As others have said, it's the reigning Monarch's official residence in Edinburgh. It was the…read moreprimary home of Mary, Queen of Scots in the 16th century. It's here where you can still see her private residence within the palace as well as the staterooms that are currently used today for official engagements. Especially during Holyrood Week when Queen Elizabeth II would host grand garden tea parties and lunches to recognize public service and non-profit organizations. The summer activities celebrating Scottish culture continues today with the Celebration of the Keys. It kicks off the week-long event when King Charles III accepts the keys to the City of Edinburgh. Our tour guide stopped here to give us a brief rundown of the history of this palace. It's located at the foot of the Royal Mile. We sadly didn't get a chance to go back for a tour of the palace, abbey, and gardens. Give yourself at least 3 hours to experience it all. There's also a palace café located in the Mews Courtyard (near the King's Gallery & Ticket Office) that serves lunch and afternoon tea. The Scottish Parliament and White Horse Close are nearby as well. It's a great place to be when starting that journey up to the castle.

the official residence in Scotland of the British monarchy, The Palace of Holyroodhouse is an…read morecurrent palace residence, home to the Royal Family, specifically the Queen of England Royal Mile, the road which runs like backbone through the middle of the city, connecting the two royal residences - Edinburgh Castle and the Palace of Holyroodhouse. Holyrood Palace or (The Palace of Holyroodhouse) is one of the "must see" attractions in Edinburgh. Full of history and incredible displays of Royalty. It's had a long and chequered history, but nowadays is the official residence and offices of the Queen in Scotland. She spends about a week here every year, performing royal engagements. When she is not in residence the palace is open to visitors. It's really well worth a visit!

Calton Hill offers arguably one of the best views across Edinburgh's city centre. From here, you…read morecan see most of the city, Arthurs Seat, and of course the castle. It's the perfect place to escape the hustle and bustle of the city and you'll be treated to awesome views of the castle in the distance. Calton Hill was formed over 340 million years ago. It has a huge history from the prehistoric era to today. It was originally a hill fort in ancient times, then King James II of Scotland granted the lands to Edinburgh in 1456. Calton Hill sits just off Leith Street near Edinburgh's popular commercial area. Like many of the parks in the area, it's free to enter so you won't need to reach into your wallet for this one. If you're looking for some of the best views in Edinburgh then make sure you spend some time here. There's also an art gallery up on Calton Hill and an unfinished national monument so there's plenty to see! If you only have time to visit one viewpoint in the city, let this be it. It's a fantastic place to watch the sunset or see the breathtaking views.

Worth the climb! The view was stunning! You can see a good amount of the city from on top of the…read morehill! Aside from the stunning view was plenty to see on top of the hill. I think this used to be a battle ground or a fort. I'll have to dust off a history book.

Standing just over 200ft (61m) high, and known as the Gothic Rocket, the Scott Monument is often…read moremistaken for a church - understandably, perhaps - and dominates the view of the eastern section of New Town along Princes Street. Following Scott's death in 1832 the people of Edinburgh decided that a monument should be built in memory of one of Scotland's best-loved literary figures. At the time he was probably the most widely read British author of the era. The Scott Monument is the largest monument to a writer in the world. some data says, its 2nd largest though. This is especially fitting, given that Edinburgh is a UNESCO City of Literature, having been home to many notable writers, such Scott, Burns, Stevenson, Conan Doyle and many more! There are 287 steps to the top of the Scott Monument, from where you can enjoy breathtaking views of Edinburgh and the surrounding countryside.

This gothic monument to the famous Scottish writer (Sir Walter Scott) is so dark and mysterious…read morelooking during the day. It's an even better view at night when it's all lit up. It kind of makes you wonder what it actually looked like before it soaked up "auld reekie's" pollution back in the 19th century. In a way, the black soot actually gives it more character. It's also a nice contrast with the white Carrara marble statue of the writer. Do you see his dog (named Maida) laying to the right of him? So cute! So, if you can actually see the outer architectural details then you're in for a treat. It stands at 200 feet tall and has about 64 statues that represent some of the most notable characters in his novels. To be honest, I was more impressed with the gargoyles. We didn't attempt to go inside to climb up to the top of it, but many pay to do that. I'm sure it's a nice view. The courtyard surrounding it was being decorated for Remembrance Day celebrations. I loved seeing all the crosses and red poppies around it. It's definitely a must see monument, and certainly one that you're going to eventually pass by at some point during your stay in Edinburgh.

