7 Hidden Medieval Gems Along Edinburgh’s Royal Mile A Local’s Walking Guide

7 Hidden Medieval Gems Along Edinburgh's Royal Mile A Local's Walking Guide - Lady Stair's Close Medieval Writers Museum Behind Unassuming Door 67

Down a less obvious alleyway, Lady Stair's Close, look for number 67. Behind this rather plain door sits the Medieval Writers Museum, a space dedicated to Scotland's literary heritage. Lady Stair's House itself, dating back to the 17th century, provides a fitting backdrop for exploring the lives and works of literary giants such as Robert Burns, Sir Walter Scott, and Robert Louis Stevenson. Inside, you'll find displays of original manuscripts and portraits that trace the story of Scottish writing. It's free to enter, offering a quiet moment away from the Royal Mile's main tourist flow. While the museum's collection might not be the most extensive, the building and the subject matter offer a chance to connect with Edinburgh’s past in a less crowded, more reflective setting. The close itself, and the surrounding area, hints at the older layers of the city, and provides a different kind of experience compared to the usual Royal Mile attractions.
Tucked just off the Royal Mile, finding number 67 Lady Stair's Close can feel like discovering a secret passage. Behind a rather ordinary doorway lies something unexpected: the Writers’ Museum. It’s less about grand spectacle and more about quiet immersion into Scotland’s literary giants. Think less mainstream tour bus stop and more personal archive – you’re peering at original manuscripts of Stevenson and Scott, not reproductions. The 17th-century house itself is an interesting artifact too, hinting at a style bridging Renaissance and Baroque tastes, which is Edinburgh in a nutshell architecturally. Surprisingly accessible, entry costs about the same as grabbing a quick coffee, a detail that seems almost understated given what’s on display. The close carries the name of Lady Stair, a figure linked to the Scottish Enlightenment, a period of intense intellectual ferment, which adds another layer to the place beyond just literature. Inside, beyond the well-known authors, there are glimpses of the Scots dialect showcased, offering a fascinating, almost linguistic archaeology, into the region's evolution of speech. It’s centrally located, easy to weave into a Royal Mile walk, yet often bypassed by the larger tourist groups, offering a calmer, more intimate experience of Edinburgh's past.

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1. 7 Hidden Medieval Gems Along Edinburgh's Royal Mile A Local's Walking Guide - Lady Stair's Close Medieval Writers Museum Behind Unassuming Door 67
2. 7 Hidden Medieval Gems Along Edinburgh's Royal Mile A Local's Walking Guide - Bakehouse Close The Original Setting for Outlander's Print Shop
3. 7 Hidden Medieval Gems Along Edinburgh's Royal Mile A Local's Walking Guide - White Horse Close 1623 Coaching Inn Still Standing Strong
4. 7 Hidden Medieval Gems Along Edinburgh's Royal Mile A Local's Walking Guide - Gladstones Land Oldest Surviving Tenement Building From 1550
5. 7 Hidden Medieval Gems Along Edinburgh's Royal Mile A Local's Walking Guide - Riddles Court Medieval Dining Hall With Original 16th Century Painted Ceiling
6. 7 Hidden Medieval Gems Along Edinburgh's Royal Mile A Local's Walking Guide - Moubray House Built in 1477 The Oldest Private Building on Royal Mile
7. 7 Hidden Medieval Gems Along Edinburgh's Royal Mile A Local's Walking Guide - Tweeddale Court Secret Garden Behind Medieval Gates

7 Hidden Medieval Gems Along Edinburgh's Royal Mile A Local's Walking Guide - Bakehouse Close The Original Setting for Outlander's Print Shop

Venture deeper into the Old Town, just off the Royal Mile's main artery, to locate Bakehouse Close. This narrow passage claims fame as the exterior for that print shop in the 'Outlander' television series, a detail that now draws crowds. Cobbled and compact, it gives a sense of Edinburgh before modern times, which, admittedly, is the main attraction here for many. Once known for a less picturesque reputation, it now mostly sees foot traffic from those wanting a photograph in a familiar-looking alleyway. It’s presented as a medieval jewel, and while it’s certainly old, its appeal hinges considerably on its screen credentials these days. Located conveniently for those heading towards Holyrood Palace, it serves more as a quick detour than a destination in itself, unless you're a dedicated follower of the TV show in question. The nearby museum offers a perhaps more substantial dose of local history for those seeking depth beyond set-jetting.
Just a short walk from the Royal Mile’s main artery, you'll find Bakehouse Close, perhaps best recognized as the exterior setting for the print shop in "Outlander". While the television series brought it recent attention, the location’s historical texture is what truly stands out. Cobbled underfoot and framed by stone structures, the close evokes a tangible sense of old Edinburgh, perhaps even more so than the somewhat curated feel of some nearby sites. It's worth noting that while ‘Outlander’ sets the visual stage, the close’s origins stretch back much further, offering a genuine, if understated, glimpse into the city's layered past.

Beyond its screen appearance, Bakehouse Close and the area around it were once central to the mechanics of information dissemination in Edinburgh. Consider the impact of print shops in that era; they were instrumental in a technological shift, making written material increasingly accessible and driving up literacy rates, which were remarkably high for the time in this part of Europe. Edinburgh wasn't just about grand thinkers in ivory towers; it was also a place where the practicalities of printing fueled intellectual exchange and the wider spread of ideas, including some rather radical ones. The architectural details within the close, like corbelled elements and stonework, whisper of older construction techniques and aesthetic preferences of centuries past, providing more than just a backdrop but rather a subtle lesson in urban evolution. Despite the occasional tourist group pausing for photos, Bakehouse Close manages to retain a certain quietude, a somewhat overlooked corner within a heavily touristed area, offering a moment of relative calm amidst the Royal Mile bustle. And while the bakers who gave the close its name are long gone, the surrounding area now blends historical ambiance with contemporary eateries, a curious juxtaposition of eras in a small urban footprint.

