It's just one of many interesting closes along the Royal Mile. This one is named after the Lord…read moreAdvocate's House. The house of Sir James Stewart used to be at the lower end the stairs near Cockburn St. It's literally steps away from the Supreme Courts building in Parliament Square. Well, about 70 steps up. Today, it's more of a shortcut between Market Street and the Royal Mile. The best feature of Advocate's Close is actually the perfectly framed view of the Scott Monument through the archway. You'll also see how high you are on the hill when walking up or down this steep & worn set of stairs. Hopefully they will add handrails to it one day like others that we've seen throughout the city. I mean, they don't call them "Death Stairs" for nothing. Oh, and theres's a very popular gastropub called the Devil's Advocate near the bottom of the steps. We didn't get to visit it, but it came highly recommended. It's just another reason to visit it.

Edinburgh is riddled with closes and Advocate's Close is a fine example of these narrow lanes that…read moreconnect streets throughout and behind the Royal Mile. The tall buildings that line the path give many closes a canyon-like feel with many of them sloping steeply down from the Royal Mile. It's like walking into the underground! Advocate's Close is particularly popular with tourists and I can see why. At the top, it offers a beautiful peek-a-boo view of the Sir Walter Scott Monument in the distance and some of Edinburgh's central buildings. Walk all the way down and it connects you to Cockburn Street below. Definitely try walking through a close or two as they are great shortcuts to get from one street to another along the Royal Mile.

We did the hour long tour and that was a perfect amount of time and information for our family. Our…read moreguide Louis B was very awesome without being an obnoxious tour guide. We've had some tour guides that are super cringy, but he wasn't. He had a wealth of information without being dry or boring. This tour was very interesting and I am very happy we went on it.

What a rich, interesting historical tour. Very informative and unbelievable how people back then…read morelived. So amazing this building is so well-preserved. Our guide Anna was amazing and captivated our group. We were not allowed to take pictures during the tour, but this is definitely worth your while. The story of the ghost was spooky. The building is amazing. Cannot fathom how 14 people lived in one of the rooms back then. Very glad we went to this tour.

From all the social media post I've seen, this was on my list for places to check out in Edinburgh…read more First visit, we actually went to the wrong location...lol.... Made up for the next time. It's a good 15 min or so in the car from downtown Edinburgh or you could walk. We ended walking as it gave us a chance to see things that we've missed from all the other time we've visited. It was probably a half hour walk just taking our time. Faster if we didn't stop to look at things and take pictures. Right when you get to the location, there's Dean Bridge that crosses over. If you reached it, the village is right below. There's a little cobble stone street that literally takes you to the Instagram spot where I've seen. It's another little bridge that looks down to the town. A river below which was somewhat frozen. Of course everyone is there for the same reason, to get the perfect shot. The cute painted homes and rustic architecture gives it a gothic vibe. Walking along the cobble stone streets and checking out the little village was pretty calm. There's even a path that runs along the river you can walk along. The village itself isn't that big. Even though it was winter, the place was still beautiful. Imagine the warmer season when everyone is walking around, it'll get crowded but beautiful. If you walk under Dean Bridge, there's a main path that will take you back to the city. It's wider and below the homes but a really nice walk. People out for their jog or casually strolling. This place was very cute. Nothing big but something worth checking out. The power of social media know what it's doing.

Agree with all the other reviews! Dean Village was such a charming walk during our time in…read moreEdinburgh. On a rainy day, it wasn't too crowded, and the views are beautiful, especially considering how close it is to the city center.

This close was named after the Lady Stair's House which is now the Writers' Museum. The house dates…read moreback to 1622. It currently is a museum celebrating Scottish Poets. The large courtyard in Lady Stair's Close is called Makar's (or Poets) Court. It's very recognizable with the historical gas lamp in the middle of it. You'll also see that the stones in the court are inscribed with quotes from Scottish poets and writers. It can be a pleasant atmosphere in the day, or a creepy one at night. I believe the ghost tours do pass through here at night. I can see why a scene from Guillermo del Toro's "Frankenstein" was filmed here (the execution scene). This area can easily be adapted into a 17th century setting. It's another hidden close that shouldn't be missed while heading up to the castle.

A great place of history with points of interest dotted around from the walls to the ground, its…read morelike going back in time and I love it.

Yet another advert for 'ooh, get you East Lothian and your pretty beaches too!' And for this one,…read moreyou get a couple of free rusting, abandoned midget submarines too! Only when the tide is out, mind. Aberlady's nature reserve is a lovely, easy enough walk that can keep you occupied for a couple of hours, or you can cut straight to the point, and head down to some gloriously sandy beaches, with some not so tropical waters, but still lovely for a paddle. Did I mention the submarines? We sadly missed them, spending too long wandering around the headlands, but it's a wonderful place to go to when you want to escape from the world. Oh and new found fact, this was the first nature reserve, appointed in 1952. So go there, and give a wee thanks to those that did so, because Aberlady is worth it!

