The city: Must see - Royal Mile
Posted on Tuesday, September 21 @ 00:00:00 PDT by poster |
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Royal Mile
Following a ridge that runs from Edinburgh Castle to Holyrood Palace, the Royal Mile is one of the world's most fascinating streets. From the west end you can see beyond craggy Arthur's Seat and over the waters of the Firth of Forth, with tantalizing glimpses of the Old and New Towns through the closes (entrances) and wynds (alleyways) on either side. Although there are tourists and shops stuffed with tacky Scottish souvenirs aplenty, the street is lined with extraordinary buildings, including multistoried tenements dating from the 15th century.
If you'd like to know how whisky is manufactured, stop by the Scotch Whisky Heritage Centre on Castlehill. It offers a tour with several audiovisual presentations and sells hundreds of different brands of whisky in its shop. Not far off (in distance, anyway) is the Highland Tolbooth Kirk, a church that boasts the tallest spire (71.7m, 239ft) on one of Edinburgh's highest points. Opposite the kirk are the Assembly Rooms of the Church of Scotland, which are the temporary home of the new Scottish Parliament. On High St just east of the crossroads of Bank St and George IV Bridge lies Parliament Square, which is largely filled by St Giles' Cathedral. Inside the church, near the entrance, is a life-size statue of John Knox, minister from 1559 to 1572; from here he preached his uncompromising Calvinist message and launched the Scottish Reformation. At 42 High St, the Museum of Childhood attempts to cover the serious issues related to childhood - health, education and so on - but more enjoyable is the enormous collection of toys, dolls, games and books that fascinate children and bring childhood memories back for adults.
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