ALL PHOTOS CLICK FULL SCREEN.
On one of my bus trips to Edinburgh in the autumn of 2025 I still had a few hours before my evening bus back to Glasgow so I thought I would do the 1 to 2 hour walk around Edinburgh Castle again. This is it....Start at West End of Princes Street Gardens- Walk through gardens to Scott Monument. Either up the Mound or Waverley To Cockburn Street, Royal Mile- Castle Esplanade ( entrance gates) Down Granny's Green Steps ( you can avoid these or reverse the entire route to climb them) Grassmarket-Johnstone Terrace- Kings Stables Road- West End again at the Parish Church of St Cuthbert. Or you can reverse this route.
As I've been in the castle before (around £20 each roughly in 2026) I did not go in but you can. For myself the walk around the castle is equally impressive as you can add or subtract sections to suit. A lot of history is contained in this short walk and this time I found added information ( thanks to AI.)
Also found in West Princes Street Gardens is the Ross Fountain. An elaborate high confection of water nymphs/ mermaids and other creatures that is well worth a detailed look.
A close up here. Middle level.
The bottom pool.
Fisher's Close on the Royal Mile. Between zooming up and down Calton Hill via Jacob's Ladder and the numerous narrow passageways running off the Royal Mile at right angles you can clock up close to 3000 foot for the adventurous. This keeps you fit and saves you money as well as being great fun. Some of the tenement buildings here go up 14 floors or more as Mary King's Close (£ 25 to £35 each in 2026) is found underneath this lot halfway up the Royal Mile. Worth a visit to see this ancient underground buried oddity ( an entire subterranean street layout) but between that and the Castle Entry its around £40-£50 each single person for the two attractions combined whereas this entire walk is free and just as exciting. It was about £10 or £12 when I wandered through Mary King's Close many years ago and no need then to book in advance for any attraction in Scotland. That's modern life for you.
West Bow/ Cockburn Street. A narrow passageway between levels around the orange building on the left takes you up to the Royal Mile via a sneaky rising shortcut. The Wizard of West Bow used to live around here in the 1600s- yet another potential inspiration for Edinburgh writer Robert Louis Stevenson and his famous Jekyll and Hyde book. . https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Weir. Worth a read. You couldn't make it up :o) Dementia or some other mental illness perhaps? They were both elderly for that time period..
Granny's Green Steps lead down from the Castle. ( hard to get this empty of people on a sunny afternoon. I would still be waiting to take it if I did.)
The Grassmarket which leads to King's Stables Road then back to the West End.
On a previous visit to Edinburgh and The Parish Church of St Cuthbert, seen here, I found out I only had 20 minutes before it closed so it was a rushed free visit inside. It has a long history though. I didn't have time for the surrounding grounds on that occasion.
As you can see here. A long history.
Crime writer Agatha Christie was married here apparently.
Wandering around the church grounds I also spotted these Physalis plants. I've tasted the orange fruit inside at wedding banquets and enjoyed them so I knew they originally came from Peru.
St Cuthbert's Church interior view.
Nearby was an exotic lily I hadn't seen before, also from Peru. Intrigued by this I looked it up to find out the connection. Thomas De Quincey. I've still got a couple of his books in my collection since the 1970s as he lived beside the English Lake District poets and wrote about them but I had no idea he also lived in Edinburgh and Glasgow, dying in this place. He also wrote a book about a nun who escaped dressed as a man and had numerous adventures all over Peru and South America. A true tale. Thomas de Qunicey also had a remarkable life but not a very enviable one. A link here. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_De_Quincey
One of the great pleasures in modern life is coming across interesting or unusual characters/ history facts and thanks to AI and wiki that is now possible ( on this occasion at least) if you have a hunch, like seeing the two Peru flowers and wondering why they were planted there. Everybody likes to be an amateur detective now and again.
Also in St Cuthbert's grounds was this guy. Bum. A three legged dog from San Diego, every bit as amazing as Edinburgh's Greyfriars Bobby, yet I'd never heard of him until now.
