This foreboding medieval castle was twice besieged by barons rebelling against the English king.

A pair of stones embedded in an Edinburgh street memorialize one of the city's last public hangings.

An ancient stone with mysterious origins stands in a residential neighborhood.

The healing properties of this well attracted royals and commoners throughout the Middle Ages.

This series of Scottish caves has no clear purpose other than baffling historians.

A church that bred legends, and served as an inspiration for the Da Vinci Code.

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

Near the former site of numerous witch burnings, this lavish Edinburgh mainstay pays homage to Scotland's brutal history.

The main residence of the Erskine family and the hereditary keeper of the nearby royal Stirling Castle.

This figure of a local merchant is said to reanimate and do a dance during Hogmanay.

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

Now home to a drinking establishment, this building has a macabre history.

A verdant 17th-century-style garden hidden along Edinburgh’s Royal Mile.

This Scottish graveyard is the final resting place of the man who inspired the character Ebenezer Scrooge.

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

Protecting the dead from opportunistic body snatchers.

The fountain marks the area where hundreds of accused witches were burned at the stake.

A rare and unique example of an 18th-century door latch calls this restaurant home.

This small museum in a 17th-century building honors three iconic Scottish writers.

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

A quartet of brightly colored mythical beasts stand sentry at this gateway.

Touching this 18th-century Scottish philosopher’s toe allegedly conjures good fortune.

Once-buried markers show England’s lowest land point keeps getting lower.

Scotland is filled with standing stones that date back hundreds or thousands of years. This is not one of them.