Easy hikes and walks around Old Town

In the Stockbridge district, you'll find this photogenic cobblestone alley. The former stables of the New Town's stately homes have been converted into charming cottages. Ivy and roses climb, and flower boxes are everywhere—the whole thing creates a delightful, very romantic scene.

"The Gothic Tower of the City Observatory of Edinburgh, Scotland, UK, is the oldest part of the observatory and was designed by architect James Craig and built in the 18th century. It was the only gothic tower built of all that were planned because the project ran out of money. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gothic_Tower_-_City_Observatory_of_Edinburgh_-_05.jpg

Busy street but worth a detour

It is a challenge but beautiful.

Free to walk through. Each step made from different coloured marble

One of the most picturesque streets in Edinburgh's Old Town is Victoria Street. This street begins at the eastern end of the Grassmarket as West Bow, which was the original name for this historic thoroughfare. This route was originally the main route into Edinburgh for tourists arriving from the north, west or south-west of the city. The zigzagging of the hill made the route more accessible to horse-drawn vehicles that would not have been able to navigate the much narrower lanes or the Royal Mile. The buildings along the road indicate how the structures in the city spread upwards as the city colonised the full length of the hillside. One of these buildings (with a confectioner's shop at street level) is an original 16th century building, in the traditional 'built' style of pieces of gutter stone, with individual pieces of stone fitted together like a jigsaw puzzle. ​Most of the buildings along the road have been recently rebuilt or developed, but look for the dates 1616 and 1720 above some of the old doorways near the lower end of the street. https://www.edinburghexpert.com/blog/edinburghs-victoria-street-and-west-bow

Victoria Street, a picturesque and winding cobbled lane, is one of Edinburgh’s most iconic thoroughfares. Named after Queen Victoria, it exudes a timeless charm that resonates with locals and visitors alike. With its colourful facades and unique shops, the street showcases Edinburgh’s architectural diversity and historical heritage. Victoria Street was designed by architect Thomas Hamilton, one of the leading lights in transforming the city with neoclassical buildings and influenced by ancient Greek architecture. However, it was stipulated that the buildings associated with the new street should be ‘old Flemish’ in style and take inspiration from the details of Heriot’s Hospital. https://ewh.org.uk/victoria-street/

The building was designed in the Gothic Revival style and was a collaboration between Scottish architect James Gillespie Graham and English architect Augustus Pugin. Constructed from dark sandstone, it appears older than its actual age; it was built between 1842 and 1845. Its spire is the highest point in Edinburgh, at 72 meters. Previously a Church of Scotland building, it remains one of Edinburgh's most distinctive buildings, with its silhouette visible from across the Old Town. Despite its appearance and name, it was never consecrated as a church, as it last met here in 1929, when it moved to a new Assembly Hall located on the Mound. The building was then used by various congregations until 1979, when it merged with Greyfriars Kirk and closed. It was converted and reopened as The Hub in 1999. https://cityexplorerstours.com/edinburgh-travel-guide/the-hub