Hundreds of people pass by them every day. These gracefully decorated pillars stay by the promenade…read morein Portobello like ancient guards. My friend and me thought they were from Roman times. As a matter of fact, they are only from eighteenth century and were part of the Argyle house construction. Have a close look at the patterns - it is a true art of masonry. One of the pillars is covered in small cute elephants.

Greyfriars Bobby is one of Edinburgh's most popular tourist attractions. Located just in front of…read morethe entrance to the Greyfriars Kirk can be found the bronze statue of Bobby. Hundreds of fans flock here every day to pay their respects, all eager to get a closer look at their doggy hero. History and why it is famous- and trust me guys, he is inthe same league as Hachi- Bobby, born in 1856, was a Terrier who spent over 14 years guarding the grave of his beloved owner. John - a dedicated nightwatchman for the Edinburgh City Police Force - carried out his duties with his trusty companion night after night. After John's untimely death in 1858, Bobby refused to leave his master's grave until the day he died himself. The rumours about this little dog began to spread far and wide, and Bobby soon had quite the fan base. In 1867, the Lord Provost of Edinburgh presented him with his very own collar. This gesture signified that Bobby was a licensed dog, meaning that he was protected against the new law that had recently been enforced, which stated that all unlicensed dogs would be destroyed. Bobby passed away in January 1872, and as a final token of his loyalty, was buried close to his master in the Kirkyard. A granite fountain with a statue can be found opposite Greyfriars Kirkyard - a permanent memorial to this faithful pup. Bobby's grave can be found immediately inside the gate of Greyfriars Kirkyard. He was buried close to his much-loved John, ensuring that the pair's astonishing bond would never be broken. It is not uncommon for doting visitors to leave sticks, dog toys, and flowers on his grave.

It's the statue of a cute Skye Terrier named Bobby. A loyal dog who is said to have stayed at…read moreGreyfriars Kirkyard near his master's grave for 14 years until his death in 1872. He lived to be 16 years old with the help of the community who knew his master, John Gray. Bobby was buried in the courtyard entrance of the kirkyard near his grave. This statue is on Candlemaker Row across the street from Greyfriars Bobby Bar (named after this special little doggie). People continue to rub his nose for good luck. As you can see, the paint has rubbed off his nose. It's still a nice statue and tribute. We just happened to see it on our way to the National Museum of Scotland. It was a great little discovery.

Let this review slip through the cracks but brought it back to life after scrolling through my pics…read moreof Scotland on my phone. Traveling through Scotland it is mandatory to take a stroll in the Royal Mile to see all the historic landmarks and whiskey stores. #1 See the iconic retro red British phone booths with the cool stickers. #2 Take a few pics with the Scottish guy in his kilt playing the bag pipes. #3 walk to the top of the Edinburgh Castle for a 360 degree view of the area. #4 Find the hidden Devil's Advocate Bar and have a cold craft beer. Great experience at the Royal Mile and cant wait to visit here again.

What's the first thing that pops into your head when you hear Royal Mile.... If you know Edinburgh,…read morethen you know it's here that lies the fame Edinburgh Castle. At the top of the cobble stones sits the majestic castle that's a staple to Scotland. If you haven't been it's great to check it out. Purchase tickets ahead of time as they do sell out and are limited everyday. But if you can't make it, you'll still hear the canons being shot often from up there. The views are amazing from top looking out to the new town and even the waterfront. Plenty of souvenirs shops along the mile. They tend to caters to the holiday makers as locals tends to have their regular spots that they go to. There's loads of restaurants as well as hotels pretty much near the mile. Just over the over side you have old town where more of the gothic building are. To the other end is new town where you'll have the fancier designer shopping as well as the bigger more fancier dining. Plus loads of the bigger upscale hotels are located there. Edinburgh Waverley train station is nearby. It's a staples of Scotland where yearly it brings people. No matter what the wether is like, it'll alway brings holidays makers out to enjoy. During the summer months of August, the streets are line with performers as well as loads of show. That's the month of the Fringe Festival. One of the biggest attractions during the summer. There's also plenty of whiskey tasting which they're known for. Tons of tours that's will actually show you around the area more. Scotland is beautiful and there's loads to see. It's not just green...

