Heart of Midlothian


Outside the western door of St Giles Cathedral is a cobblestone heart set into the paving that marks the site of the 15th-century Tolbooth. The Tolbooth served variously as a meeting place for parliament and the town council before becoming law courts and, finally, a notorious prison and place of execution. Immortalised in Sir Walter Scott’s novel The Heart of Midlothian, the Tolbooth was demolished in the 19th century. Passers-by traditionally spit on the heart for good luck (don’t stand downwind!).

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Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

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1. St Giles Cathedral

0.02 MILES

The great grey bulk of St Giles Cathedral dates largely from the 15th century, but much of it was restored in the 19th century. One of the most…

2. Real Mary King's Close

0.04 MILES

Edinburgh's 18th-century City Chambers were built over the sealed-off remains of Mary King's Close, and the lower levels of this medieval Old Town alley…

3. Parliament Hall

0.04 MILES

This magnificent 17th-century hall, with original oak hammer-beam roof, is where the old Scottish parliament met before its dissolution in 1707. Now used…

4. Mercat Cross

0.05 MILES

Outside the eastern end of St Giles Cathedral stands the Mercat Cross, a 19th-century copy of the 1365 original, where merchants and traders met to…

5. City Chambers

0.06 MILES

The imposing Georgian City Chambers, home to the City of Edinburgh Council, were originally built by John Adam (brother of Robert) between 1753 and 1761…

6. Museum on the Mound

0.08 MILES

Housed in the Bank of Scotland's splendid Georgian headquarters, this museum is a treasure trove of gold coins, bullion chests, safes, banknotes,…

7. Gladstone's Land

0.08 MILES

One of Edinburgh's most prominent 17th-century merchants was Thomas Gledstanes, who in 1617 purchased the tenement later known as Gladstone's Land. It…

8. Writers' Museum

0.09 MILES

Tucked down a close between the Royal Mile and the Mound you'll find Lady Stair's House (1622), home to this museum that contains manuscripts and…

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