Royal Mile & Leith Walk (3.5 miles)
The Royal Mile runs from Edinburgh Castle down to Holyrood Palace and encompasses many of the city's best known attractions. Exit Waverley Station at Market Street and turn right, skipping over the roundabout and continuing uphill. Slog up Mound Place which merges into Ramsay Lane and you will find yourself on Castlehill. Walk up to the Esplanade just outside the castle. This is where the world famous Military Tattoo takes place each year during the Edinburgh Festival. The castle features several points of interest including the National War Museum.
Luckily it's a downhill stroll from here. The Jolly Judge public house is situated down a narrow close and is a long standing entry in the Good Beer Guide - serving real ales and also featuring a real fire! You can't miss the imposing hulk of St Giles Cathedral and you may spot the Heart of Midlothian mosaic set into the pavement cobbles. For some reason, it is a local tradition to spit upon the heart. There are many places of interest as you work your way down the Mile, not to mention the myriad side streets. If you happen to be here during Festival season the whole area throngs with street performers and onlookers.
The road bisects North and South Bridge and is now known officially as High Street. There are a few museums on the lower half of the thoroughfare. The Museum of Childhood is worth a quick look, as is the rather ambitiously titled Museum of Edinburgh. Much more interesting is the People's Story - housed in the old Tollbooth building. The last section of the Royal Mile is known as Canongate and it ends at a roundabout with offshoots to the Scottish Parliament (pictured below) and the royal palace.
Pressing on with our walk, take Calton Road from the Canongate roundabout. After a quarter mile, we pass under the railway tracks forming the throat of Waverley Station. Eventually, a short, sharp uphill bend brings us on to Leith Street and we pass the Omni Centre and fabled Playhouse Theatre to reach the top of Leith Walk proper. A good place to refuel is Cosmo World Buffet which offers a fantastic spread for a fair price.
Thus begins our second mile-long descent of the day. Leith Walk has scores of independent shops as well as many pubs, cafés and restaurants. There is much more of a local flavour compared to the touristy Royal Mile and it's always good to see different facets of a city. The "Foot of The Walk" is marked by a statue of Queen Victoria. A Wetherspoons bar of the same name offers a fine selection of real ales. You can either make the return trek or jump on a bus. Contactless payments are now accepted on the ubiquitous Lothian Buses which means no more scrabbling for the exact fare in coins.
Alternatively, why not head down to Leith Shore, the original port for the city (although Leith itself retains a strong identity and wasn't officially incorporated into Edinburgh until 1920). Turn left along Great Junction Street and then take a right on to Henderson Street which winds down to the Shore. Modern shipping is handled by the nearby container port and the old Shore has been spruced up and offers plenty of refreshment choice. The Malt & Hops is the best place for a pint and Mimi's Bakehouse will feed you well. Half a mile distant terminal is the Ocean Terminal which contains shopping and leisure options. It is also the site of the now permanently docked Royal Yacht Britannia.
