Detailed review by jipp05
The Royal Mile in Edinburgh is a must see for any visitor to the city. This 1.1 mile long street has so much history and sites packed into it that it can easily take a whole day or even longer to explore.
The Royal Mile starts at Edinburgh Castle at the top all the way down to Hollyrood Palace at the bottom and is a fascinating look back into how this ancient city looked back in medieval times.
Of course the most logical place to start the Mile is with Edinburgh Castle. this majestic castle has so much to see so make sure that you start early so that you leave yourself enough time to do it all.
Once you have finished at the castle you can then start to wander down the mile stopping at places that take your fancy along the way.
There are so many sites to see that you will be spoilt for choice. You can visit the camera obscura which is a fascinating example of victorian science and is actually a really interesting fun place for young and old alike to spend a couple of hours.
There is John Knox house which is now a museum and dates from the 15th centuary. This is just one of many museums you can visit but the whole mile is practically a museum in it's own right as there is so much history and character all around you.
There are usually street performers you can stop and watch and when you start to get a little weary there are plenty of cafes and pubs where you can get a whiskey or something to eat.
There is also ample opportunity to do a little shopping but most of the shops are catered towards the tourist although you can get some good tartan items.
Make sure to find the statue of greyfriars Bobby and for those that don't know the story make sure you find out about it.
Right at the bottom is the dynamic eath exhibit which is a fascinating loo back through time to how the Earth was formed and actually makes science fun and interesitng especially for young children.
The new parliment building is also worth a look at just to compare the contrasting style of the ancient Royal Mile to the ultra modern parlimen building.
Finally at the bottom you can visit Hollyrood palace which is spectacular and well worth visiting as it houses some beautiful art works.
The Royal Mile may be an ancient street but it is still full of life and one of the best preserved medieval streets in the whole world and should definately be at the top of the list to any visitor to the city.
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