Secret Edinburgh - An Unusual Guide (Jonglez Secret Guides)

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But what many of these people don’t know- and you may not either- is that there’s a maze of alleyways and abandoned houses beneath the street. Head to the Real Mary King’s Close for the truth behind this long forgotten underground city in the heart of Edinburgh. Book a guided tour here. #8 Tom Riddle’s Grave Scotland is all about whisky and if there is one thing you should try while in Edinburgh in terms of alcohol, I would recommend trying some Scottish whisky. But locals don’t just drink whisky and craft distilleries and breweries have been popping up around the city and the country. There are tons of Scottish made products out there that you can discover, but we can point out a couple specifically based in Edinburgh that we’ve tried to get you started. Next door to Georgian House is the Bute House, which is the official residence of the First Minister of Scotland. We really enjoyed our visit here and highly recommend it to anyone wanting to learn more about the New Town and the Georgian period in Edinburgh. The university’s collection is vast with items related to pathology, anatomy, zoology, phrenology, and pathology, but only a small percentage can be put on display at any one time. Some of the most notable objects that were on display during our visit included the skeleton of the 19th century murderer William Burke, the skull of George Buchanan (the tutor to King James VI), a large collection of phrenology objects, and a preserved dissected body that had been injected with mercury. I could walk up the Royal Mile, meander down Victoria Street, and take in Edinburgh Castle on every trip and not tire of it all.

Jump into a whisky barrel to learn about how whisky is made in Scotland then travel to the main regions that produce it from the comfort of the wide screen cinema at the Scotch Whisky Experience on Castlehill. The Portobello Amenity Society stood in front of the bulldozers and managed to save the beloved pillars from the rubble heap. Craigmillar Castle is best known for its connections to royal visits and intrigues, particularly that of Mary, Queen of Scots who is believed to have stayed at the castle twice. The area near Craigmillar is still called Little France because of the large French entourage that arrived with Mary, Queen of Scots. Running through Edinburgh, the Water of Leith is a beautiful slice of nature, cutting its way through the industrial buildings of the Scottish capital. A dedicated walkway now follows the River’s course as it snakes its way through Edinburgh.

Visit: Ashworth Laboratories, King’s Buildings, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JT Central: The Bronze Doors of St. Andrew’s House

For about 900 years Leith played a central role as Scotland’s principal port and it exported Scottish goods around the world, and you’ll find some historical plaques, statues, and buildings such as Trinity House Maritime Museum (free entry, book in advance) here. Head towards Shore Street and you’ll find plenty of shops, cafes, and restaurants (included a couple of Michelin starred ones) with a lovely harbor side location.

The Grand Gallery is the most photographed area as you get the perfect angle to see the museum. However, another less-known but great spot is the Rooftop Terrace. On this terrace, you find beautiful flowers and plants along the edges and a view of Arthur’s Seat and Edinburgh Castle. Other names to be spotted amongst the tombstones are those of iconic poet William McGonagall andMrs. Elizabeth Moodie, whose name is thought to have inspired the fictional character of ‘Mad-Eye’ Moody in the books. Of all the unusual things to do in Edinburgh, strolling through Greyfriar’s Kirkyard is certainly one of the quirkiest. The Writer’s Museum building is beautiful, and inside, you can learn about the lives of three notable Scottish writers – Robert Burns, Sir Walter Scott and Robert Louis Stevenson. This particular house, built in 1617-1620, was the house of a wealthy merchant and landlord, Thomas Gledstanes. The building is still used and lived in today making it one of the oldest continually inhabited buildings in Edinburgh, and two of the floors are open to the public to visit.