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

The fountain marks the area where hundreds of accused witches were burned at the stake.

A roadway designed for a visiting monarch.

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

This was once a hall in which a 16th-century royal banquet was hosted by King James VI of Scotland.

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

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.

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.

A labyrinthine network of chambers with a storied past hides below Edinburgh's South Bridge.

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

This monument is dedicated to a young boy who survived a disaster that forced Edinburgh to reevaluate its building codes.

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

The world’s first museum dedicated to the history of childhood opened in Edinburgh in 1955.

A sculpture in a secluded garden honors one of Edinburgh's most innovative thinkers and city planners.

The bell that once tolled atop a lost Edinburgh gate now hangs for all to see.

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

This 16th-century close preserves an unusual piece of Edinburgh's transportation history.

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

This unusual statue overlooking the Royal Mile has an interesting backstory.

An ornate "graveyard" for some of the country's forlorn building relics.

This 16th-century house tells the city's history through old artifacts and quirky tales.

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