The 18th-century inspiration behind Harry Potter's Sorting Hat.

A curious collection of mechanical moving figures.

A reminder of the gruesome punishments delivered to those who were found guilty during Scotland's witchcraft trials.

These ruins are a hidden gem, complete with fantastic views over the cliff edge.

Named for its similarity to the tip of a violin's bow, this striking formation was created by millions of years of erosion.

A baffling beast so absurd a town councilman called it "intellectual vomit in technicolor."

Brass bricks outline the locations of Edinburgh's lost, lively market stalls.

The world’s first museum dedicated to the history of childhood opened in Edinburgh in 1955.

The building where Mary, Queen of Scots was said to have bathed in white wine.

Overlooking the burial ground is a tower designed to prevent thieves from snatching the recently deceased.

This giant wooden treehouse within a sprawling garden has its own eatery.

The sign at the garden gate reads: “These Plants Can Kill.”

This enormous secondhand bookstore inside a Victorian train station sparked the "Keep Calm and Carry On" craze.

This otherwise ordinary close on the Royal Mile constituted the end of the world for Edinburgh’s poorest residents.

This 16th-century close preserves an unusual piece of Edinburgh's transportation history.

The tomb of one of Scotland's bloody historic villains is a magnet for bumbling desecrators.

The most loyal of little dogs, or a Victorian era publicity stunt?

Remnants of the 16th-century defensive wall still stand unassumingly within Edinburgh.

The one-time stronghold of the noble Douglas family, now home to ghost sightings and nesting birds.

A giant pineapple, a symbol of hospitality, and an amazing vacation rental option.

Possibly the oldest living thing in Europe, more likely a pagan survivor.

An ancient Scottish rock formation said to be the gravesite of a giant remains ensconced in legend and intrigue.

Ancient cliffs resembling a kilt on Scotland’s second-largest island emit an entrancing sound.

Islanders once used this dramatic, otherworldly landscape to hide their cattle from Viking raiders.