A Bit O' Edinburgh and the Royal Mile EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND

The Royal Mile cuts through the heart of medieval Old Town. At the bottom of the Mile is the Palace of Holy Rood (the residence of the Royal Family when in Scotland) and the modern Parliament Building (pictured directly below); at the top of the Mile is commanding Edinburgh Castle.

Street performers work the Royal Mile during the Fringe Festival celebrating the Avant garde; this August festival brings 400,000 people to Edinburgh.

Closes (steep, narrow alleyways) punctuate the main route and offer many options for exploration off the main drag. These offshoots were named as such because they were closed off at night to keep riff raff out. If you didn’t pay attention to the cry of “gardyloo!” in 16th-century Edinburgh, you might be covered in some less-than desirable splatter as it was customary to throw human waste from the windows.

Mary King’s Close. 3½ stories beneath today’s Royal Mile and entombed beneath 3½ centuries of construction, in 1629, this close was a thriving neighborhood. Some claim it had been sealed up to contain bubonic plague, making it not only a fascinating time capsule, but also one of the most haunted sites in Scotland.

What is it? It’s NOT dog poop or Twinkie tempura—it IS something we actually ate and is a tourist-loving Scottish snack. This mysterious turd-like object is actually a deep-fried Mars bar.