Edinburgh Photo Gallery - Royal Mile (Part 2)

Gladstone's Land is one of the Royal Mile's oldest buildings. While the ground floor is now a coffee and ice-cream shop, National Trust members can enter the upstairs residences for free. The museum has 3 levels, with each level decorated under a different period, offering a glimpse into what life was like over the centuries.

Thomas Gladstone bought this house in 1617 hoping to rent it out to wealthy tenants with fancy furnishings such as beautifully-painted wooden ceilings. It was occupied by the middle and upper classes until the end of the 18th century when the New Town opened and the rich people followed. The building then became a slum and was slated for demolition.

The tour starts at the top of the 3 levels. Each level has a cheerful staff to tell you the story about the era and how people back then lived. This floor showcases a more modern era - a boarding house from the turn of the 20th century. Mary Wilson opened it in 1911 with an ad to attract "two or three respectable men" who were working class men.

The next floor down is a draper's shop from the 18th century. William Dawson and Elizabeth Pillans sold fabrics, ribbons, and accessories to Edinburgh's wealthy.

The first floor is an early 17th century home for John Riddoch and Margaret Noble. They had a shop on the ground floor and a tavern in the basement. Their living, sleeping, and guest quarters were all in this large hall while there is a kitchen out back.

Although founded in the 12th century, St. Giles was mostly built in the 15th and was called the High Kirk. Named after the patron saint of cripples and beggars, it was here where John Knox preached and stripped of its Catholic status in the 1540s as the Reformation swept Europe.