Old Town Wynds & Royal Mile Taverns.
Step into centuries of Scottish literary, legal and political intrigue in Edinburgh’s most famous historic taverns.
Review the access notes and current availability before you set off.
About 42 KB estimated essential content
Before you set off
- Starting point
- The Sheep Heid Inn, Duddingston
- Terrain
- Historic cobbled streets with Edinburgh Old Town slopes
- Accessibility
- Paved Royal Mile cobblestones and Grassmarket footways with dropped kerbs.
- Good to know
- Suggested 18+ · Scottish pub heritage & literary lore
Free · public walking route
Staying safe on the trail
- Keep your head up: Stay aware of your surroundings, traffic, and pedestrians while walking. Step into a safe, stationary pavement spot before checking your screen.
- Roads and waterways: Use designated pedestrian crossings and keep children supervised near roads, canal towpaths, and tramlines.
- Weather & terrain: Check local daylight hours and weather before setting out. Wear sensible footwear suited to cobbles, stone pavements, and inclines.
- Respect the space: Stay on public rights of way. Never climb walls, scale statues, or trespass onto private land to solve a puzzle.
Your adventure, under wraps.
Solve each mystery to unloc the next destination. Only your start and finish are shown before you set off.
- Start · The Sheep Heid Inn, DuddingstonVillage road pavement; step-free entrance to the traditional ground-floor bar.
- 2 secret stopsRevealed one at a time as you solve.
- Finish · The Cumberland Bar, New TownFlagstone street pavement; entrance with steps into the main bar and leafy rear garden.