Edinburgh Hidden Gems Walking Tour

It’s easy to walk past something not knowing its significance, especially if you’re a rushing tourist. This route takes you past some of the lesser-known, even by locals, hidden city gems. Find out more about the Flodden Wall, the tragedy of The Great Lafayette and his beloved dog Beauty, repurposed telephone boxes, and an olden-day bowling alley in a pub…

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This site of Bennet’s Bar has been home to a bar in some capacity since 1839, with a small revamp in 1906, and has remained unchanged. You can still see many of its historic features, such as stained glass windows, tiles, and wooden bar. Drinking and alcohol, in general, were once rather frowned upon, so if you’ve come for a drink here, you’d probably want to go unnoticed. The height of the storefront windows might make sense then to divert the eyes of those walking by and give you the privacy of enjoying a pint. Unsurprisingly, many bars in the area were men only. Surprisingly, Bennet’s Bar has a separate room for women, only. Called a “jug” or “snug”, for women to sit and enjoy their own pint or meal away from noise in the room adjacent to them. The snug has its own entrance and serving hatch. The bar is often very busy, so be sure to be there early.

Leaving Bennet’s Bar, turn right onto Home Street. Cross over the intersection at the pedestrian crossings onto Lauriston Place to walk to the right of the big glass building onto High Riggs. At the end of High Riggs, cross over Lauriston Street to turn right onto West Port. Continue straight to then turn left onto Grassmarket. Some weekends and times of the year, Grassmarket is bustling with locals and tourists to see the festivals and markets.

Curve with the road to the left onto King’s Stables Road. Continue straight and under the bridge.

When you reach Lothian Road, just after the watchtower on your right, turn right to walk through Princes Street Gardens. Walk past the church on your left towards the Ross Fountain. At the fountain, turn left to walk up onto Princes Street. Cross over Princes Street to walk along Castle Street, which becomes North Castle Street. Continue straight until you reach Queen Street. Turn left to find Gilbert the Phone Box.

For the next stop, continue down Queen Street, passing North Castle Street on your right. Turn right onto North St. Andrew Street to find Dundas House or the Royal Bank of Scotland on your left across St. Andrew Square.

To continue the route, walk past Dundas House on the right-hand side, then turn right onto Register Place, left on Gabriel’s Road, and right towards the main road. Turn left to walk along the main road, Waterloo Place.

The well-loved and well-known red telephone boxes have slowly gone out of commission. However, they will not be entirely forgotten thanks to British Telecom’s “Adopt a Kiosk” program. Gilbert the Phone Box, lovingly named after Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, the telephone box’s designer, has been repurposed as a photo booth. With a small Save the Children Foundation donation, you can have fun with the hats, books, and file drawers labelled “stuff” and “nonsense.” You can collect the key at Stewart Christie & Co. after making a £3 donation. The store hours are Monday to Saturday from 9 am – 5 pm.

Dundas House, once intended as a residence, is now home to The Royal Bank of Scotland. The building was constructed in 1774, and the star-studded ceiling added in 1857 was meant to be the ceiling of a conservatory, as the building was intended as a residence. However, the resident, Sir Laurence Dundas, did not reside for very long; he passed away in 1781. The star-studded ceiling is not the only fantastic feature inside. Numerous fine details along the edge of the other ceilings demonstrate the intention behind the design. To visit the bank, take note of its operating hours.

Continue straight for roughly 500 metres, then a few metres after the Scottish Government building on your right, turn right to go down Jacob’s Ladder onto Calton Road to find “A Drama in Time” on the left-hand wall of the tunnel. To continue the tour, walk back up Jacob’s Ladder, then turn right.

“A city is more than a place in space; it is a drama in time.” – Patrick Geddes. These five neon artworks were created by Graham Fagen, a Scottish artist commissioned to do this piece for the 2016 Edinburgh Art Festival. This piece titled “A Drama in Time” draws inspiration from Jacob’s Ladder, which leads up to Calton Hill, known for its view of the Firth of Forth that connects Edinburgh to the sea. Although not explicitly stated by either Fagan or the Edinburgh Art Festival, it is speculated that this installation nods to the African slave trade with the Age of Discovery-style boats and a skeleton in between. Fagen has previously addressed Robert Burn’s poem “The Slave’s Lament” in other works, hence this interpretation. This road can be quite busy with cars and people, so do take care if you stop to view the pieces.

Continue straight for roughly 2,8km, walking along Regent Road, which becomes London Road, then Portobello Road.

