in 1886 to give support to local families - known as Barrie’s Mission you can still see the sign on the first floors of Nos 94-96.

The Grassmarket became known as ‘Little Italy’ during the early 20th century when Italian immigrants settled here. It enjoys the buzz of a marketplace today, popular with tourists for its shops, eateries and hotel; a market still takes place here every Saturday 10am-5pm, though more of a food and craft vibe instead of cattle and horses.

We make our way through Cowgatehead onto Candlemaker’s Row which ends at Greyfriars Bobby’s statue; it was once the main route in and out of the city at Bristo or Greyfriars Port (gate). The Candlemakers' Hall was built on the Row in 1722, as this was where all the candlemaker’s of Edinburgh would make candles. It was a hazardous occupation, so they carried out their craft on the city boundary. We take steps up into Greyfriars Churchyard to visit this very peaceful site away from the bustle of the Edinburgh streets, tucked away behind the buildings. A monastery once stood in this area but the church we see before us wasn't completed until 1620; the land was already in use as a burial ground after the Reformation. The Flodden Wall passes through here having been completed in 1560 after the Battle of Flodden in 1513 as extra protection for the city. The National Covenant was signed here in 1638, basically stating that Jesus Christ was the only head of the church, and so it should be free from any control by the king or governments.

A new Greyfriars Church was constructed next to the existing in 1722; these 2 buildings were merged in the 1930s. As we wander near the church, we see iron cages over the graves known as mort-safes. In the 18th to early 19th-century body snatching of cadavers for medical research became popular. Cemeteries constructed high walls and watchtowers to protect the dead, but guards could be bribed. It was common for families to huddle around recently deceased loved ones until the body was decomposed enough to be of no interest to ‘The Resurrection men’. The most famous in Edinburgh were Burke and Hare who killed over 16 people in the ‘West Port Murders’ in order to meet the demand of supply to Edinburgh University’s students who paid good money to obtain a body. Burke was eventually caught and hung for his crimes in 1829; Hare fled to England. Body snatching became a thing of the past with the arrival of the Anatomy Act of 1832 to combat this activity.

Over recent years the churchyard has become famous for being the inspiration behind the names for characters in J K Rowling’s Harry Potter books. Indeed, Thomas Riddle is buried here, and fans make a pilgrimage to visit this grave. Several other names can be seen on stones dotted about the churchyard. William McGonagall, the poet is buried here as are William and John Smith, famous Scottish architects, along with many other famous names of their time. Greyfriars Bobby owner, John Gray, was buried here in 1858. The origin of the story is lost to time, but it is known that Bobby, a Skye terrier, sat at his master's grave for 14 years, fed by local people and given the freedom of the city; his collar and bowl can be viewed at the Museum of Edinburgh today. After his death, Bobby was buried in un-consecrated ground at the entrance to the churchyard, not far from his master’s grave. The story of this little dog has captivated the world, helped by author Eleanor Atkinson’s ‘Greyfriars Bobby’ published in 1912 and Disney who told the story in film in 1961.

We leave the churchyard arriving at the end of Candlemaker’s Row to join George IV Bridge where the statue to ‘man’s best friend’ resides. Greyfriars Bobby, a life-size statue, modelled by William Brodie, was unveiled in 1873 and was originally a drinking fountain, an upper fountain for humans and a lower fountain for dogs. We pose for a photo but don’t touch his nose; it isn't good luck and it’s damaging the wee fella.

Across the road from Bobby stands the National Museum of Scotland. It was formed in 2006 with the merging of the Royal Scottish Museum (its origins dating back to 1854) and the Museum of Scotland (1998). The west end of the museum focuses on the history of Scotland with the other side being more diverse in nature. There is plenty to see and enjoy here and it's worth dedicating a day to explore, especially if you enjoy the reading of exhibits! The upper floor of the west wing contains Arthur’s Seat Coffins unearthed in 1837 containing small wooden figures. Their origin is unknown, but they have been immortalised by Ian Rankin in his novel ‘The Falls’.