The Black Rocks are a set of rocks which sit in the bay of Burntisland and are a popular…read moredestination for walkers. When the tide is out and the Firth of Forth is in full retreat it is possible to walk all the way from the mainland to these rocks! The rocks are a well known land mark as you look out from Burntisland and the local area. Indeed, these rocks are also a firm favourite with geologists, who are fascinated by the minerals on the Black Rocks. Defiantly worth a trip to, however before you go for your walk I would advise you to find out the times of when the tide goes out and then back in! You would not want to be stuck out on them when the tide comes in!

The oldest pub in Linlithgow, this tavern actually derives its name from the town coat of arms…read more The pub is a traditional, local pub, but very welcoming. They are proud of their namesake, which centres on the story of the black greyhound of Linlithgow, whose master was imprisoned on an island in the middle of the nearby Loch and sentenced to starve to death. Everyday the greyhound swam out to her master with food and ended up saving his life. The locals call themselves 'Black Bitches' after the dogs symbolic loyalty. A great local, if quiet, tavern serving a range of real ales. It also has a nice beer garden. Apparently there is a folk music night every third Sunday of the month too.

Despite an incredibly un-PC name, The Black Bitch in Linlithgow is quite surprisingly not filled…read morewith wall to wall Ku Klux Clan members and Daily Mail readers. Instead it's an old-fashioned, traditonal pub in an Edinburgh dormitory town filled to bursting with old fashioned, traditional pubs. Apart from the bizarre cross-burning moniker, there's not too much to get excited about. A few years back my cronies and I would come out in Linlithgow quite a bit as we begun to look for a more serene nightlife experience. The Bitch wasn't always on our radar, but on the occasions we did come in it was perfectly adequate.

I thoroughly enjoyed my tour with The Cadies & Witchery Tours. I was looking for an intimate…read moreexperience where I felt comfortable asking questions and this was it!!! From the moment I walked into their storefront to inquire about the tour options... I met with Robin and felt right at home. She mentioned that this was a newer tour that Robert researched and put together in 2020. It was rich in history, unique stories, and we had the ability to ask questions along the way (while exploring Greyfriars Kirkyard). If you are looking for a tour that gives you a genuine feel for the souls that have been laid to rest in Greyfriars, this is it.

We had fun on this tour and for us that is what matters. The tour guides were fun, they dressed up…read moreas characters, got into it and were fun. One person did the tour as one character and the other came in as a character and surprised us coming in as different characters every so often. This was about the tour guides being fun and the story told around different streets. If you are wanting serious ghostly locations and happenings this maybe is not for you. It may also good for older children. We had good fun and for £10 per person was good value.

Leith is a city on the water just a 10 minute Uber ride from Edinburgh city center. Home to artists…read moreand local craft shops. There are nice Waterfront bistros and traditional pubs. The Royal Yacht Britannia, the former cruise liner for the monarchy, is docked here and you can see it from the Waterside shops. A nice little city, famous for having the best fish & chips in the area. I recommend taking a ride over and having lunch on the water.

another 2 yearly update. Still in Leith and still loving it to bits. new beautiful additions are…read morethe weekly Artisan Market, for all your bread, organic meat, cheese, veg and vegan needs; the Custom's House opening for art projects and even more bars and restaurants opened up. For the hipsters, you have the Baker's Arms and Toast. You got kids or just love ice cream? Gelato ice cream bar has got you covered. Vegan? Try the Harmonium for a conscientious night out. Organic and earth lover - go and visit Norn. Whisky? Hey the Scottish Malt Whisky Society is still there to whet your whistle. With the elusive tram line connection looming many upgrades have been spotted. Try the Ocean Terminal that now carries a Superdry Superstore, Wagamama, and a massive indoor Roller Blade and Skate Park - this on top of the 10 screen cinema and the Royal Yacht Brittania. Old favourites like the SMWS and Sofi's Bar still keep the locals together and welcome new and old Leithers to their warm bosoms embrace. Still loving Leith, old & new!

Wonderful lunch with decent service…read more Food: We shared a Highlands chicken and a meat pie. They were both great. The Highlands chicken was a work of art. It's a roasted chicken with haggis stuffed in it! Awesome! The meat pie has great flavor and nice chucks of meat! I probably have to turn myself in here.... Dessert: I ordered a fried Mars bar! Yes... I'm guilty. It was so sinfully delicious

We arrived late to Edinburgh and went on a walk about and found The Canon's Gate about 9pm. What an…read moreamazing little place. Please do not pass this gem Up. Lots of locals so we know this The Canon's Gate would not disappoint. We did a couple of whiskey flights and ordered fish & chips and bangers and mash. Flights were expertly designed and the food was very traditional and spot on. Their team was perfectly attentive. Loved our night here!