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Canongate Kirk
The kirkyard of this 17th-century church contains the graves of several famous characters, including economist and author of The Wealth of Nations , Adam Smith (1723-90), Agnes MacLehose (the 'Clarinda' of Robert Burns' love poems), and the 18th-century poet Robert Fergusson (1750-74). Robert Burns, a fan of Fergusson, paid for his gravestone and penned the epitaph.
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Cramond Village
With its moored yachts, stately swans and whitewashed houses clustered around the mouth of the River Almond, Cramond is the most picturesque corner of Edinburgh. It is also rich in history - the Romans built a fort here in the 2nd century AD.
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Flodden Wall
At the western end of the Grassmarket a narrow close called the Vennel leads steeply up to one of the few surviving fragments of the city wall that was built in the early 16th century as protection against a feared English invasion. Beyond it is the Telfer Wall, a later extension that continues to Lauriston Pl.
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Newhaven Harbour
Newhaven was once a distinctive fishing community whose fishwives tramped the streets of Edinburgh's New Town selling ' caller herrin ' (fresh herring) from wicker creels on their backs. Modern development has dispelled the fishing-village atmosphere, but the little harbour still boasts its picturesque lighthouse. Sea.fari (331 4857; www.seafari.co.uk) runs high-speed boat trips from the harbour to Inchcolm Island.
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Real Mary King's Close
This medieval Old Town alley has survived almost unchanged for 250 years amid the foundations of the City Chambers, a spooky, subterranean labyrinth that gives a fascinating insight into the everyday life of 17th-century Edinburgh. The guided tour can seem a little naff, milking the scary and scatological aspects of the close's history for all they're worth.
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The Shore
The most attractive part of Leith is the cobbled waterfront street alongside the Water of Leith, lined with pubs and restaurants. Before the docks were built in the 19th century this was Leith's original wharf. An iron plaque set into the quay in front of No 30 marks the King's Landing - the spot where King George IV (the first reigning British monarch to visit Scotland since Charles II in 1650) stepped ashore in 1822.
Showing 1-6 of 6 results