We make our way back along George IV Bridge towards the Royal Mile passing The Elephant House as we go. A cafe with a claim to fame; J K Rowling spent time here writing the Harry Potter novels, overlooking the Greyfriars Churchyard. Ian Rankin and Alexander McCall Smith have also frequented this place. A plaque outside the building states this fact. It is frequented by fans today and the toilet is apparently graffitied with Harry Potter and Rowling notes and quotes. On our right, as we walk towards the Royal Mile, we pass the National Library of Scotland. Formed in 1689, it is the legal deposit library for Scotland and is one of the National Collections. Over 24 million pieces are held in library premises; a wide range of published material including ancient manuscripts. It also holds Scotland's Moving Image Archive with over 46,000 videos and films in its collection. Its Scottish Gaelic material collection I s the largest in the world.

Back on the Royal Mile, we head down the High Street section past the David Hume statue (1995) erected in front of the High Court building; one of the Scottish Enlightenment's most famous figures, in a time when there was a change of approach from religion to reason, and whose friend was Adam Smith, author of ‘The Wealth of Nations’ (1776). On our right is West Parliament Square, which St Giles Cathedral, the Signet Library and the French Consulate look out onto. On the Square itself is a statue commemorating the 5th Duke of Buccleuch, Sir Walter Scott, and embedded in the cobbles sits a mosaic called the Heart of Midlothian. Named after the county Edinburgh once occupied, it sits together with brass markers bearing building dates, recording the position of the 15th-century Old Tolbooth which had been standing on that site since 1386 and was demolished in 1817. This was the administrative centre of the town, a prison, and a site of public execution; it had a fearsome reputation. Body parts were often displayed on spikes on the jail’s upper walls. You may see people spit on the heart; today it is a sign of good luck, but in days gone by it was done as a sign of disdain for the prison whose entrance sat where the heart lies.

Looking to the back of the Square we see the facade of the Signet Library. The building was designed by Robert Reid and completed in 1822 for the Society of Writers to Her Majesty’s Signet (WS Society). It sits adjacent to Scotland's Supreme Court complex on Parliament Square. The Society dates to the 15th century when officers would produce royal manuscripts wearing the monarch’s seal, the signet. These writers were part of the College of Justice formed in 1532 by James V, which separated the judges and lawyers from the state. It still forms the basis of the Scottish legal system today and is one of the oldest professional bodies in the world. Members of the Society have played an integral role in the development of Edinburgh and Scotland in general; it remains a highly respected body of lawyers supporting legal firms and the latest generation of lawyers. The building is open to the public during the day as a restaurant, ‘The Colonnades’, serving lunches and afternoon teas in opulent surroundings. There is also a venue space on the first floor for events such as weddings and exhibitions. The series ‘Outlander’ filmed its Jamaican ball scenes here for season 3.

Before we turn our attention to St Giles Cathedral, as we look straight at its entrance, to the right side is Parliament Square. Easy to miss in this area is Scotland’s Supreme Court located in Parliament House which was constructed over the top of St Giles Kirk’s graveyard in 1632. It held the Court of Session and the Scottish Parliament from 1639 until the Act of Union in 1707 saw its dissolution and the politicians moved to London. The building then became the Supreme Court which hears civil cases; criminal trials are reserved for the High Court across the road. At the back of the cathedral also sits Edinburgh’s Mercat Cross which has sat in this area since the 1300s.

St Giles Cathedral has been the spiritual heart of Edinburgh and if walls could talk...it has seen a lot! It was founded in 1130, under the reign of David I, and dedicated to St Giles, patron saint of lepers. With the central role it has played over the centuries, most of what you see today comes from many restorations and alterations made, the last being in the 1800s. It isn't technically a cathedral today as it doesn't have a bishop, but it has been one at a few points in its life. The Reformation began here in 1559 when John Knox preached a sermon resulting in religious change which swept across Scotland. He was minister here for 13 years and is buried in Parliament Square under parking space no.23!

