The lower stretch of the Royal Mile from St Giles' Cathedral down to the Palace of Holyroodhouse. Canongate was once a separate burgh from Edinburgh — its residents were subjects of Holyrood rather than the Castle — and it still feels distinct: narrower closes, older tenements, and the constant presence of the Scottish Parliament and palace at its foot. The Canongate Kirk and its graveyard hold the tombs of Adam Smith and several lesser-known figures whose epitaphs repay reading.
The closes are the real draw: turn off the main street at any point and you drop into a labyrinth of courtyards, hidden stairs and unexpected views back up to the castle. Many have been converted into museums, whisky shops, and tour starting points; a few are still just lived-in stairwells. The Museum of Edinburgh and The People's Story sit opposite each other halfway down, and between them cover the city's social history from medieval times to the 20th century.