This repurposed church offers a more literal way to get closer to the heavens.

This 16th-century close preserves an unusual piece of Edinburgh's transportation history.

The healing properties of this well attracted royals and commoners throughout the Middle Ages.

This extraordinary Viking artifact has traveled throughout the city.

Remnants of the 16th-century defensive wall still stand unassumingly within Edinburgh.

This early version of the guillotine was used to execute the man responsible for its construction.

This former train tunnel is filled with lines from a poem crafted by Robert Louis Stevenson.

The U.K.'s first underground railway line is now a lively thoroughfare for runners and cyclists.

Every birth, death, and marriage is recorded in these color-coded leather-bound books.

The world’s first museum dedicated to the history of childhood opened in Edinburgh in 1955.

The tomb of one of Scotland's bloody historic villains is a magnet for bumbling desecrators.

This alley off Edinburgh's Royal Mile contains remnants of the city's seedier history.

These steps offer a breathtaking view of one of Europe's most besieged fortresses.

This small museum in a 17th-century building honors three iconic Scottish writers.

This otherwise ordinary close on the Royal Mile constituted the end of the world for Edinburgh’s poorest residents.

Overlooked by many, the two famous Scottish warriors guard the main gate of Edinburgh Castle.

Long abandoned underground complex to keep royals safe from a nuclear war that never came.

A library where thousands of books explain how to avoid another Great Recession.

Now home to a drinking establishment, this building has a macabre history.

Sprawled across the Great Hall ceiling are various constellations and images relating to the zodiac.

A statue in the heart of Edinburgh honors a bear that served in the Polish military during World War II.

A sweet symbol marks the place where torturous executions were once carried out.

This obscure walkway links Edinburgh’s Old Town with one of the city's prime vantage points.

This allegedly haunted 16th-century tower house-turned-museum exhibits thousands of spectacular objects.