Royal Mile, Edinburgh, United Kingdom

4alisonsX5407TB 5:00 PM Jul 29, 2022

See Canongate Kirk and Parliament as well as tourist shops
The Royal Mile is a very touristy area of Edinburgh but that can be fun if you want to buy Scottish gifts. It is also worth visiting Canongate Kirk (on the left as you walk down in the direction of Holyrood Palace) it is the church where Zara, the Queen's granddaughter married Mike Tindall and has an unusual interior for a church with prettily painted blue seats in a light filled room. To the left and right of the front entrance you can see cherry blossom trees originally planted by the Queen and Prince Philip in the 1950s. Entry is free although its nice to make a donation and volunteer staff are on hand if you have any questions. I would also recommend stopping for a light lunch at the cafe in the Parliament building on the right as you go down to Holyrood Palace. You wont pay a fortune here, everything was very reasonably priced and very pleasant, uncrowded and clean. The parliament building is free to enter but you will need to go through a security check. I would have liked to have seen more of the Parliament, it is often fully open to the public, but wasnt on the day we visited so we could only view the reception and a few meeting rooms in addition to the cafe.

4Roberta C 5:00 PM May 12, 2022

Interesting architecture, overpriced shops
This popular tourist attraction is full of old buildings that are interesting to look at. However, the street is lined with shops that cater to tourists, selling overpriced Scottish scarves, sweaters, and knickknacks. And it's quite a steep hill. Despite the hill and the shops, it's well worth the visit.