Living in Canongate, Edinburgh
The lower Royal Mile from St Mary's Street down to Holyrood Palace and the Scottish Parliament. Historic closes, modern Parliament buildings, and significantly fewer tourists than the Castle end of the Mile.
Canongate is the lower half of the Royal Mile, running from St Mary's Street down to Holyrood — the official seat of the Scottish monarchy and the location of the Scottish Parliament, opened in 2004 in Enric Miralles's distinctive modernist building at the foot of the hill. Canongate was an autonomous burgh until 1856 and retains its own character: it has the medieval closes and ridge architecture of the Old Town but with significantly less tourist traffic and a small but stable residential population.
Who lives here
A mix of long-term Edinburgh residents in the Old Town tenement flats, civil servants from the Scottish Government and Parliament, journalists and political consultants, and a smaller share of international residents tied to the Parliament's work. Short-term-let stock exists but less than on the upper Mile. Students are present in the Cowgate-adjacent flats. Families are uncommon.
What it's like during the day
Daily and political. The Scottish Parliament dominates the southern end, with civil-service and lobbying traffic during sittings. The Canongate Kirk (the parish church of the Royal Mile) and the Museum of Edinburgh anchor the cultural side. Dynamic Earth — the science centre — sits between Holyrood and Holyrood Park. Arthur's Seat and the Salisbury Crags rise immediately east, with hikers passing through to the trailheads.
What it's like in the evening
Quieter than the upper Mile. Pubs (The White Horse, Holyrood 9A, Hemma) and restaurants run until 11 PM with a few late-licence venues going to 1 AM. The Scottish Storytelling Centre and St John's Hall host evening events. Late-night noise is markedly less than further up the Mile but Cowgate club spillover affects the western edge.
Getting around
Lothian Bus 35 runs along the Mile; buses 36 and 67 cover the Holyrood Road southern edge. Waverley station is a ten-minute walk north. Most central destinations are walkable. The Mile is steep — walking is intense.
Eating and shopping
The food scene mixes Mile tourist-traps with serious local restaurants. Howies on Victoria Street, Wedgwood the Restaurant, Calistoga. Pubs (The White Horse — said to be one of the oldest in Edinburgh — and Holyrood 9A) anchor the local scene. Tesco Express on Holyrood Road and Sainsbury's on South Bridge handle daily groceries.
When NOT to pick it
If you want quiet sleep during August. The Mile carries festival noise from late July through August even at the lower end. The medieval tenements are old, steep, and have limited modern amenities; many flats have small kitchens and no lifts. Canongate is at its best for people who want a historic Mile address with less of the tourist circus, who appreciate proximity to the Parliament, and who use Arthur's Seat as a doorstep park.