Visitor Information - Edinburgh Airport Car Parking from SkyParkSecure
Edinburgh Airport Visitor Information
Edinburgh Central
Edinburgh is without doubt one of the most charming and attractive cities in the UK, maybe even in Europe. Visitors flock here from around the world, particularly in the Summer season and more so during the Edinburgh Festival which takes place in August. The city has many attractions which draw the crowds, there is the allure of the Festival itself, with thousands of performances each year during it's three week period - there is also the fascinating history of the city, with incredible stories intertwined with different parts of the city. Then there is the sheer beauty of the place, the architecture spanning centuries - the parks - the bridges - the monuments - and of course there is the Castle, a mind blowing piece of construction, sitting proudly on the Castle Rock, keeping watch over the city below.
All this combined undoubtedly makes Edinburgh a 'must see' stop on any travellers route around Europe.
Here we will focus on some of the Central Area of Edinburgh, mentioning a few of the landmarks along the way.
The Old Town
The Old Town is the largely medieval heart of Edinburgh in which you can find most of its important historic monuments, including Edinburgh Castle, St Giles' Cathedral, the Palace of Holyrood and many more. Heading down from the Castle Esplanade we immediately enter the Royal Mile. The Royal Mile is the historic backbone of the Old Town, linking together Edinburgh's two royal strongholds - Edinburgh Castle and the Palace of Holyrood. Running the length of four streets - Castlehill, Lawnmarket, High Street & Canongate -there's certainly plenty to see and explore.
A magnet for tourists, the Old Town includes many notable and historic buildings, some of the older examples including St Giles Kirk, the Castle, John Knox's House, Magdalen Chapel, the Canongate Tolbooth and Kirk, Lady Stair's House, Moray House, not forgetting Holyrood Palace & Abbey and Greyfriars Kirkyard.
Today the Royal Mile retains its distinctive character, thanks to it's appealing historic architecture and a policy of careful conservation by the City Fathers and Conservation Groups.
The Old Town was named a World Heritage Site in 1995.
Edinburgh Castle
The Castle espalanade is the site of the world famous Edinburgh Military Tattoo that takes place annually as part of the Edinburgh International Festival. For three weeks in August each year the Scottish regiments host a lively programme of military music, marching and historical re-enactments under floodlights before packed crowds of tourists and locals alike.
On the northern side of the Castle is the Mills Mount Battery, this is where you will find one of the Castle's most distinctive features - the One O'clock Gun. Originally fired to allow boats on the Firth of Forth to set their clocks, - the gun is still fired each day, which acts as a modern day time check for the citizens of Edinburgh. Then if you make your way round to the western side of the castle you will find the Castle Vaults, these contain an exhibition about the castle's military history, which includes one of the Castle's most famous attractions - the 5 ton cannon Mons Meg. This 15th century cannon was the most advanced piece of artillary of its era and is estimated to have been able to fire a 500 pound stone a distance of almost two miles.
The Stone of Scone and the 'Honours of Scotland' (the Scottish Crown Jewels) are also on display in the Palace Block in the Crown Room,. They include the Scottish Crown, thought to be the oldest crown in Europe, the Sword of State, and a 15th century sceptre. These pieces of Scottish history were hidden in the castle when the Act of Union took effect in 1707, and were only put on display again in 1822. Along with the 'Honours' sits the Stone of Scone,which was brought back to Scotland in 1997 after 700 years absence. This was the coronation seat of Scottish kings until King Edward I carried it away as war booty in 1296. Since then it has been kept under the coronation chair in Westminster Abbey (apart from the time it was kidnapped from England by two Scottish patriots in the late 1960s).
The Royal Mile
The Royal Mile is divided into four sections, CastleHill, Lawnmarket, High Street and Canongate, and there are many priceless buildings and places on it's path from Castle to Holyrood Palace
The list of attractions on the Royal Mile to see is a long one, but to mention a few of the more famous ones would be - of course the Castle itself which we have already mentioned, then there is St. Giles Cathedral.
The present St Giles Cathedral or the High Kirk of Edinburgh belies the ancient structures that have occupied this spot at one time or another, the first church on this actual site dates from around the ninth century. St. Giles was rebuilt in the fifteenth century, and was the base for John Knox's Reformation of the style of Scottish worship from Catholic to Protestant. Much to his dislike, Scotland, France and England were all ruled by Catholic queens at the time.
In 1826, the much-neglected St Giles building was refurbished by William Burn, and there is plenty to appreciate inside, especially in the Thistle Chapel. The Heart of Midlothian, a heart-shaped pattern of stones in the roadway a few yards from the main door of St Giles', is a memento of a grim past. For the stones mark the site of the doorway of the Old Tolbooth, the town prison that stood here for some 400 years until it was demolished in 1817.
Further down the Royal Mile lies the Canongate, for centuries the burgh of Canongate was quite independent of Edinburgh. The presence of the Scottish court at Holyrood naturally attracted the nobility, many of whom maintained a town house in the Canongate, placing it as near to Holyrood Palace as possible. One gem of note is the Canongate Tolbooth (1591), which was the administrative hub of the Canongate in the days when it was an independent burgh.
Set at the eastern end of the Canongate and the termination of the Royal Mile is the Abbey and Palace of Holyroodhouse, more commonly referred to as Holyrood. The Palace is located on the site of Holyrood Abbey, an Augustinian monastery that was founded in 1128 by King David I. King David had pledged to build an Abbey for Canons devoted to the Cross, - Holyrood actually means "Holy Cross" - both Palace & Abbey are set in a valley, sheltered by Arthur's Seat (an active volcano about 250 million years ago) and Salisbury Crags. The abbey stands in the grounds of the palace with little more than the nave left to see of this once beautiful building.
Greyfriars
Greyfriars Kirk, whose entrance gates stand at the south end of George IV Bridge, is one of Edinburgh's most historic and atmospheric churches. The churchyard, is a calm and pleasant place to visit, ensuring you forget you are in the heart of the city. Greyfriars is Edinburgh's oldest graveyard, and was built in the 1620s, but was greatly damaged by fire in the 19th century and was subsequently re-built. An interesting fact about the church has to be that it has been estimated that there are some 80,000 people buried in the kirkyard.
The present church, belonging to the Church of Scotland, was the first new church to be erected in Edinburgh after the Reformation. The National Covenant, that militant expression of the Presbyterian faith, was signed here in 1638. Another piece of Scotland's troubled ecclesiastical history is the treatment dealt out to the Covenanters who were imprisoned here, under conditions of great hardship, and indeed some were executed for their religious beliefs. The nearby Martyr's Monument is a memorial to them.
Greyfriars Bobby
Immediately outside the churchyard gates, at the crest of Candlemaker Row, stands the much celebrated bronze likeness of Greyfriars Bobby. Bobby was the pet of policeman John Gray who died in 1858. The loyalty of the wee Skye terrier was so great that for 14 years the dog is said to have lived on his master's grave in Greyfriars Kirkyard.This is perhaps the most famous memorial to a dog to be found anywhere in the world.
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