This is public art at its best: harmonious, understated and accessible. In 2010 Turner Prize winner Martin Creed was commissioned by the Fruitmarket Gallery to create a permanent work for Edinburgh’s historic Scotsman Steps, built in 1899 to link the Old and New Towns. Using 104 different-coloured marbles for each of the 104 steps, this elegant work has revitalised a neglected corner of the city. There are entrances on Market St and North Bridge.

Transportation

  • bus: 6, all North Bridge buses

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. City Art Centre

0.04 MILES

This art centre comprises six floors of exhibitions with a variety of themes, including an extensive collection of Scottish art. Fees apply for special…

2. Fruitmarket Gallery

0.04 MILES

One of Edinburgh's most innovative and popular galleries, the Fruitmarket showcases the work of contemporary Scottish and international artists, and also…

3. Tron Kirk

0.09 MILES

Built in 1637 and taking its name from the tron (public weighbridge) that once stood on the site, this church is famous for its magnificent oak hammer…

4. Edinburgh Dungeon

0.11 MILES

This manufactured attraction combines gruesome tableaux of torture and degradation with live actors who perform scary little sketches along the way. There…

5. City Chambers

0.11 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 of Childhood

0.12 MILES

Halfway down the Royal Mile is 'the noisiest museum in the world'. Often filled with the chatter of excited children, it covers serious issues related to…

7. Real Mary King's Close

0.13 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…

8. Mercat Cross

0.13 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…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "scotland/edinburgh/old-town/attractions/scotsman-steps/a/poi-sig/1559968/1341114",
      "position": "superzone"
    }