By 1800 St Giles was in poor condition and along with several congregations was a meeting house, police station, store for the guillotine (‘The Maiden’) and a fire station - all under one roof! Edinburgh was the first city to have a fire service in the world, founded by James Braidwood in 1824 because of the serious hazard fire had become in the city. He was also responsible for the founding of the London Fire Brigade. A memorial statue stands in Parliament Square, unveiled in 2008. The history of the fire service can be seen in more detail at the Museum of Fire in Lauriston Place. In the early 19th century St Giles was surrounded by buildings, in particular, the old and new tolbooths, which were all cleared away, and the church interior was simplified to hold 3 churches. The internal walls were removed yet again in 1883 to make the space you see today on visiting. The newest addition is the Thistle Chapel designed by Robert Lorimer, opened in 1911. It is home to the Knights of the Thistle, Scotland’s equivalent of the ‘Order of the Garter’.

As we wander past the cathedral Mary King’s Close stands opposite. It owes its existence to the subterranean world that was opened to the public after archaeological investigation below the City Chambers next door. That building saw the demolition of the close tenement blocks, but their lower levels were retained as foundations for the new Royal Exchange built in 1753 on the site. The closes were swallowed up into the basement of this building; however, some families refused to leave, and life carried on for centuries until the last inhabitants were forced to leave in 1902 and the entrance bricked up. Today the close is a 5-star attraction, opened in 2003, offering visitors an insight into Edinburgh’s social history prior to the building of the New Town, using actors to guide you through the claustrophobic, dark streets and spaces.

We continue down the pedestrianised area of the Royal Mile, passing the Edinburgh Fringe Shop. This area comes alive in August with Fringe and street performers wowing the audiences with their shows. There are still many old closes lining the streets in this section including Old Fishmarket Close, where the old fish and poultry market was once held, and Fleshmarket Close, named for the meat market held there that led down to the slaughterhouse on the edge of the Nor’ Loch; one of Ian Rankin’s Rebus novels is named after this close too, ‘Fleshmarket Close’. We pass Tron Kirk, built in the mid-1600s and named after the public weighing beam that stood outside, which brought the city of Edinburgh together at Hogmanay for many years and is now a World Heritage Visitor Centre. Crossing over South Bridge, built to join Old Town with New Town, we continue to progress down High Street. There are many houses and closes along the Royal Mile, over 70 in fact, and we can’t talk about them all; The Royal Mile website will give you a little insight into everything along its length. The next one we will mention, however, is Paisley Close, also known as the Heave Awa Close. In 1861 a tenement block collapsed here killing 35 residents; the buildings as previously mentioned, were in a poor state at 300 years of age. Rescuers did, however, save a boy from the rubble who was said to cry out ‘heave awa lads, I’m not deid yet’ giving the close its name. He is immortalised in a sculpture above the entrance to the close displaying his face and phrase.

The Museum of Childhood stands a few doors down across the street. Founded in 1955 it was the first museum in the world to dedicate itself to this subject. Back on the left side, we reach Moubray House standing next door to John Knox House; it is the oldest occupied building in the city. The house was originally built in 1477 by Robert Moubray and has connections to painters George Jamesone and James Drummond, as well as author Daniel Defoe. It is overshadowed by its neighbour, John Knox House, which dates to c1525. It isn't even certain that John Knox, the minister, stayed here, although it is known he did live in the vicinity at Warriston’s Close. The fact that he was connected to the property certainly secured the building’s future. It was converted into a museum in 1853 and is run by the Church of Scotland, telling the story of the Reformation and how people lived 400 years ago. The house is accessed through the Scottish Storytelling Centre, an arts venue which focuses on live storytelling.