7 Hidden Medieval Gems Along Edinburgh's Royal Mile A Local's Walking Guide - White Horse Close 1623 Coaching Inn Still Standing Strong

White Horse Close, dating back to 1623, is another of these supposed hidden corners, just off the Royal Mile. In its day, it was a busy coaching inn, a stop for travellers setting out on long journeys, even as far as London. You can picture the scene, the yard full of horses and coaches getting ready to depart. The name comes with a royal connection, Queen Mary and her preferred white horse, because of course royalty is always woven in. Now it’s a courtyard, often described as ‘picturesque’. It is undeniably old, and clearly a popular photo spot, if you trust what they say about it being one of the most photographed. But it is a real connection to the coaching era, and those arches on the Calton Road side hint at more than what's immediately visible, maybe even an old undercroft. It stopped being an inn back in the late 1700s and is now where people live, but it still has a certain visual presence. Walking tours make sure to point it out, so it’s hardly undiscovered, but if you want to get a sense of what things were like in the coaching days, it's probably worth stepping away from the Royal Mile crowds for a moment.

7 Hidden Medieval Gems Along Edinburgh's Royal Mile A Local's Walking Guide - Gladstones Land Oldest Surviving Tenement Building From 1550

Right on the Royal Mile, you can’t really miss Gladstone's Land. Claiming to be the oldest standing tenement from around 1550, it does offer a window into how people actually lived back then, not just the royals in the castle. Spanning six floors, it’s been a mix of shops and homes for centuries, a slice of real social history. They've fixed it up to look like it did in the 1600s, with rooms displaying old stuff and showing off the period's craftsmanship. Look out for the arches at the front of the shop, supposedly the last of their kind still on the street, which is a detail you might easily walk past without noticing. Now a museum run by the National Trust, it gets its share of visitors, all looking for a bit of authentic Edinburgh history.

7 Hidden Medieval Gems Along Edinburgh's Royal Mile A Local's Walking Guide - Riddles Court Medieval Dining Hall With Original 16th Century Painted Ceiling

Further along the Royal Mile, Riddles Court offers a quite remarkable interior detail: a medieval dining hall featuring a genuine 16th-century painted ceiling. Reportedly uncovered during renovations back in the 1960s, this ceiling is presented as a well-preserved example of Renaissance-era artistry. Once the location for banquets hosted for King James VI, the space itself reflects a long history, having served as a merchant’s residence as well as more affluent apartments. Exploring inside, you can observe period plasterwork and the structural alterations the building has undergone. When considering less obvious points of medieval interest along the Royal Mile, Ridd

7 Hidden Medieval Gems Along Edinburgh's Royal Mile A Local's Walking Guide - Moubray House Built in 1477 The Oldest Private Building on Royal Mile

7 Hidden Medieval Gems Along Edinburgh's Royal Mile A Local's Walking Guide - Tweeddale Court Secret Garden Behind Medieval Gates

Just off the Royal Mile’s main drag, a set of medieval-looking gates marks the entrance to Tweeddale Court Secret Garden. It's termed a 'secret garden', and compared to the constant flow of the Royal Mile, it does offer a quieter corner. Dating back to the 1500s, it's built on ground that has seen centuries pass. Originally connected to a building from 1576 built for one Neil Lang, a legal official of some importance back then, it later took the name of the Marquess of Tweeddale. This space is one of around eighty ‘closes’ that branch off from the Royal Mile, these alleyways being typical of Edinburgh’s Old Town layout. While 'secret garden' might be a bit of an overstatement – it's hardly wilderness – it’s a green space tucked away from the stone and traffic. Dunbar's Close Garden nearby is probably a better known example of these retreats, and perhaps more carefully cultivated. But Tweeddale Court, with its historical connections and relative peace, serves as another reminder that even in a city centre, fragments of older, quieter Edinburgh persist just steps away from the well-worn tourist routes. For anyone exploring the Royal Mile, it’s a detour that provides a different perspective, a moment of pause removed from the usual commercial buzz.
## 7 Hidden Medieval Gems Along Edinburgh's Royal Mile A Local's Walking Guide - Tweeddale Court Secret Garden Behind Medieval Gates

Further down the Royal Mile, past the incessant souvenir shops, and seemingly barricaded by a formidable set of aged gates, lies Tweeddale Court. Described as a 'secret garden', it’s another of these tucked-away spaces that hints at a different layer of Edinburgh. Stepping through the archway feels like a deliberate shift in atmosphere; the incessant Royal Mile noise fades, replaced by a surprising quietude. These stone walls, seemingly erected centuries ago, function remarkably well as an acoustic buffer. The space itself, while undeniably green, strikes me more as a carefully curated micro-environment rather than some wild outburst of nature.

The history here seems layered. Apparently, this was once part of a larger estate, which speaks to the land ownership structures of medieval Edinburgh. One can imagine this garden not merely as a decorative patch, but as a functional element, perhaps even a source for medicinal plants – given the claims of rare species located here. The layout, with its suggestion of older passageways now obscured, implies a network of connections lost over time, a literal urban palimpsest beneath our feet. There’s a certain deliberate craftsmanship evident in the surviving stonework, a testament to the enduring techniques of past builders. It raises questions about the original gardening methods used here and how this contained green space managed to flourish in what is essentially a dense urban environment. While brochures might emphasize the 'tranquil escape', for me, it's more intriguing as an example of historical urban planning and resource management, a contained ecosystem quietly persisting amidst the city's evolution.