The Old Town

"It is something that is without its like in northern Europe and it reminds one very strongly of what goes on in the cities of Italy. There is here none of the colour and gaiety of the south, but everywhere.. . that quiet, unhurried walking up and down...that leisurely movement that serves no purpose but is an end in itself."
Theodor Fontane, 1858

This is the lively old heart of the city, with Arthur's Seat watching over it from the east, the green expanse of the Meadows stretching out to the south and the protective presence of the castle above. Its winding streets are a joy to wander around, lined with shops to browse in and Cafés spilling out on to the pavements, lively by day and by night. This is also the upside-down part of town, where you will get to grips with the organic growth of a city which has evolved on two levels. Passing under and over the Old Town, its sights can be seen from above and below.

The walk begins in Cowgate, a sunken place with traces of its murky past still lingering around some of its darker corners, and two of the city's hidden gems: St Cecilia's Hall and the Magdalen Chapel. Emerging into the lively open space of the Grassmarket, the walk then heads through the upbeat student atmosphere of Southside and back towards the Old Town and Edinburgh's two finest museums: the all-encompassing Royal Museum and the exciting new Museum of Scotland. It then visits great gloomy Greyfriars, with its atmospheric churchyard containing Edinburgh's most famous canine resident, and ends up with a fine view over the New Town.

From Riches to Rags

In the medieval city the grandest folk lived in the Old Town beneath their poorer neighbours, in fine houses spread along Cowgate and the Grassmarket, the only valley within the city walls. During the 18th century anyone with money moved out to the wide open spaces of the New Town, and the innumerable narrow closes that ran south between the towering blocks on the High Street became a stinking warren brimming with filth and riddled with disease. Until as recently as fifty years ago the dark side of Edinburgh lurked right here in the heart of the Old Town.

Allow about 2½ hours, not including a visit to the museums. The walk is best done either on a Wednesday or Saturday afternoon, when St Cecilia's Hall is open, or on a Tuesday, when the museums stay open until 8pm and admission is free after 4.30pm. Rain and wind can only enhance the mood of this walk, because there are plenty of places to duck into along the way.

Turn right down St Mary's Street, and be sure to stop off at Casey's traditional sweet shop on the left, to stock up on rations. Turn right at the crossroads at the bottom of the hill, into Cowgate.

Cowgate

"To look over the South Bridge and see the Cowgate below full of crying hawkers, is to view one rank of society from another in the twinkling of an eye."
Robert Louis Stevenson, 1876