Canongate to Holyrood: The Royal End of the Mile

The stops, in walking order

1. 1

   

   Stop 1: Canongate Kirk

   ~15 min here

   Canongate Kirk is the parish church you are looking at, serving the Parish of Canongate in Edinburgh’s Old Town as part of the Church of Scotland.

2. 2

   

   Stop 2: Museum of Edinburgh

   ~1 hr here

   The Museum of Edinburgh occupies the late 16th-century Huntly House on Canongate, a three-storey building with a distinctive yellow exterior.

3. 3

   

   Stop 3: John Knox House

   ~3 min here

   John Knox House is a historic Edinburgh house associated by tradition with the Protestant reformer John Knox.

4. 4

   

   Stop 4: Dunbar's Close Garden

   ~3 min here

   Dunbar’s Close Garden is a tucked-away garden shaped by the narrow passage that brings you into it.

5. 5

   

   Stop 5: White Horse Close

   ~3 min here

   White Horse Close opens as a compact courtyard reached from the Canongate at the foot of the Royal Mile.

6. 6

   

   Stop 6: Parliament Building

   ~3 min here

   The Parliament Building is the purpose-built home of Scotland’s national legislature at Holyrood.

7. 7

   

   Stop 7: Palace of Holyroodhouse

   ~3 min here

   Palace of Holyroodhouse is the monarch’s official Scottish residence, and this royal complex has served as Scotland’s principal royal home since the 16th century.

8. 8

   

   Stop 8: Holyrood Abbey

   ~3 min here

   Holyrood Abbey is the weathered ruin of a religious house beside Holyroodhouse, at the eastern end of Edinburgh’s Royal Mile.

More walks in Edinburgh

• HighlightsEdinburgh Essentials10 stops · ~3 hr 55 min · 5.4 kmSee the walk
• HighlightsEdinburgh Essentials: The Royal Mile in an Hour6 stops · ~1 hr 45 min · 1.1 kmSee the walk
• Gardens & ViewsPrinces Street to Calton Hill: Monuments and Views8 stops · ~2 hr · 3.0 kmSee the walk
• Weird & UnusualDark Edinburgh: Closes, Vaults and Kirkyards6 stops · ~45 min · 1.8 kmSee the walk
• Hidden GemsNew Town to Dean Village and the Water of Leith6 stops · ~1 hr 20 min · 5.0 kmSee the walk
• Art & MuseumsGalleries and Museums of Edinburgh7 stops · ~5 hr 55 min · 3.6 kmSee the walk
• Food & DrinkWhisky, Oysters and Old Pubs4 stops · ~45 min · 2.6 kmSee the walk
• Nature & ViewsHolyrood Park: Arthur's Seat and Duddingston Loch4 stops · ~1 hr 15 min · 4.9 kmSee the walk
• Local LifeCowgate to the Meadows: Edinburgh's South Side5 stops · ~40 min · 1.8 kmSee the walk