Everyone knows about Edinburgh Castle. Everyone queues for the Royal Mile. And there is nothing wrong with any of that — this is one of the most extraordinary cities on earth and its famous landmarks earned their fame honestly. But Edinburgh has another side entirely, one that most visitors walk straight past without ever knowing it existed.
Tucked behind iron gates, down narrow medieval closes, below street level, and along the banks of a river that slips quietly through the city, you will find an Edinburgh that belongs to the curious — to the traveller who turns left when the crowd turns right. These are the hidden gems of Auld Reekie, and they are glorious.
Dunbar’s Close Garden — A Secret 17th-Century Garden on the Royal Mile
If you blink, you miss it. At 137 Canongate, a narrow alleyway leads off the historic Royal Mile. After entering through the gate at the end of the short close, you discover a small yet surprisingly spacious plot divided into eight sections, each with its own unique design — inspired by formal 17th-century garden layouts with straight lines and geometric shapes and plants that would have been popular at that time.
The close is named after the writer David Dunbar, who in 1773 owned tenements on either side of it. Long before him, this stretch of the Canongate was prime real estate for the nobility. This area historically featured elegant townhouses with spacious gardens, reflecting its proximity to Holyrood Palace and the nobility who resided nearby. Figs and apricots, vegetables and herbs — all growing in the shadow of the city’s most famous street.
The garden was designed in 1979 by landscape architect Seamus Filor, with its development commissioned by The Mushroom Trust, a charitable organisation dedicated to enhancing urban green spaces. The trust then gifted the garden to the city for use as a public space. Filor worked from historical records and old maps to evoke the spirit of a 17th-century garden rather than produce an exact replica.
There is one more layer to this history. The close was also the home at one time to Mrs Love’s tavern, where in 1786 Robert Burns watched society ladies downing large amounts of ale and oysters. Entry is free. It is one of the best things in Edinburgh that costs nothing at all.
“Edinburgh’s closes hold centuries of secrets. Dunbar’s garden is the rare one that chose to bloom.”
Dean Village — 800 Years of Milling, Hidden Below the City
Princes Street is one of the most famous shopping streets in Britain. Less than a mile away, down a steep valley, is a village that feels as though it belongs to another century entirely.
Dean Village — from dene, meaning ‘deep valley’ — was formerly known as the “Water of Leith Village” and was a successful grain milling area for more than 800 years. At one time there were no fewer than eleven working mills there, driven by water from the Water of Leith.
The village grew up around a grain mill established in the 12th century by the monks of Holyrood Abbey. As a milling settlement, Dean Village was closely tied to the Baxter (baker) incorporation for centuries. Millstones and carved stone plaques with baked bread and pies commemorate Dean Village’s historic industry.
As steam power took over, the mills fell silent. By the 1900s, Dean Village had slipped into decay. But in the 1970s, it was rediscovered. Today it is one of Edinburgh’s most sought-after residential addresses. Well Court, the iconic red sandstone building, was built in the 1880s to house the local mill workers and remains the visual centrepiece of the village.
Keep your eyes on the river as you walk. One of Antony Gormley’s six bronze figures from his 2010 sculpture series 6 Times stands silently in the water here. Most visitors walk straight past. The ones who spot it tend to stand and stare for a while.
“Eight hundred years of flour and water and hard work, all folded quietly into this one lovely valley. Dean Village is Edinburgh at its most honestly human.”
#LoveScotland #DeanVillage
The Thistle Chapel — Scotland’s Most Secretive Room
St Giles’ Cathedral sits squarely in the middle of the Royal Mile, and hardly anyone would call it a hidden gem. But inside that cathedral is a room that almost nobody knows about, and it may be the most extraordinary interior in Edinburgh.
The Thistle Chapel is used for worship exclusively by the Order of the Thistle. This order of chivalry consists of the Sovereign and sixteen Knights and Ladies and has many prominent members, including other members of the Royal family, Scottish billionaires, politicians and landholders. The Thistle Chapel is furnished with enormous seats, artistic woodwork and the colourful crests of the members. Each seat is topped by a carved statue representing the member.