We cross over to the right side of the street to visit Tweeddale Court named after Tweeddale House, built c1576, that became the head office of the British Linen Bank. Although it has been changed and adapted many times over the centuries, since the early 1800s it has been home to a few printers and publishers including Oliver & Boyd (written on the door lintel); today The List magazine and Canongate Books Ltd occupy the building. The Court has become famous in recent years as it was used to film scenes for Outlander Season 3. Returning to the street we reach the crossroads with St Mary’s Street where the Netherbow Port gatehouse would have been located along the city wall between the end of High Street and the start of Canongate. If you lived beyond this point you would have had to pay to enter the city and, if you couldn't afford to pay to re-enter you couldn't leave! This area, therefore, became known as The World’s End and is why there is a pub bearing that name today on the corner. The pub has been immortalised by writer Diana Gabaldon who used it as a setting in one of her Outlander series of books, ‘Voyager’. The pub’s external wall is part of the Flodden Wall and there are brass cobbles in the street marking the position of the gates.

We proceed along Canongate, which developed after the founding of Holyrood Abbey; the Abbey had control of this area until the Reformation, after which Edinburgh took over in 1636 then becoming an official burgh in 1865. We arrive at the Tolbooth Tavern and The People’s Story Museum. They are in the old Canongate Tolbooth constructed in 1591; court, jail and meeting place for the Town Council once occupied the site. The building was restored and remodelled in 1875 and is now home to a Museum established in 1989 telling the story of Edinburgh’s working-class people from the 18th century to the present day. After a wander through the exhibits, you can enjoy a traditional pint or dram in the Tolbooth Tavern next door.

Bakehouse Close Across the road from the old tolbooth is the Museum of Edinburgh, located in the 16th century Huntly House, where you can explore a maze of rooms filled with a diverse collection of ‘historical memorabilia’ from Edinburgh’s past. We wander through the archway at the centre of this building into Bakehouse Close, once the quarters of bakers and hammermen (metalsmiths) who occupied the building on the right. This building was used as the location of the print shop in Outlander season 3. On the other side of the close is Acheson House, known as The Cock and Trumpet Pub from the late 18th century until World War 2. It was a brothel with girls listed in ‘Ranger’s Impartial List of Ladies Of Pleasure’ of 1775; Robert Louis Stevenson was a visitor! Today it houses Edinburgh World Heritage Trust having been saved from demolition in the 1930s.

Walking back out of the close we cross the road to Canongate Kirk completed in 1691 at the request of James VII/II in 1688. Its kirkyard has many of Edinburgh’s good and famous buried within its walls including Adam Smith, the economist, and purportedly Mary Queen of Scots’ Italian Secretary David Rizzio, murdered at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in 1566. There is also a statue of Robert Fergusson at the entrance to the churchyard; despite a short life, he was a highly influential poet, who inspired Robert Burns. The Canongate Mercat Cross is also located at the front area of the church.

We press on past Queensberry House and Canongate Wall. This wall is part of the new Scottish Parliament building which we’ll talk about, along with Queensberry House, when we walk past this area later. The Wall contains etchings, as well as different Scottish rocks set into the wall, and is also inscribed with quotations. We turn left now into White Horse Close, the 16th century Royal Mews. Its name is inherited from the White Horse Inn which once occupied the end of the courtyard and was named in honour of Mary Queen of Scots’ favourite white horse. The Inn was home to Jacobite officers in 1745 when Bonnie Prince Charlie was resident at Holyrood Palace.

We walk through the Close and out through an alleyway onto Calton Road, before walking through Regent Road Park where the Burns Monument is located. The Monument was completed in 1839 and contained a life-size statue of the National Baird; the statue is now located in the National Portrait Gallery.

We continue alongside Regent Road, in the shadow of New Parliament House. This was built in the early 19th century as Edinburgh’s Royal High School. It closed as a school in 1968 and was refitted to become the new Scottish Office following the devolution referendum of 1979. The referendum failed and the building never took up that role. Enquiries and proposals are still ongoing as to its future use. We pass St Andrews House which stands on the site of Calton Jail. When first opened in 1935 it was the Scottish Office until devolution in 1999 when it became the main office for the Scottish Government.

