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

Protecting the dead from opportunistic body snatchers.

The most loyal of little dogs, or a Victorian era publicity stunt?

A quartet of brightly colored mythical beasts stand sentry at this gateway.

The Scottish Reformation leader's grave was paved over and is now a parking lot.

Edinburgh's oldest statue hides within a parking lot behind the city's iconic cathedral.

The 20th-century chapel’s intricate woodwork includes amazing details, most notably angels playing bagpipes.

Brass bricks outline the locations of Edinburgh's lost, lively market stalls.

This Scottish graveyard is the final resting place of the man who inspired the character Ebenezer Scrooge.

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

A British plaque explains that a house was built using the spoils of the first international golf bet.

A verdant 17th-century-style garden hidden along Edinburgh’s Royal Mile.

Poetic, metallic giraffes adorn a square off an Edinburgh thoroughfare.

This sculpture of disembodied body parts forms a poignant memory of the horrors of World War II.

Near the former site of numerous witch burnings, this lavish Edinburgh mainstay pays homage to Scotland's brutal history.

Touching this 18th-century Scottish philosopher’s toe allegedly conjures good fortune.

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

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

This charming old building's loose connection with the Scottish Reformer is what saved it from demolition after it split apart.

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

A remarkable feat of Victorian engineering across the Firth of Forth.

Every St. Andrews student knows to avoid this inscription for fear of a martyr's curse.

Dedicated to one of the nation's worst engineering disasters.

Described by William Wordsworth as a "World of Wonder."