10 facts about Edinburgh that aren't in the guidebooks

# 10 facts about Edinburgh that aren't in the guidebooks

Edinburgh won't fit into one visit. You discover it downhill, from the castle to the Royal Mile. 😊 These ten facts are the ones a local guide would tell you along the way, between one stop and the next.

  1. The castle on a volcano. Edinburgh Castle sits on top of an ancient volcano. The Old Town starts right there. And the walk is mostly downhill.
  1. A mile that lives up to its name. The Royal Mile is a mile of historic streets. The name is literal: one mile of old streets running down from the castle.
  1. A stone crown on a roof. St Giles' Cathedral has a steeple shaped like a crown on its roof. You see it as you walk the Royal Mile.
  1. A loyal dog with his own statue. In the Old Town you hear the story of Greyfriars Bobby, the loyal dog. The city remembers him with a statue.
  1. The world's first City of Literature. UNESCO named Edinburgh the world's first City of Literature. The Writers' Museum brings together its three classics: Burns, Scott and Stevenson.
  1. The café where part of Harry Potter was written. J.K. Rowling wrote part of Harry Potter at The Elephant House. It is a café in Edinburgh, and you see it on the Old Town walk.
  1. The gravestone the fans look for. In Greyfriars Kirkyard there is a gravestone that fans link to the name Tom Riddle. It is a regular stop on the city's Harry Potter trail.
  1. From grain to glass. Whisky is made from grain to glass, and on the Royal Mile you learn how. Tasting is optional and for over-18s only.
  1. The Scottish larder has four names. Haggis, shortbread, smoked fish and thick soup: that is the food of Scotland. You get to know it on foot, without hurry.
  1. 5.05 million overnight visits. In 2024, Edinburgh recorded 5.05 million overnight visits. 64% of visitors came from outside the UK (Scotland Visitor Survey, 2023).

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