CALTON HILL RIGHT At the end of St Andrews House, we cross the road and climb the steep steps up to Calton Hill. We walk past Nelson’s Monument completed to commemorate the Admiral in 1816 in the shape of an upturned telescope. A time ball was added to the top in 1852 to enable ships moored in the Firth of Forth to set their chronometers accurately; it still drops daily at 1 pm six days a week. The National Monument, at the hill’s peak, was intended as a memorial to Scottish servicemen who died in the Napoleonic Wars, inspired by the Parthenon in Athens. Construction began in 1826 but was left unfinished due to lack of funds leading it to be called ‘Edinburgh’s Disgrace’ or ‘Edinburgh’s Folly’. The largest building on the Hill is the Observatory built in 1818 to hold Thomas Short’s reflecting telescope, one of the world’s leading telescope makers at that time. It has recently opened to the public for the first time as an exhibition space. The hill hosts the Beltane Fire Festival every 30th April, an old Celtic tradition celebrating the arrival of summer. Edinburgh Festival events take place here every August and it's a great viewpoint for the Hogmanay fireworks. The most famous view that you see on photographs is that of the city of Edinburgh from the Dugald Stewart Monument. It was completed in 1831 to commemorate the so-called Scottish philosopher, also involved in the Scottish Enlightenment. There is a great view down Princes Street over to Edinburgh Castle from its position on the hill.

We follow the pathway downhill onto Greenside Row and cut through Upper Greenside Lane onto Leith Walk. We emerge from between Edinburgh Playhouse Theatre (1929) and the OMNi Centre (2002), one of the entertainment complexes of the city. We cross the busy thoroughfare onto Picardy Place, currently undergoing reconstruction. Turning down Broughton Street we head through Edinburgh’s New Town following the main roads then crossing the Water of Leith onto Inverleith Row. We arrive at the East Gate of the Royal Botanical Gardens to take a wander through one of the finest botanical gardens in the world. The garden did not begin here though. It started on a small patch of ground at Holyrood Park in 1670, where the Waverley Station now sits, relocating to a Leith site in 1763 before finally relocating to the Inverleith Estate in 1820. We enjoy the glasshouses, various garden areas and trees, emerging from the John Hope Gateway onto Arboretum Place.

Walking down onto Arboretum Avenue we turn onto the Water of Leith; whose source is in the Pentland Hills and runs through Edinburgh before terminating at the Firth of Forth in Leith. We follow the river through Stockbridge and Canonmills, then along Warriston Road to cross St Mark’s Bridge where we spot a statue in the river. This is 6 TIMES RIGHT of the 6 TIMES art installation, a commission by the National Gallery of Scotland which consists of 6 life-size figures plotted between the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art and the sea. Four are sited on the Water of Leith which act as a gauge for the height of the river; we’ll see 2 further statues on our route. We follow the walkway through St Mark’s Park, past Redbraes Weir and some allotments leading onto Newhaven Road. We re-join the walkway at Bonnington Bridge following the path once more across a walk bridge. We continue following the path leading over a few bridges back onto the walkway, through light industrial areas and Coalie Park, past North Leith Burial Ground to pass some old warehouses, next to which is the old St Ninian’s Chapel building. Established in 1493 it stood by a bridge of the same name; the 2 chaplains being supported by tolls from its crossing. The bridge is no longer there, and the chapel has been destroyed, rebuilt and restored over the centuries hosting numerous different types of congregations. The Cockburn Conservation Trust purchased the manse and belfry in 1997, restored it and it is now used as offices.

