Our Chaplain David McDowell takes us in the footsteps of the grocer who fed a castle and founded a school.

Most people walk up the Royal Mile to reach the castle. Far fewer know they are also walking through the life of the man who fed it. This walk runs from the bottom of the Mile to the top, takes a couple of hours with stops, and tells one Edinburgh life that takes in nine centuries of the city.

Sir William Fettes was, most likely, born above his father's shop on the High Street which he took over at the age of 18. He started out selling tea on the High Street and ended up Lord Provost of Edinburgh twice over and one of the wealthiest merchants of his age. When his only son died of typhoid in 1815, he left his fortune to found a school. That school still carries his name.

Begin at Holyrood. In 1822, Sir William Fettes stood here in ceremonial dress as a member of the Royal Company of Archers, part of the guard for George IV’s visit to Scotland, an occasion stage-managed by his friend Sir Walter Scott.

As you walk up the Royal Mile, at the junction of Jeffrey Street, look for the model of a man in Royal Company of Archers' uniform above the door of the No.1 High Street pub.

Walk on up to the Canongate Kirkyard, where the Fettes mausoleum is one of the largest in the churchyard, overlooked by the old Royal High School. Carry on to Paisley Close and Bailie Fyfe’s Close, where the young Sir William Fettes kept his first shop. The symbol above Bailie Fyfe’s Close gave him the inspiration for his coat of arms when he was made a baronet in 1804.

Further up, near Tron Square, he headed what is now known as the Royal Company of Merchants, then known as Merchant's Company of Edinburgh. At the council chambers he served the city for twenty years. At Parliament House (check opening times), where his son was meant to practise law, look up at the great hammerbeam roof. And at the tavern that now bears the name of Deacon Brodie, consider the councillor turned night-time burglar whom Sir William Fettes, sitting on the jury, helped to convict. Brodie went on to inspire Robert Louis Stevenson’s Jekyll and Hyde.

Finish at the castle. During the wars with France, Sir William Fettes made much of his money supplying food to the army. The castle was a garrison then. He was, in effect, the man feeding it.

How long is the walk? Just over a mile, all uphill, so allow one to two hours depending on stops for coffee and views.

Where does it start and finish? It starts at the Palace of Holyroodhouse and finishes at Edinburgh Castle, following the Royal Mile.

Is it good for children? Yes. The stories are gruesome in the right places (a burglar, a smuggler, a feud or two), and there are plenty of cafes along the way.

The above are extracts from The Little Magenta Book. The Little Magenta Book, our guide to Edinburgh and beyond is exclusively available to Fettes families and to those registered to apply to join. It can be accessed in three ways: from the link at the bottom of this webpage (using your 'Page Passkey'), via our Parent Portal, or by contacting admissions@fettes.com  

Stockbridge to the Shore, in a little over two hours.

You could spend a morning on this walk and a fortnight talking about it afterwards. It runs from Stockbridge down to the Shore at Leith, takes a little over two hours at a gentle pace, and is built around the one thing that tells you most about Edinburgh: what its people like to eat.

Start with a cinnamon bun. Pastry Section on Raeburn Place makes a strong case for the best in Stockbridge, and Stockbridge takes its buns seriously. From there, walk into the Royal Botanic Garden through the west gate and out the east, past the alpine garden, which is worth a look in any season.

Pick up National Cycle Route 75 on the way out. It follows an old railway line that once carried goods down to Leith, and it carries you the same way now, mostly traffic-free. Stop at Alby’s on Portland Place for a sandwich worth crossing town for, then keep going to the water.

Leith is the reward. The Shore has galleries, bars and three Michelin-starred restaurants within a couple of hundred metres of each other: the Kitchin, Heron, and Restaurant Martin Wishart. You do not need a tasting menu to enjoy it. Teuchters Landing is a lovely pub with a family area at the back, and the whole stretch is made for wandering. Leith Links nearby makes a good stroll, with Boxwood Tam Bakery on Queen Charlotte Street if energy is flagging.

If you want a proper meal to finish, the choice is almost unfair. Leith Walk has Mirin and the Italian institution Valvona & Crolla. Broughton Street has Lucky Yu and Vinette. Back in Stockbridge there is Moss, Avery and Skua. You will not go wrong.

If your family cycles, you can skip straight to Route 75 and ride the whole thing.

How long does it take? About two hours and twenty minutes on foot at an easy pace, longer if you stop to eat properly, which you should.

