Edinburgh walking, From Castle Rock to Leith

Volcanoes, football, literature and cobbly walks

Edinburgh walking is one thing that makes good sense if you want to get a real feel for the multi-level city. Its steep streets, ancient narrow gateways and sheer views are part of the experience. However, you will get good exercise on your legs by traversing the cobbled streets and stairways.

After a short stay in the city's outskirts in Musselburgh, which you can read about here and which is also great for walking, I spent several days in a hostel beside Haymarket Station and covered much of central Edinburgh on foot. My routes took me through the Grassmarket and Cowgate. I then went towards Edinburgh Castle then down the Royal Mile to Holyrood.  From there, I turned northward to Hibernian F.C.’s ground before returning through Leith Walk, Princes Street and its gardens. Walking the gardens beneath the castle, Haymarket is only a short distance away.

I did this a few times over a two-day stay. However, Edinburgh is better explored through several manageable walks, leaving time to stop, look around and experience some Scottish history.

My experience of Edinburgh

Haymarket proved to be a practical base. It is close enough to walk into the Old Town at the Grassmarket, while the railway station and tram stop provide an escape route when your feet have had enough. If you are planning on exploring further afield, Haymarket also has a direct bus or tram to the airport from right outside the train Station. From here, you also get direct trains to Glasgow. 

Walking also revealed Edinburgh’s contrasts. The Royal Mile is monumental, historic and extremely busy. The Cowgate is darker and rougher around the edges, and its history as the home of the Irish immigrant community attests to that. Easter Road feels more residential, while Leith Walk presents a multicultural, working-class area quite different from the souvenir shops surrounding the castle. Leith Walk is also a lot cheaper if you fancy a drink in one of its many watering holes. 

Together, these routes offered more than a tour of famous attractions. They connected Edinburgh’s geology, literature, politics, football and everyday street life.

A city shaped by fire and ice

Before walking Edinburgh, it helps to understand why the city looks the way it does.

Castle Rock is composed of hard volcanic rock. During the Ice Age, glaciers moved across the landscape, leaving the rock standing while depositing and protecting material behind it. This created a classic crag-and-tail formation, with the castle occupyingthe crag, while the Old Town ridge, or 'tail', sloping gradually eastwards towards Holyrood.

The Royal Mile therefore follows a geological landform rather than a conveniently designed tourist route. The Cowgate and Grassmarket occupy the lower ground to its south, while Princes Street Gardens lie in the valley to the north. Part of that northern valley was once occupied by the Nor’ Loch, which was drained as Edinburgh expanded.

At the other end of the Royal Mile, Arthur’s Seat and Salisbury Crags are the remains of volcanic activity from around 340 million years ago. Glaciers later sculpted the dramatic landscape visible today. Edinburgh’s famous skyline is therefore a combination of ancient fire, moving ice and human construction. Historic Environment Scotland explains the geology of Holyrood Park, while the Edinburgh Geological Society describes the Castle Rock crag-and-tail formation.

Through the Grassmarket and Cowgate

The Grassmarket sits dramatically below Edinburgh Castle. Originally used for trading cattle and horses, it was also a place of public execution.  It was also the scene of many of Burke and Hare's murders, an infamous part of the city's history. In the early half of the 19th Century, these two Irish fellows stalked the streets looking for victims. Killing for profit,  they would then sell the victims' bodies to researchers of human anatomy. They were eventually caught and William Burke was executed on the Royal Mile after William Hare cooperated. Today, the square is filled with pubs, cafés and restaurants, so there's nothing to fear except maybe the tourist prices.

The Vennel steps provide one of the best-known views of the castle and are worth the short detour. Victoria Street and West Bow also connect the Grassmarket with the higher Old Town, although the climb is a reminder that Edinburgh rarely gives visitors a completely flat route.

From the Grassmarket, the Cowgate runs east beneath bridges and towering Old Town buildings. Once a route used for driving cattle, it is now associated with pubs, clubs and late-night activity. Some of the city’s underground vaults lie beneath the South Bridge and can only be explored on an organised tour.

The Grassmarket is polished enough for visitors, but the Cowgate still has something of Edinburgh’s darker, enclosed atmosphere. The city’s official tourism guide provides more background on the Grassmarket’s trading and execution history. Cowgate's elevation in relation to the rest of the city also demonstrates the city's multi-level landscape, so whenever you look at a street map, bear in mind that some steps might be involved in moving from place to place. 

