Scotland's capital and one of the most complete medieval old towns in Europe, hung from a single tail of volcanic rock. The Royal Mile runs downhill from a castle on a dead volcano to the royal Palace of Holyroodhouse, past tall tenement lands, hidden closes, and the crown-steepled kirk where John Knox preached the Reformation. Across a green valley rises the rational Georgian grid of the New Town, the built expression of the Scottish Enlightenment, and the two together are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Behind it all runs a darker story of Covenanter martyrs, body-snatchers and a loyal little dog. Read the whole city at your own pace, on your own quiet map.