We arrive in the central area of Leith continuing along the riverside path, crossing Commercial Street onto Custom Lane, site of Custom House, leading to Commercial Quay. Before the bridge was constructed in the 15th century Leith had settlements on both sides of the river, North Leith and South Leith. North Leith was the smallest settlement, but richer as it came under the authority of Holyrood Abbey and was where fishing and shipbuilding took place. South Leith was under laird control, where cargo was offloaded for collection by Edinburgh merchants; no ‘Leithers’ were permitted to trade at the port by law. We have reached the heart of an active port which has been trading for around 1,000 years.

Now for a rundown on a few bits of its history: Robert I gave Leith to the Royal Burgh of Edinburgh in 1329, becoming incredibly important when Berwick-Upon-Tweed became English in 1482. Leith had a prominent role as the major port in Scottish history. Scotland was ruled from Leith during the 16th century by Mary of Guise. Her daughter, Mary Queen of Scots, returned to Scotland through this port. To defend Leith and Edinburgh from Oliver Cromwell an earth rampart was constructed from Calton Hill to Leith, it was to become one of Edinburgh’s longest streets, Leith Walk. Oliver Cromwell built a citadel here in 1656 of which only a vaulted archway remains in Dock Street. The first public sewer in Scotland was built in Leith in 1780; it flowed at that time into the Water of Leith. In the late 1700s, Leith Fort was also constructed following a threat of attack from the US Navy during the American War of Independence. Warships sailed up the Forth and Leith was only saved from an attack by the weather. In the Napoleonic Wars, it held French prisoners and was used as an army base during World War 2. It continued in military use until the 1950s when the buildings were demolished. A new housing development sits within the fort’s perimeter wall today. The steam train arrived in the 1840s and Leith was the first in Scotland to electrify its trams in 1905, street lighting having already been established in 1890.

Like many ports, Leith enjoyed boom years during the 18th-20th centuries in a variety of industries, glass, soap, whisky production, storage for wine and whisky, shipbuilding and repairs, lead, fishing and whaling. This success saw the expansion of the dock areas. Leith, although governed by Edinburgh for some time, didn't become an official part of Edinburgh until 1920. After World War 2 Leith experienced a severe decline which gave ‘Leithers’ and their home a rough reputation for several decades. ‘Trainspotting’ and ‘Skagboys’, written by Irvine Welsh, touches upon the deprivation of the 1980s in the area; films followed ‘Trainspotting’ (1996) and ‘Trainspotting 2’ (2017). Leith has undergone a period of regeneration since the 1980s. Commercial Quay now has some well-respected eateries, including Papillon and The Kitchin, operating out of what were once bonded warehouses for whisky. Victoria Quay was completed in 1994, by filling in an area between 2 docks, and housed the Scottish Office: now Scottish Government offices. The regeneration of other dock buildings and warehouses followed, converting them for other uses; others were demolished to make way for new development.

We see the Scottish Government offices before crossing the old Victoria Swing Bridge onto Ocean Drive. The bridge was constructed in 1874, the largest of its kind in the UK, to allow ships to pass into the Water of Leith; it carried 2 rail lines, a road and footpath. It is only for pedestrians these days (requires restoration) and the fixed road bridge, which we now cross, has taken over the job of carrying traffic. Ocean Drive takes us to Ocean Terminal, a retail and leisure complex which opened in 2001. It sits on land once occupied by shipbuilders that closed in 1983. The Royal Yacht Britannia is accessed via this building which sits on the Port of Leith’s Western Harbour. She was launched from a shipyard in Clydebank in 1953 and served the Royal Family for 44 years sailing over 1 million nautical miles. On the National Historic Fleet list, she is an extremely popular visitor attraction and is also an evening event venue. Proposals are still on the table for a new royal yacht; this may now be assisted by a donation in 2019 of £50 million by Donald Gosling in his will.

