Grassmarket
About
The Grassmarket is a wide, open square at the foot of Edinburgh Castle that has been a marketplace and gathering place since the 1400s. It was also Edinburgh's main public execution site for over 300 years — a fact commemorated by a small stone cross in the cobbles and by several pubs that trade heavily on the area's dark history. Today the Grassmarket is one of Edinburgh's most atmospheric drinking and dining quarters. The pubs here are among the oldest in the city: The White Hart Inn dates from 1516 and reputedly served both Robert Burns and William Wordsworth. The Last Drop takes its name from the gallows. The views up to the castle from the square are dramatic, especially when floodlit at night. The independent shops along Victoria Street (curving uphill from the Grassmarket) are excellent — vintage clothing, specialist whisky shops, artisan chocolatiers, and the gorgeous Typewronger bookshop. On Saturdays there's a farmer's market in the square itself. In August during the Festival, the Grassmarket hosts outdoor performers and becomes one of the liveliest spots in the city.
Opening Times
Open 24 hours. Individual businesses have their own hours. Farmer's market Saturday mornings.
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