What to do and see in Old Town, Scotland: The Best Sights & Landmarks

Edinburgh Castle is a world famous icon of Scotland and part of the Old and New Towns of Edinburgh’s World Heritage Site. It was recently voted top UK Heritage Attraction in the British Travel Awards and is Scotland’s number one paid-for tourist attraction. This most famous of Scottish castles has a complex building history. The oldest part, St Margaret's Chapel, dates from the 12th century; the Great Hall was erected by James IV around 1510; the Half Moon Battery by the Regent Morton in the late 16th century; and the Scottish National War Memorial after the First World War. The castle houses the Honours (Crown Jewels) of Scotland, the Stone of Destiny, the famous 15th century gun Mons Meg, the One O' Clock Gun and the National War Museum of Scotland.

St Giles’ Cathedral is the historic City Church of Edinburgh. With its famed crown spire it stands on the Royal Mile between Edinburgh Castle and the Palace of Holyroodhouse. Also known as the High Kirk of Edinburgh, it is the Mother Church of Presbyterianism and contains the Chapel of the Order of the Thistle (Scotland’s chivalric company of knights headed by the Queen). Please do not book any tours through TripAdvisor, as they are not endorsed by the cathedral.

A 200-foot spire dedicated to Sir Walter Scott, the famous Scottish poet.

Edinburgh's oldest neighborhood, dating back to medieval times: these small streets are lined with wool shops, pubs and historical monuments.

Stretch of road connecting Edinburgh Castle with Holyrood Palace, the Queen's residence in Scotland.

Hidden beneath the Royal Mile lies Edinburgh’s deepest secret: a warren of hidden ‘closes’ where real people lived, worked and died. For centuries they have lain forgotten and abandoned…until now. Visit Edinburgh's most famous Close, which makes Edinburgh's Hidden History unmissable.

This massive rock towering over Edinburgh is the setting for Edinburgh Castle and serves as one of the most defining symbols of Scottish history.

Experience and take part in over 100 illusions as well as a breath of fresh air on our magnificent Rooftop Terrace, which offers the most spectacular 360 degree views of Edinburgh. At Camera Obscura & World of Illusions, experience five floors of interactive hands-on optical illusions, tricks and fun things to do including vortex tunnel, mirror maze and shrinking room. Fully safe, ‘Good to Go’ certified and have all the necessary health and safety guidelines in place to make your visit the most enjoyable ever! Get involved, play, touch everything. Great fun for all ages and nationalities, whatever the weather. 'Best family attraction in Britain’, The Telegraph. 'Five Stars, outstanding, world class', VisitScotland. Scotland’s oldest purpose-built attraction, established in 1835. Free Wi-Fi. Allow about 2 hours. Please note the attraction is located in a listed 17th Century building over 5 floors without a lift. Open every day, open late on holidays.

GLADSTONE'S LAND IS CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC UNTIL AUGUST 2020 FOR RENOVATION. One of the oldest buildings on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile, boasting fascinating hand-painted Renaissance interiors. Just a stone’s throw from the castle, this 500-year-old building is a towering testament to tenement life in Edinburgh’s Old Town and was once owned by merchant Thomas Gladstone. He extended and remodelled the building to attract wealthy tenants for his opulently decorated apartments, as well as for the high-end grocer and cloth shop on the ground floor and the tavern located in the basement. By the mid-1800s, only the poorest of the city’s inhabitants remained in the Old Town. Gladstone’s Land was one of the first buildings that the National Trust for Scotland acquired, rescuing it from demolition in 1934. Today, Gladstone’s Land shows how the wealthy went about their lives at a time when the cramped Lawnmarket was at the heart of one of the world’s fastest-growing and most influential cities.