Living in Old Town, Edinburgh
Medieval Edinburgh on the volcanic ridge between the Castle and Holyrood Palace. The Royal Mile, dense closes and wynds, a UNESCO World Heritage core that is also the city's most touristed and most festival-affected quarter.
Old Town covers the medieval city on the volcanic ridge running from Edinburgh Castle down to the Palace of Holyroodhouse — the Royal Mile (made up of Castlehill, Lawnmarket, High Street, and Canongate) is the spine. The neighbourhood includes the narrow closes and wynds that fall steeply on both sides of the ridge — Advocates Close, Mary King's Close, Anchor Close — and the Grassmarket and Cowgate in the valley to the south. UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1995, together with New Town.
Who lives here
A small permanent residential population alongside a substantial short-term-let and festival-let stock. Students from Edinburgh University are present, especially in the Cowgate flats; older long-term residents remain in pockets, especially around the Lawnmarket. International presence is high — academics, lawyers from the Court of Session, civil servants from the Scottish Government. Families are uncommon.
What it's like during the day
Heavily touristed. The Royal Mile carries 4-6 million tourist visits a year and walking it on a summer afternoon means weaving through tour groups, kilted bagpipers, and Castle queues. Side closes are quieter. The Grassmarket below — once an execution site, now a square of pubs and small shops — is the daytime market space. The National Museum of Scotland on Chambers Street and the Scottish Parliament at the bottom of the Mile anchor the cultural side.
What it's like in the evening
Busy and licensed. The Royal Mile pubs and restaurants run late; the Cowgate is the dense late-night strip — Bannerman's, Sneaky Pete's, Cabaret Voltaire, The Bongo Club and a string of clubs going to 3 AM. The Grassmarket pubs (The Beehive Inn, The Last Drop, Maggie Dickson's) fill from 5 PM. Festival August transforms the area completely with venues running until 2-3 AM every night.
Getting around
Waverley station is at the northern foot of the Mile — five minutes' walk from most addresses. Lothian Buses 35 runs along the Mile; buses 23, 27, 41, 42, 67 cover the South Bridge; many other routes touch the edges. The tram stops at Princes Street and St Andrew Square north of the valley. Old Town is steep — walking is intense, and the closes and wynds are pedestrian-only.
Eating and shopping
The food scene mixes tourist-traps with serious restaurants. The Witchery by the Castle, The Devil's Advocate, Hendersons of Edinburgh. Whiski Bar and The Royal Mile Tavern anchor the Mile pub scene; the Grassmarket and Victoria Street have independent boutiques and the famous Mary's Milk Bar gelato shop. Tesco Metro on Nicolson Street and Sainsbury's on South Bridge handle daily groceries.
When NOT to pick it
If you want quiet sleep, especially in August. The Royal Mile carries festival noise until 2-3 AM through August. Year-round, tourist foot traffic and Cowgate club noise affect side-street flats. Many buildings are listed, with steep stairs, no lifts, and dark interior layouts. Short-term-let pressure has driven long-term rents to among the highest in the city. Old Town is at its best for people who actively want to live on the Mile or in a close, who accept the festival chaos, and who use the central transport and walking distances every day.