When you reach Piersfield Terrace, look to your right for Piershill Cemetery, where you can easily spot the Great Lafayette Gravestone. Leaving the cemetery, turn right onto Moira Terrace, then turn right onto Fishwives’ Causeway. Follow the path as it runs along the railway. You can either follow the curve of the causeway to the left, then turn right onto Telferton or walk along the pathway to the right; however, there may be cyclists. After turning right onto Telferton, turn left to stay on Fishwives’ Causeway.

The “Great Lafayette,” or Sigmund Neuberger, was born in 1871 in Berlin, Germany. He quickly gained a reputation as an illusionist and entertainer who gave Houdini a run for his money. Allegedly, he made almost £5 million a year in today’s (2024) money. He wasn’t the most well-liked man, hence his lack of friends. However, he did gain a best furry friend named Beauty, gifted by Houdini. Beauty wanted for nothing in her lifetime as the Great Lafayette made sure she was treated like royalty. He so loved her that when she died on May 5 1911, the Great Lafayette wanted her buried with him. In a bizarre twist of events on May 9 1911, the Great Lafayette performed his “Lion’s Bride” act, which went wrong. A lantern fell onto the stage and set it alight. The Great Lafayette didn’t want any prying eyes to try to figure out his secrets, so he had the emergency exits locked… to add insult to injury, the stage curtains malfunctioned. He and ten stagehands sadly died in this fire while the 3000-member audience managed to escape. As a result of this mishap, “The Lafayette Bill” was enacted. It stipulates that the stage curtains be tested for functionality before every performance. Just as the Great Lafayette wished, he was buried with his beloved Beauty just days after she died.

Cross Sir Harry Lauder Road to continue on Fishwives’ Causeway. Turn right onto Portobello High Street, and after 800 metres, find the Porty Light Box on your right.

To continue the route, retrace your steps, then turn left onto Brighton Place, through the tunnel, then right onto Baileyfield Road. Just before the next tunnel, turn left onto the pathway through Figgate Park. Follow the path that runs along Figgate Burn (so that it is on your right). 

Part 6 of the Edinburgh Hidden Gems WalkMuch like Gilbert the Phone Box, the Porty Light Box also received a new lease on life as a tiny art gallery. With rotating exhibitions by local Portobello and Edinburgh artists and drawings by local schoolchildren for its first display, this little telephone box holds a special place in the hearts of those who live in Portobello.

Turn right onto Duddingston Road, which becomes Duddingston Road West, then turn right onto The Causeway. Turn left to stay on The Causeway and find The Sheep Heid Inn on your left at the end of the road.

To continue the route, walk along the walled pathway that’s just to the left of the Inn’s entrance. Don’t walk through the black gates if they are open. The pathway is to the left.

When one thinks of a pub, beer, music, and loud chatting are often the first things that come to mind. However, the Sheep Heid Inn has an unconventional feature of its own. It has survived since 1360, making it one of Scotland’s oldest pubs. Serving some traditional pub grub and pints of beer, it also “serves” fun… At the back of the pub, you will find two lanes of a game of Skittles, olden-day bowling. It is rumoured that even James VI (son to Mary, Queen of Scots) thoroughly enjoyed playing the game when it was initially set up in the inn’s courtyard. On a budget, the Inn’s lunches are quite affordable and should you wish to have a game of Skittles, you should phone and book ahead. View their menu and operating hours, and book the alley here.

The pathway takes you onto Duddingston Low Road, where you turn right. You will be passing Arthur’s Seat in the distance on your right. You can follow the tarred road to the roundabout and turn left onto Holyrood Park Road or follow any pathway that continues in the same direction to turn left onto Holyrood Park Road. Turn right onto Dalkeith Road, then left onto East Preston Street, and right onto Causewayside.

At Melville Terrace on your left, you can take any of the pathways through The Meadows, as shown below. The best would be to walk between the two main roads or along Melville Road, to turn right down the centre of The Meadows, Middle Meadow Walk. This is quite beautiful in the Spring when the cherry blossoms are blooming. Do watch out for cyclists here.

When you reach the glassed buildings with shops underneath, turn left to walk around them toward Nightingale Way. At the end of the pathway, turn right onto Nightingale Way, left onto Lauriston Place, and then right onto Heriot Place to see the Flodden Wall on your right.

Right at the top of the stairs is one of the most stunning views of the castle’s back. This is the famous Vennel Steps or viewpoint.

The Flodden Wall is easily overlooked and walked past. It was built in 1560 to protect against the English Invasion, which never happened. Roughly 10 000 people stayed within the walls, and only six guarded entrances were allocated. Today, the wall can only be seen in fragments scattered throughout the city, including the University of Edinburgh’s Old College, around Greyfair’s Kirkyard, and stones along Drummond Street and Pleasance.

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If you enjoyed this route, see our Closes and Kirkyards Walk

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Information gathered from various sources, including Atlas Obscura