Holyrood: monarchy, democracy and volcanoes

At the bottom of the Royal Mile stands the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the official Scottish residence of the monarch. Opposite it is the Scottish Parliament, whose modern design creates a deliberate contrast with the palace and the older buildings of the Canongate.

The Parliament is the home of Scotland’s devolved legislature, making laws, debating public issues and scrutinising the Scottish political landscape. Self-guided visits are free, while its popular guided tours should be booked ahead through the Scottish Parliament visitor website.

Behind both buildings rises Arthur’s Seat. Visitors with additional time and energy can continue into Holyrood Park, although the climb deserves to be treated as a separate walk rather than a casual extension of the Royal Mile.

From Holyrood to Easter Road

Continuing towards Easter Road and Albion Place brings you away from the principal tourist route and into the home territory of Hibernian F.C.

Easter Road Stadium has been Hibs’ home since 1893. The club itself was founded in 1875 by Irish folk in Cowgate, otherwise known as Little Ireland. Its Irish origins on Cowgate create an interesting connection between two parts of this walking route, connecting the crowded streets of the Old Town to the football ground further to the north east.

Even without attending a match or taking a stadium tour, Easter Road is worth seeing for the way the ground sits within the surrounding residential area. The club’s official history explains more about its beginnings in the Cowgate.

Visitors who want to explore Leith more fully can continue towards the Foot of the Walk and the Shore. Otherwise, the tram provides a convenient return towards the city centre and Haymarket. The standard route connects Haymarket, central Edinburgh, Leith and Newhaven. Visitors should however, check the live Edinburgh Trams information before travelling.

Back through Princes Street Gardens

Returning along Princes Street brings the journey back to Edinburgh’s most familiar skyline. The gardens provide open space between the Georgian New Town and the densely built Old Town ridge, with the castle rising directly above.

The gardens occupy ground associated with the former Nor’ Loch. Their position makes the view especially dramatic: Edinburgh Castle does not merely sit beside the city but appears to grow out of the volcanic rock over it.

For Trainspotting fans, Princes Street also closes the literary and cinematic circle. The street is far removed from the novel’s housing schemes and drug culture, yet it supplied the film with its energetic and instantly recognisable opening.

Anything else of note?

Actually lots, especially the Scottish sense of humour. You may notice quite a few traffic cones adorning local monuments, and this is something which Edinburgh seems to have copied from Glasgow. An otherwise regular guy-on-a-horse statue in Glasgow depicting the Duke of Wellington, who fought Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo has persistently 'improved' by local Glaswegian pranksters, and this habit went global during the 2026 World Cup when the Scottish football fans did the same to several monuments in Boston. The good people of Boston seemed to absolutely love the Scots and their humour, and there was city-wide mourning when the Scots fans moved on to see their next match in Miami. The people are incredibly friendly and your life will be automatically enriched with a few Scots friends.  

Practical advice for doing Edinburgh walking

Wear comfortable shoes with good grip. Cobbles, steep slopes and steps make distances feel longer than they appear on a map. Carry a light waterproof layer even when the forecast looks reasonable, as the Scottish weather can be tempramental.

Divide these routes over two or three days. The castle-to-Holyrood walk is mainly downhill, but the Grassmarket, Cowgate and surrounding closes involve repeated changes of level. Easter Road and Leith Walk can form another half-day route.

Book Edinburgh Castle and the Palace of Holyroodhouse in advance if you intend to enter. The Scottish Parliament is free to visit, but advance reservations are recommended for guided tours. Buses and trams are useful when tired, and you can use the same contactless card or device throughout the day to benefit from the available fare-capping system.

Is Edinburgh worth exploring on foot?

Absolutely. Doing Edinburgh walking allowed me to see beyond the postcard version of the city. The castle and Royal Mile supply the spectacle, but the Cowgate, Easter Road and Leith Walk show a city that is still lived in rather than arranged entirely for visitors.

Edinburgh is historic without being frozen, beautiful without being tidy and compact without ever feeling completely easy. Expect crowds, cobbles, hills and unpredictable weather, but also one of the most rewarding urban walks in Britain.