62 Accessible Edinburgh: A Festival Guide Sights 63
need to negotiate steps. There’s Blue Badge parking adjacent to
the main entrance, where you’ll find a ramp with a handrail; man-
ual wheelchair users may find it a little steep. Once inside, there
is level access and an accessible toilet. The staff are reportedly
extremely helpful.
Old Town
Edinburgh’s Old Town is a jagged, jumbled maze of historic ma-
sonry riddled with closes, stairs, vaults and wynds (narrow al-
leys) leading off the cobbled ravine of the Royal Mile, which links
Edinburgh Castle to the Palace of Holyroodhouse. The restored
16th- and 17th-century Old Town tenements support a thriving
city-centre community, crammed at street level with museums,
restaurants, bars and shops.
The compact Old Town is best explored on foot, starting at
the highest point, Edinburgh Castle, and working your way
downhill.
Be at Edinburgh Castle for opening time, and plan on spend-
ing two hours exploring its many attractions before heading
downhill along the Royal Mile, stopping off as the fancy takes
you at the Scotch Whisky Experience, the Camera Obscura and
Gladstone’s Land.
Continue down the Royal Mile, taking a quick look at St Giles
Cathedral and John Knox House before taking a tour of either
Real Mary King’s Close or the National Museum of Scotland. Get
your photo taken beside the statue of Greyfriars Bobby and then
take a stroll around Greyfriars Kirkyard, before heading down to
the Grassmarket for a drink, and a look at the shops in atmos-
pheric Victoria St.
You can escape the tourist bustle of the Royal Mile in a few
steps by visiting hidden places just off the street such as Dun-
bar’s Close Garden or the Scottish Poetry Library.
Canongate Kirkyard
http://canongatekirk.org.uk; Canongate; 24hr; bus 35
The attractive curved gable of the Canongate Kirk, built in 1688,
overlooks a kirkyard that contains the graves of several famous
people, including the economist Adam Smith, author of The
Wealth of Nations; Mrs Agnes MacLehose (the ‘Clarinda’ of Rob-
ert Burns’ love poems); and poet Robert Fergusson (1750–74;
there’s a statue of him on the street outside the church). An in-
formation board just inside the gate lists famous graves and their
locations. Fergusson was much admired by Robert Burns, who
paid for his gravestone and penned the epitaph – take a look at
the inscription on the back.
Canongate Kirk also host concerts. There is level access direct-
ly into the church, an accessible toilet and also a hearing loop.City Art Centre
http://www.edinburghmuseums.org.uk; 2 Market St; fee for temporary
exhibitions; 10am-5pm Mon-Sat, noon-5pm Sun; bus 6This art centre comprises six floors of exhibitions with a variety
of themes, including an extensive collection of Scottish art.
Access is via the main entrance; once inside there’s level
access, plenty of circulation space and spacious lifts. The cafe
is also accessible, with very friendly waitstaff who will bring food
to the table. The accessible toilet is reportedly very small. One
reviewer was disappointed at the lack of accessibility to a par-
ticular exhibition due to ‘staff shortages’, so it may be wise to call
ahead to check.City Chambers
High St; not open to the public; buses 23, 27, 41, 42The imposing Georgian City Chambers, home to the City of Ed-
inburgh Council, was originally built by John Adam (brother of
Robert) between 1753 and 1761 to serve as the Royal Exchange –
a covered meeting place for city merchants – replacing the tradi-
tional meeting place of the Mercat Cross. However, the merchants
continued to prefer their old stomping grounds in the street and
the building became the offices of the city council in 1811.
Though only four storeys high on the Royal Mile side, the
building plummets 12 storeys on the northern side, overlooking
Cockburn St. It was built over the sealed-off remains of three Old
Town closes; the spooky remains of these can be explored on
a guided tour of the Real Mary King’s Close. The Chambers are
wheelchair-accessible, with a lift serving all floors and two acces-
sible toilets.Dunbar’s Close Garden
Canongate; 24hr; bus 35Tucked away at the end of an Old Town close, this walled garden
has been laid out in the style of the 17th century, with gravel
paths, neatly trimmed shrubs, herbs and flowers and mature
trees. It’s a hidden gem, and an oasis of tranquillity amid the
bustle of the Royal Mile. Although there are some gravel paths,
it’s worth the effort.