Edinburgh is twinned with San Diego and the dogs are as well. Which is apt as this dog had an incredible life and survival story. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bum_(dog)
No apologies for these three links in one post as each one is remarkable in its own way. A short walk but completely filled with fascinating history. A short post as it is the three links here that are important. Each well worth reading. Each unique and very different.
8 comments:
'Bum' was quite a character! I thought the write-up on De Quincey was a bit confused though... We did a lot of that walk, but not as a deliberate walk around the castle, on our first trip to Edinburgh. The underground trip sounds good but what a price!
Evening Carol, Yes Edinburgh can be a very expensive city, especially for a family. You can easily spend £200- £500 visiting all the paid attractions. Glasgow is a much cheaper city, most places are free entry although I admit at the moment Glasgow city centre is a shambles with road works everywhere. Loads of free things to do in Edinburgh though Like Dean Village Walk along The Water of Leith to Leith Docks. That's free. And you can do Hermitage of Braid gorge, Blackford Hill and then the Braid hills in one easy round of a few hours. A great day out. Glasgow is the 3rd most populous City in the UK though according to wiki and the 5th UK city most visited. Something I've been trying to find out for years as it depends where the city boundaries lie and methods of counting. Bum is a great story. What a dog!
Must try to remember to have a look at that Hermitage of Braid Walk and Braid Hills next visit to Edinburgh
It's mostly grassy path, earth or dirt lanes Carol so not too bad for walking. Hermitage of Braid first, which leads up Blackford Hill then back down into gorge over wooden bridge then up the other side to Braid Hills Drive. Short walk along that to Braid Hills Golf Range where a minor lane then right angle path leads to Braid Hills summit without going on golf course at all. Straight down other side on dirt path through gorse which takes you down to Braid Road and Braidburn Valley Park. End. Detailed route description as you can easily go wrong on it but not if you go this way round. Around 2 to 3 hours depending on speed. I have posted it on here under Braid hills. Hope this helps. Much quieter than A.S. Easter and Wester Craiglochart hill summits are good as well done together as a pair.
Like you, I look up so many things! I clicked on all your links, thank you for including them. I also looked up the baby elephant statue, it is good those young children love it so as it is a memorial to babies. Very sad. Edinburgh looks very interesting to me!
Thanks Kay, I know it gets a lot of hugs as any time I've been there and spotted little kids anywhere near it If I want a photo of it I've got to dive in first before they run up to it. That's one of the hard things about Edinburgh- trying to take people free photos as some streets are so packed with tourists during the day it's hard to get them clear enough for a photo opportunity.
Must be nice to live in such a place where so many tourists want to visit! You must grow weary of them sometimes but come on admit it, you are lucky to live there! I particularly find that baby elephant very sweet, and just the perfect huggable size, guess I am showing my childlike nature! LOL!
Not so sure about that Kay. Although I live in Glasgow I stay in the outskirts and anytime I go into the city centre nowadays it gets worse. Open drug dealing in broad daylight ( crack cocaine usually,) loads of immigrants, loads of homeless, the shops a shadow of what they used to be pre internet, The Clydeside waterfront a total disgrace, covered in graffiti, grubby and rundown looking, half the streets dug up currently...Similar to any large UK city in 2026 I'd imagine. I only go into the city centre very occasionally, which is part of the problem as most citizens can get everything they need in outlying retail parks now or online. On the plus side we have great countryside not far away from every UK city and in Scotland a good climate. Not too warm or cold. I would not like to live the the centre of any city. I'm too used to the outer suburbs.. Just by chance I was in Glasgow City Centre recently so that will be the next post. An accurate account of what it looks like. Glasgow is not too bad for tourist numbers but Edinburgh on certain busy streets is shoulder to shoulder crowded, sardine tin style. You just have to slot in and shuffle along in the pack. Currently I would suggest tourist hotels at Finnieston and the West End/ Partick in Glasgow as most of the attractions are there anyway and its only a short 5 minutes bus or train/ underground into Glasgow city centre for day trips. But that's just my opinion.
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