The completely wheelchair accessible Edinburgh Royal Mile DIY Walking Tour covers a distance of just, yes, you guessed it, 1 mile (well, just over actually).

A simple 20-30 minute stroll.

However, factor in a journey time of at least 2-4 hours – as you should definitely visit Edinburgh Castle at the start, and the Palace of Holyroodhouse at the end (as well as a recommended visit to the Scotch Whisky Experience, along the way).

Plus, if you have also opted to stay at the Radisson Blu Edinburgh City Centre hotel (also most-definitely recommended – as it is right on the Royal Mile), you can use your very own room for a well-earned pitstop.

Although in theory, the walk along the Royal Mile can be made in either direction, you should be aware that the Royal Mile is a actually a rather steep hill (with Edinburgh Castle at the top of the hill, and the Palace of Holyroodhouse at the bottom). So it really is best to start at Edinburgh Castle – and it’s all downhill from there.

And because it’s a DIY walking tour of the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, you can take it at your very own pace; stopping for a coffee/snack/drink where, when, and for as long as you like; and linger at the Edinburgh attractions which interest you (and speeding past those that don’t).

So if you were to simply rush round without stopping, you could easily complete the walk in 20 minutes.

However, I would recommend taking 2-4 hours to complete this route down the Royal Mile in Edinburgh – as there’s just so much to see and do.