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You may find this relevant information helpful when researching the area prior to your visit

The Camera Obscura

Located on the Castlehill section of the Royal Mile, the Camera Obscura is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Edinburgh.

It was in 1853 that this building, also known as the Outlook Tower, was first converted into a huge "camera" whereby images of the surrounding city are projected onto a viewing table below - and visitors have been flocking to see it ever since. Today there is also a running commentary to go with the images and an accompanying exhibition on the history of photography and holography. And there is also a viewing platform, which allegedly gives some of the best views of the city.

The Camera Obscura is open daily, but times vary according to the time of year so check in advance for opening hours. Entry costs around £3.50 for adults. The Royal Mile is the road that runs between the Castle and the Palace of Holyroodhouse. One of the oldest streets in the city, it grew up as a vital thoroughfare between the two most important buildings in early Edinburgh, the Castle and Holyrood Abbey. The street is actually just over a mile long and is made up of four distinct sections: Castlehill, Lawnmarket, High Street and Canongate. Today the street is heavily commercial with tartan and shortbread shops a-plenty, but it is still a fascinating road with plenty of tourist attractions along the way so it should be high up on any visitor's agenda.

Branching off from the Royal Mile are numerous alleyways known as either "closes" or "wynds". A wynd is an alleyway that is open at both ends, whilst a close is one that is only open at one end. They are a remnant from Medieval Edinburgh when the whole city was a mass of confusing alleyways and they are still a central feature of the Old Town part of the city. As you wander along the Royal Mile you will also notice that the entrances to many closes and wynds have arches. These are known as "pends" and also add to the character of the road.

Starting from the Castle, the Royal Mile is reached by passing through the Esplanade. As you walk along it look out for the Witches Well drinking fountain which commemorates the 300 or so women who were found guilty of witchcraft and subsequently executed on this spot between 1479 and 1722. The Esplanade then merges into Castlehill, with Ramsay Gardens bordering it. Also at the beginning of Castlehill is Cannonball House, so named after the ball that is wedged into one of its walls. Legend has it that this is a cannonball that was fired during an attack on the Castle in 1745! Tourist attractions on this stretch of the Royal Mile include the Scotch Whisky Heritage Centre, the Edinburgh Weaving Centre, the Camera Obscura, and Tolbooth St John's Kirk.

The Castlehill section of the road then merges into the Lawnmarket. The name is derived from "Laon" which is where the city's linen used to be produced, for the Lawnmarket is where Edinburgh's linen market used to be held. The Lawnmarket part of the Royal Mile now contains some of the best preserved buildings in the Old Town, including the six-storey Gladstone's Land and Lady Stair's House.