To the south the view is of Arthur’s Seat and Salisbury Crags where energetic lunch-time athletes go running. Between the Parliament and the crags is Our Dynamic Earth, a visitor attraction that tells the story of planet Earth and how our world works, how life has evolved and the future challenges faced by the planet. The attraction, whose exterior roof looks not unlike a miniature version of the Millennium Dome in London – was built as a celebration of the life of James Hutton, the father of Modern Geology who studied and worked in this area of Edinburgh throughout the Scottish Enlightenment. Hutton was friends with numerous first-class minds in the sciences including John Playfair, philosopher David Hume and economist Adam Smith.

Back on The Royal Mile, Canongate extends from Holyrood to the World’s End Pub, which takes its name from the adjacent World’s End Close, so named because this was in former times the last close in Edinburgh before entering the Canongate area. Canongate means Canon’s Way and was the street used by the canons of the Augustinian Holyrood Abbey.