Royal Mile, within the Old and New Towns of Edinburgh World Heritage Site, extends eastward from Edinburgh Castle on Castle Rock to Holyrood Palace. The Royal Mile measures one Scots mile – 1.1 English miles or 1.8 kilometres–the distance from Edinburgh Castle to Holyrood Palace.
Construction of Edinburgh Castle heralded the founding of Edinburgh. The earliest extant structure in Edinburgh, Saint Margaret’s Chapel, lies within the castle built by her son, King David I. Additions to Edinburgh Castle were made by subsequent monarchs; in the 1600’s its function changed from residence to military base.
The history of Edinburgh is exemplified by the churches, tenements, residences, businesses and public buildings along the main thoroughfare and the intersecting closes (narrow alleys), wynds (alleys between buildings) and vennels (passages between houses).
The several sections of Royal Mile were established by royal decree. Castle Hill, a large esplanade and street at the western end, served as both execution square and parade ground. Lawnmarket, established as a cloth market, had a large foreign population in its heyday.
Highstreet forms the central section; many of its high-rise tenements date from the 1500’s. Continual wars with Britain made residents seek the protection of the castle; expansion grew upward instead of outward. Residents in the top storeys tossed trash from upper windows with admonishments to those in the streets below to beware. Today, Royal Mile Whiskies, opposite St. Giles’ Church, features more than 300 whiskies from distilleries predominantly from Scotland and Ireland.
Canongate, established in 1128 for the community of Holyrood Abbey, remained separate from Edinburgh until 1856. Canongate Church, decreed by James VII, was completed in 1690 after James vacated the throne. Its unusual style was designed by architect James Smith, who introduced the Palladian Style to Scotland. The kirkyard includes the graves of Adam Smith and Robert Fergusson.