Where is the best place to start? Stockbridge, on Raeburn Place, where the buses and the bakeries are.

Is it suitable for families? Yes. It is flat, mostly off-road after the Botanic Garden, and there is food every few hundred metres.

The above are extracts from The Little Magenta Book. The Little Magenta Book, our guide to Edinburgh and beyond is exclusively available to Fettes families and to those registered to apply to join. It can be accessed in three ways: from the link at the bottom of this webpage (using your 'Page Passkey'), via our Parent Portal, or by contacting admissions@fettes.com  

Edinburgh is unusually good at keeping teenagers busy, partly because so much of it is within reach of the centre, and partly because the city has quietly built some serious adventure venues in the last few years.

For a burst of adrenaline, there is karting, laser tag, escape rooms, bowling and indoor mini-golf across the city, plus trampoline parks at RYSE, Gravity, Air Thrill and Innoflate over at Livingston. Climbers have Alien Rock in the city and, a short drive west at Ratho, the indoor arena at Ratho, billed as the largest in Europe, with walls, boulders and a soft-play area for younger siblings.

The bigger days out are the ones teenagers remember. At Hillend, on the southern edge of the city, you can ski and snowboard on the dry slope and ride the Alpine Coaster, which opened in 2025 and runs straight down the hillside. Twenty-five minutes from the centre, Lost Shore Surf Resort has what it calls Europe’s largest wave pool, so you can learn to surf without leaving the Lothians. An hour east near Dunbar, Foxlake adds wakeboarding, an aqua park and a ropes course.

When the weather turns warm, the brave swim at Portobello and Gullane beaches, and the rest of us walk and watch. Inland, the Pentland Hills are made for a long afternoon, and Dalkeith Country Park has Go Ape ziplines and trails for all ages.

One last thing that helps more than any single attraction: Edinburgh is walkable and safe enough that a group of teenagers can be trusted to explore it on their own. Stockbridge, a village within the city, is a good place to start. The free bus travel for under-22s makes the rest of it open to them too.

What can teenagers do in Edinburgh on a rainy day? Indoor climbing at Ratho or Alien Rock, trampolining, bowling, an escape room, or the surf at Lost Shore.

Is Edinburgh good for active teenagers? Yes. Within an hour you can surf, ski on a dry slope, climb indoors, wakeboard, run in the Pentlands, and ride an alpine coaster.

Can teenagers get around Edinburgh on their own? The city is compact and walkable, and under-22s living in Scotland travel free on most buses, so independent days out are straightforward.

The above are extracts from The Little Magenta Book. The Little Magenta Book, our guide to Edinburgh and beyond is exclusively available to Fettes families and to those registered to apply to join. It can be accessed in three ways: from the link at the bottom of this webpage (using your 'Page Passkey'), via our Parent Portal, or by contacting admissions@fettes.com  

Edinburgh is one of the easier cities to manage without a car, and one fact is worth knowing before anything else.

Every young person living in Scotland under the age of 22, boarding pupils included, can travel free on most buses with a Young Scot National Entitlement Card. It is not something every family realises they can apply for, and it opens up the whole city to a teenager. Apply through the Young Scot website.

For everyone else, the Lothian Buses and Edinburgh Trams app handles routes, live times and tickets in one place, and it is free to download. The trams run from the airport through the centre. Trains go from the two mainline stations, Waverley and Haymarket, with times and tickets on the usual rail apps.

Taxis are easy to find, with Central Taxis the long-standing local firm, and Uber operates across the city. For those over 16, Voi e-bikes can be hired from points all over town. And for a lot of journeys you will not need any of it: the centre is small and made for walking.

The airport sits about seven miles out, roughly twenty-five minutes from the north of the city, with the tram, buses and taxis all serving it.

Do students get free bus travel in Edinburgh? Yes. Under-22s living in Scotland, including boarders, travel free on most buses with a Young Scot National Entitlement Card.

What is the best app for Edinburgh public transport? The Lothian Buses and Edinburgh Trams app covers routes, live times and tickets, and it is free.

How far is Edinburgh Airport from the city centre? About seven miles, or twenty-five minutes, served by tram, bus and taxi.

The above are extracts from The Little Magenta Book. The Little Magenta Book, our guide to Edinburgh and beyond is exclusively available to Fettes families and to those registered to apply to join. It can be accessed in three ways: from the link at the bottom of this webpage (using your 'Page Passkey'), via our Parent Portal, or by contacting admissions@fettes.com