As we walk away from Ocean Terminal, we can see the Leith docks, still an operational port today handling a wide range of cargo and services. It is the largest enclosed deepwater port in Scotland, capable of handling vessels up to 50,000 deadweight tonnage. We return to Victoria Swing Bridge and continue along Queen’s Quay to the Shore. We pass a whaling harpoon, a memorial to the whaling industry extremely important to Leith. It operated from Leith between 1616-1842 and again from 1908-1963, after which whaling ceased. Christian Salvesen and Son operated out of Leith from 1908 and were the largest whaling fleet in the world. Arriving on the Shore we pass a Bearl sandstone memorial to the Merchant Navy sailors. It commemorates Merchant Navy personnel who died in service during peacetime and conflicts, including the 2 World Wars. It stands in front of what was once the Sailors Home, constructed in 1883 (now a Malmaison hotel) as a place to stay while seamen were in port. On the Shore corner opposite is the Signal Tower, one of the oldest buildings in Leith. Robert Mylne built a seawall to protect the harbour in this area in 1685 and then built a windmill next to his tenement in 1685-6. Its dome and sails were removed in 1805 to create a roof where flags could be waved to advise sailors of the depth of water at the harbour bar. Modern dock gates now control the flow of water out of the river to the sea, whereas in historic times much of business at the harbour was controlled by the natural ebb and flow of the tides.

The ‘Shore’ is one of the oldest areas in Leith and where archaeology from across the centuries has been discovered. We pass a couple of streets with the name Timber Bush, in fact behind the Shore lies a few streets with this name. It was once an open area where timber was offloaded from ships for market. The export of whisky also saw a cooper operate from this site and bonded warehouses were also erected. We continue past pubs and restaurants which line the river, cross Bernard Street at Bernard Street Bridge, to arrive at a group of buildings all once referred to as The King's Wark. It was a group of buildings, constructed from 1434-c1500 and designed to serve as a royal residence, a storehouse and an armoury for James I. Over the centuries the building was extended, used as taverns, storehouses, and even a plague hospital. Today the King’s Wark is a popular, award-winning bar and restaurant located in the corner building. It is not known how much of the original building is still in existence, though there is definitely a historic atmosphere to the place. We continue along the riverfront passing Restaurant Martin Wishart and Mimi’s Bakehouse. A point of interest: behind Restaurant Martin Wishart, if you walk through Water’s Close, stands LAMB HOUSE Lamb’s House. This was the site of Andrew Lamb’s House, a merchant, who Mary Queen of Scots visited upon returning to Scottish soil. Having landed in Leith there was no welcoming party to greet her, so she spent a short time here until her escort arrived. The house dates from the 17th century so there is some confusion over whether the building standing here was modernised or rebuilt after Mary visited. It is still the finest historic house in Leith.

We say farewell to the riverfront and turn onto Tolbooth Wynd, so-called for the tolbooth which stood here from 1565-1824. We press on through Queen Charlotte Street onto Constitution Street, continuing until we reach the South Leith Parish Church (1483), where we turn into Links Lane taking us to Leith Links West. The Links was initially an open common ground space that was used for exercising horses, drying clothes, grazing cattle, weapons training, holding fairs and breeding rabbits. James IV played golf on these Links in the early 16th century and several monarchs after him. Leith Links is the birthplace of modern golf and it was at Leith Links in 1744 that the first official rules of the game were formulated; a plaque on the Links attests to this fact. Two large mounds or ‘braes’ can be seen in this area: Giant’s Brae and Lady Fyfe’s Brae. These have been identified as remains of Somerset Battery, set up by English troops as a cannon defence, dating to the 1560 siege of Leith against the Queen Regent, Mary of Guise (Mary Queen of Scots mother). During an outbreak of the plague in 1645 those infected were removed to huts on the Links, victims were even buried here; some were discovered during groundworks in 2017 and reburied in Rosebank Cemetery. Leith Links are now parkland with play areas, tennis courts, bowling greens and allotments.

We leave the Links onto Duke Street, then follow Easter Road for 1.5 kilometres to Abbey Mount leading to Abbeyhill.