The Grassmarket is a long, open square in Edinburgh's Old Town, lying in a hollow right below the south side of the castle rock. For centuries it was one of the city's main market places and its best-known place of public execution. Today it is lined with pubs, cafés and small shops, and the castle still towers over its rooftops.
The Grassmarket at a glance
- Where: in the Old Town, below the south side of Edinburgh Castle, between the West Port and the foot of Victoria Street.
- Created: first recorded in 1363; one of Edinburgh's main market places from 1477.
- What it is today: an open square of pubs, restaurants and independent shops, redesigned in 2009–10 with wider pavements and space for outdoor tables.
- Time needed: 20–30 minutes to walk its length and see the memorials; longer if you stop for a drink.
Market place and gallows
The Grassmarket is first recorded in 1363, and from 1477 it was one of the city's main market places. Its west end was closed by the West Port, a gate in the Flodden Wall, the town wall begun in 1514 after the Scottish defeat at the Battle of Flodden. The east end held the gallows. Public hangings took place here until 1784, among them those of more than 100 Covenanters, the Presbyterians who resisted royal control of the church, executed between 1661 and 1688.
The square was also the scene of the Porteous Riots. In 1736, after the Town Guard under Captain John Porteous fired into the crowd at a hanging here, Porteous was sentenced to death and then reprieved; an angry mob dragged him from the Tolbooth prison and lynched him in the Grassmarket. Nearly a century later, in 1828, William Burke and William Hare committed most of their murders in Tanner's Close in the nearby West Port, selling the bodies for dissection. From the 1880s many Italian immigrants settled around the square, and from the late 20th century the old lodging houses gave way to pubs, hotels and shops.
What to look for
- The Covenanters' Memorial: a round stone enclosure at the east end, put up in 1937 by public subscription, where the gallows stood.
- The West Bow Well: a stone wellhead from 1674 by Robert Mylne, with the city arms, at the foot of Victoria Street. Wells like this one were the Old Town's water supply.
- The White Hart Inn: an early 18th-century inn on the north side that claims to be the oldest pub in Edinburgh. William and Dorothy Wordsworth stayed here in 1803.
- The line of the Flodden Wall: a strip of granite paving across the west end marks where the town wall once ran; at the top of the Vennel, the Flodden Tower is the last surviving bastion of the town walls.
- The pub names: The Last Drop and Maggie Dickson's are named after the square's grim past.
Half-Hangit Maggie
The Grassmarket's best-known story is that of Margaret Dickson, hanged here in August 1724 for concealing the death of her newborn baby. According to the story, she was pronounced dead and placed in a coffin, but came round on the way to burial. Because her sentence had been carried out, she was not hanged again, and she was reportedly seen back in the Grassmarket that October. The story has been retold so often that the details are hard to check, but her nickname, 'Half-Hangit Maggie', lives on in the pub that bears her name.
Tips for your visit
- For the classic view of the castle above the Grassmarket, climb the steps of the Vennel at the west end and look back.
- Come in the morning for quiet photos; in the evening the pubs fill up and the square gets lively, especially during the festivals in August.
- Walk up the curve of Victoria Street from the east end to reach George IV Bridge and the Royal Mile.
Nearby
- Victoria Street: the curving street of colourful shopfronts that climbs from the east end of the Grassmarket.
- Greyfriars Kirkyard: the old churchyard up Candlemaker Row, with the statue of Greyfriars Bobby at its gate.
- Edinburgh Castle: the fortress on the rock above the square, reached on foot via the Royal Mile.
- National Museum of Scotland: the national museum on Chambers Street, a short walk away, with a roof terrace that looks out over the Old Town.
See Edinburgh with World City Trail
Our Edinburgh scavenger hunt turns the old town into a game you play on your phone. The route links 10 stops and takes around 3 hours, with about 56 minutes of walking. It includes the Scott Monument and the Royal Scottish Academy. You can play in English, German, French, Italian, Spanish or Dutch.
If you prefer a different format, there is also a self-guided walking tour and an outdoor escape game in Edinburgh.
Play the Edinburgh scavenger hunt →
Take the self-guided walking tour of Edinburgh →
Play the outdoor escape game in Edinburgh →
Facts checked in October 2026.