Streets of Edinburgh Volume I

Updated July 2024Welcome to Edinburgh's Royal Mile. But what is the Royal Mile and how did it get is name? Illustrated narrative verses describe the origins of the Royal Mile, its composition of five streets, their origins and their present. Starting from the Castle the Royal Mile comprises Castlehill, Lawnmarket, High Street, Canongate and Abbey Strand, the later leading to the Palace of Holyrood. Between Castle and Palace, each once royal residences, is the roughly 1 mile road, hence the nickname. Seeking sanctuary near the castle on the volcanic rock, early settlers built defences leading to an overcrowded small confined town. Seeking to throw off the constraints, bridges and roads were constructed from the mid-18th century to open access. A companion volume, Volume II, The Old Town, describes its closes, wynds and gardens and its southern valley. A further companion volume, Volume III, The New Town, describes the development of new towns to the north from the late 18th-century. Each volume is self-contained, able to be read and enjoyed on its own.