This eye-catching building is the first building you see as you leave the Holyrood Palace and enter…read morethe Royal Mile. So it's at the east end of the Royal Mile. It is a modernistic building that opened in 2004. It doesn't go at all with the motif of the Old Town architecture and folks either love it or hate it apparently. The architect wanted something different to mark the end of Canongate, the formal name of the street for the Royal Mile, and all that it represents and that he did. We did not enter, but only gawked as we walked by.

The outside of the building was such an unusual shape and design that it was quite amazing to walk…read moreall around. To get inside we had to go through a comprehensive security screen. Only the public areas along with the gift shop were available to do a self tour. However, we asked the front desk about any tours and luckily were able to join a guided tour with some students visiting from Denmark. So glad we did since it allowed us to access some of the non-public areas of the building. Overall the tour lasted 45 minutes. Our guide was quite enthusiastic as he covered the history, architecture and how parliament operated. The finale of the tour ended on the floor of parliament where we were allowed to finally take photos. We also got to see up close the silver mace. We worth the time. You can also book on their website to plan ahead.

It's just one of many interesting closes along the Royal Mile. This one is named after the Lord…read moreAdvocate's House. The house of Sir James Stewart used to be at the lower end the stairs near Cockburn St. It's literally steps away from the Supreme Courts building in Parliament Square. Well, about 70 steps up. Today, it's more of a shortcut between Market Street and the Royal Mile. The best feature of Advocate's Close is actually the perfectly framed view of the Scott Monument through the archway. You'll also see how high you are on the hill when walking up or down this steep & worn set of stairs. Hopefully they will add handrails to it one day like others that we've seen throughout the city. I mean, they don't call them "Death Stairs" for nothing. Oh, and theres's a very popular gastropub called the Devil's Advocate near the bottom of the steps. We didn't get to visit it, but it came highly recommended. It's just another reason to visit it.

Edinburgh is riddled with closes and Advocate's Close is a fine example of these narrow lanes that…read moreconnect streets throughout and behind the Royal Mile. The tall buildings that line the path give many closes a canyon-like feel with many of them sloping steeply down from the Royal Mile. It's like walking into the underground! Advocate's Close is particularly popular with tourists and I can see why. At the top, it offers a beautiful peek-a-boo view of the Sir Walter Scott Monument in the distance and some of Edinburgh's central buildings. Walk all the way down and it connects you to Cockburn Street below. Definitely try walking through a close or two as they are great shortcuts to get from one street to another along the Royal Mile.

Walking through Leith on a blazing hot Summer's day does make you appreciate how good some areas of…read moreLeith are. None more so than Newhaven Quay. Situated right next to Newhaven Harbour, the Quay has a Brewer's fayre, a fishmonger and a few cafes/restaurants. All are of a similar design with a wooden structure which has been used to blend in with the history of the area (Harbour and fish industry of old). To be fair the architecture is not the best and certainly does not match in with the rest of the area. The harbour is still used and still houses quite a few small private boats. It is also home to the local boat club as well! However, on a nice Summer's day it is a pleasant place to walk around, especially due to its brilliant views over the Firth of Forth and of the Kingdom of Fife.

Lovely views onto the water…read more... It;s a very nice place to walk along the promenade, enjoying the spring sun and listen to the waves crashing against the stones. There is a lovely lighthouse at the start of the walk. followed by views on to a row of modern skyscrapers. It looks very futuristic, still amazing so.