The Atlas Obscura Guide To

Hidden
Edinburgh

Discover 32 Cool and Unusual Things to Do in Edinburgh, Scotland

Unusual
Attractions
in Edinburgh

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A street in the close.

Edinburgh, Scotland

Mary King's Close

17th century streets hidden under Edinburgh were once a breeding ground for the black death.

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Added by Delireus

Edinburgh's oldest purpose built visitor attraction, The Camera Obscura on the Royal Mile

Edinburgh, Scotland

Camera Obscura & World of Illusions

360° views of the city plus five floors of optical illusions and hands-on science.

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Added by JocksAway

(Flickr/Wojtek Gurak)

Edinburgh, Scotland

Holyrood Abbey Ruins

Ruined 11th century abbey built by King David I in Edinburgh, Scotland.

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Added by aerialdomo

The Palm house

Edinburgh, Scotland

The Royal Botanic Gardens of Edinburgh

One of the oldest scientific gardens in Britain, containing more than 13,302 plant species in its core collection.

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Added by Laetitia Barbier

Edinburgh, Scotland

Burke & Hare Murder Dolls

Tiny effigies of the victims of Edinburgh's famous Anatomy Murders.

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Added by Annetta Black

Stairway to . . . ? ! ?

Edinburgh, Scotland

Gilmerton Cove

This series of Scottish caves has no clear purpose other than baffling historians.

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Added by rebeccaorr74

Old Calton Cemetery, Edinburgh, Scotland

Edinburgh, Scotland

Old Calton Cemetery

A 18th century graveyard and its astonishing cortege of macabre iconography.

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Added by Laetitia Barbier

Inside the Surgeon's Hall Museum

Edinburgh, Scotland

Surgeons' Hall Museums

A book bound in the skin of an infamous criminal, along with countless other specimens.

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About Edinburgh

"The Anatomist overtaken by the Watch carry'ng off Miss W in a hamper." William Austin, 1773.

A Beginner's Guide to Body Snatching

Where to go for an education in grave robbery, the grisliest chapter in medical history.

by Molly McBride Jacobson

January 26, 2017

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