RunCity

Edinburgh on foot: a self-guided walking route

This route takes you past 10 of Edinburgh's best-known sights, including Palace of Holyroodhouse, Scottish Parliament, National Monument on Calton Hill and more. It is about 5 km on foot, roughly 2 hours at an easy pace with short stops. Follow the list on your own, or play it as a free GPS checkpoint game with RunCity and race the clock on the Edinburgh leaderboard.

  • 10Stops
  • about 5 kmDistance
  • 2 hoursWalking
  • about 50 minRunning
Play Edinburgh in RunCity

Free during launch. Runs in your phone's browser; the app is in English, German and Hungarian.

Edinburgh
Photo: Andrew Colin · CC BY 2.0

This route climbs through Edinburgh from Holyrood at the bottom of the Royal Mile to the castle on its rock, then drops into Dean Village. It starts at the Palace of Holyroodhouse and the Scottish Parliament opposite, then climbs Calton Hill to the unfinished National Monument, a row of Parthenon columns with the whole city below. Back down in the New Town, the Gothic spire of the Scott Monument rises over Princes Street Gardens.

On the Royal Mile, St Giles' Cathedral has a crown-shaped steeple, and the curving, colourful Victoria Street leads down past Greyfriars Bobby to the Grassmarket under the castle rock. Edinburgh Castle is the high point, seen from the Esplanade, and the bonus stop is Dean Village, an old mill village in the valley of the Water of Leith, ten minutes' walk from the West End. The hills are short and steep, and the weather changes quickly; bring a layer even in summer. In August the Festival fills the Royal Mile.

12345678910

Download the route as GPX (for Komoot, Strava or a watch)

The stops

A suggested order. In the game you can visit them in any order.

  1. Palace of Holyroodhouse

    Palace of Holyroodhouse Photo

    The royal palace front seen from the forecourt gates.

    Photo: 瑞丽江的河水 · CC BY-SA 4.0

  2. Scottish Parliament

    Scottish Parliament

    The modern parliament building with its leaf-shaped windows.

    Photo: dun_deagh · CC BY-SA 2.0

  3. National Monument on Calton Hill

    National Monument on Calton Hill Photo

    The unfinished Parthenon columns with the city below.

    Photo: Colin · CC BY-SA 4.0

  4. Scott Monument

    Scott Monument Photo

    The Gothic spire seen from Princes Street.

    Photo: Martin Abegglen from Bern, Switzerland · CC BY-SA 2.0

  5. St Giles' Cathedral

    St Giles' Cathedral

    The crown-topped church on the Royal Mile.

    Photo: Carlos Delgado · CC BY-SA 3.0

  6. Victoria Street

    Victoria Street Photo

    The curved, colourful street of shopfronts.

    Photo: rboed* · CC BY 2.0

  7. Greyfriars Bobby statue

    Greyfriars Bobby statue Photo

    The little dog statue at the corner of Candlemaker Row.

    Photo: Michael Reeve · CC BY-SA 3.0

  8. Grassmarket

    Grassmarket

    The old market square under the castle rock.

    Photo: Stephencdickson · CC BY-SA 3.0

  9. Edinburgh Castle

    Edinburgh Castle Photo

    The castle on its rock seen from the Esplanade.

    Photo: Enric · CC BY-SA 4.0

  10. Dean Village

    Dean Village Bonus

    The old mill village in the valley of the Water of Leith.

    Photo: Gary Campbell-Hall from Edinburgh, UK · CC BY 2.0

Play Edinburgh in RunCity

Leaderboard

    Questions

    Can you see Edinburgh on foot in one day?

    Yes. The 10 stops on this route add up to about 5 km, roughly 2 hours at an easy pace with short stops.

    Is this self-guided walking tour free?

    Yes. The route and map on this page are free, and the RunCity game for Edinburgh is free during launch.

    How does the RunCity game work in Edinburgh?

    Open Edinburgh in RunCity, walk to a stop and tap Validate: your phone's GPS confirms you are there. Some stops also ask for a photo. Timed runs go on the Edinburgh leaderboard.

    Where does the route start?

    This page suggests starting at Palace of Holyroodhouse and finishing at Dean Village. In the game you can take the stops in any order.

    Nearby cities