St Giles' Cathedral

The crowned spire above you belongs to St Giles' Cathedral, the High Kirk of Edinburgh, watching over the Royal Mile for around 900 years. Its distinctive crown steeple, completed around 1495, is one of the city's most beloved silhouettes. This was the pulpit of John Knox, the fiery preacher who led the Scottish Reformation in the 1560s and transformed Scotland into a Protestant nation. Inside, don't miss the Thistle Chapel — a small early-20th-century masterpiece of carved stone and wood, home to the Order of the Thistle, Scotland's highest order of chivalry. Look closely at the carvings and you'll even find an angel playing bagpipes. Just outside, set into the cobblestones, is the Heart of Midlothian mosaic marking the site of the old Tolbooth prison. You may see locals spit on it as they pass — an old gesture of contempt for the prison, and today, they say, a bit of good luck. When you're done here, carry on a few steps down the Royal Mile. On your left, beneath the large pillared building, is the entrance to our next stop.