Many of Edinburgh's more unsavory characters spent their final days behind this door while awaiting their executions.

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

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

This alley off Edinburgh's Royal Mile contains remnants of the city's seedier history.

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

This obscure walkway links Edinburgh’s Old Town with one of the city's prime vantage points.

A roadway designed for a visiting monarch.

Erected in memory of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who was born close to this spot, this statue commemorates the author and his famous detective.

This sculpture of disembodied body parts forms a poignant memory of the horrors of World War II.

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

A sweet symbol marks the place where torturous executions were once carried out.

A 18th century graveyard and its astonishing cortege of macabre iconography.

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

This stately monument has been wearing a traffic cone hat for decades much to the delight of the locals.

A unique art installation located on what was once considered the widest railway bridge in the world.

The colorful stairs are made with marble from the world's major quarries.

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

Possibly the world's smallest museum is home to one exhibit that sheds light on the capital city's dark criminal history.

Staves, storm-calling, and of course, necropants.

This eye-popping Icelandic crater lake is surrounded by red volcanic rock.

Inside this Icelandic greenhouse, geothermal energy keeps tomatoes warm and growing.

If a glacial river suddenly diving into a sheer chasm via a dramatic, multi-stage waterfall isn't peak Iceland, it's certainly close.

This valley of hot springs and boiling mud pots is home to the record-holding "Geysir," which originated the English word.

The picturesque birthplace of Icelandic democracy is drenched in the blood of its brutal past.