The Order was formally revived by King James VII in 1687, though its origins are claimed to be far older. The chapel itself was added to St Giles’ in 1911, designed by architect Robert Lorimer in a late Gothic style that packs an astonishing amount of detail into a very small space. Look for the carved angel playing the bagpipes — it is there if you know where to look.
The chapel might be open if there are enough volunteers around, but the best way to visit and learn about it is on a free guided tour.
Gilmerton Cove — Edinburgh’s Greatest Underground Mystery
Four miles south of the city centre, beneath the quiet streets of the suburb of Gilmerton, lies one of the most puzzling places in Scotland.
Gilmerton Cove is a series of underground passageways and chambers hand-carved from sandstone located beneath the streets of Gilmerton. There has been much speculation about the origins of the Cove and its purpose. Seven rooms are open to the public, each furnished with tables and seats also carved directly from the rock. There is a well that does not reach water. There is a fireplace with no trace of burning on the surrounding stone. Nobody can agree on who built it, when, or why.
In 1721 the Cove was first mentioned in the local Kirk minutes, where George Paterson (a blacksmith or baker) was accused of selling alcohol on the Sabbath to many people as they visited his ‘caves’. The “traditional” theory is that the Cove was the work of George Paterson, a blacksmith who is said to have excavated it between 1719 and 1724 as a home and workshop for himself and his family. This theory first emerged in 1769 in verses written by the poet Alexander Pennecuik.
Archaeologists have never settled the question. In 2017, research by scientists from the University of St Andrews and the University of Edinburgh using ground-penetrating radar indicated that the network of passageways and chambers may be more extensive than that currently exposed.
Theories range from a secret Hellfire Club to a refuge for persecuted Covenanters, a Knights Templar meeting place to a Druid temple. None has been proven. The mystery is very much the point.
Tours must be pre-booked and group sizes are restricted.
“Three hundred years of questions, not one answer. That is Edinburgh’s underground, and it is magnificent.”
Dr Neil’s Garden — The Secret Garden of Duddingston
On the lower slopes of Arthur’s Seat, beside the ancient village of Duddingston, there is a garden that most visitors to Edinburgh never find.
Dr Neil’s Garden in the historic village of Duddingston was started by Drs Andrew and Nancy Neil. They were convinced that spending time outdoors, immersed in nature and with your hands in the soil, would be beneficial to their patients’ mental and physical wellbeing. The garden is a beautifully restorative space with a small network of paths, benches to rest, and views of Duddingston Loch, a wildlife haven for birds.
The garden looks out over Duddingston Loch, which has been a protected wildlife reserve for over a century. Herons, swans, and teal are regular visitors. The sense of stillness here, with the volcanic mass of Arthur’s Seat rising behind you, is remarkable for somewhere that is technically within city limits.
Entry is free. Combine it with a visit to the Sheep Heid Inn nearby — which claims to be one of the oldest licensed establishments in Scotland, with records suggesting a tavern on the site since 1360 — for a perfect afternoon in one of Edinburgh’s most quietly extraordinary corners.
Planning Your Off-the-Beaten-Track Edinburgh
All five of these places are accessible without a car. Dean Village and Dunbar’s Close are walkable from the city centre. The Thistle Chapel is inside St Giles’ on the Royal Mile. Dr Neil’s Garden is a short bus journey to Duddingston village. Gilmerton Cove requires a bus from Princes Street to the Gilmerton suburb — check current opening status before you go.
Edinburgh rewards the patient visitor. Come early morning or late afternoon to any of these spots and you may have them almost entirely to yourself — which is exactly how they feel best.
Over to You
Have you discovered a corner of Edinburgh that you think belongs on this list? We would love to hear about it. The Scotland we love best is the one that keeps surprising us — and Edinburgh, for all its fame, never stops doing exactly that.