I moved to Edinburgh eight years ago. Before that I came as a visitor and did what visitors do: the guided walk, the open-top bus. Both were fine. Both were rushed. You get ninety seconds somewhere you'd happily have spent twenty minutes, and then you move, because the group is moving. And then you realise it cost you £20 for the pleasure.

Now I live here, and getting down the Royal Mile means edging around tour groups thirty people deep, half of them too far back to hear the guide at all.

So I made the version I wanted. No fixed start time, no group to keep up with, nobody's schedule but yours. Stand at one spot for an hour, skip the next entirely, sit down when you need to, or come back tomorrow and pick up where you left off. Whether you're travelling with small children, managing a health condition, or you'd simply rather explore in your own company, the city is still yours.

You don't even have to be here yet. Walk the Royal Mile from your sofa a month before you fly, and arrive already knowing which closes you want to duck down and which stops you'd skip. Most people get a few days in Edinburgh and a long list; this is how you spend them well.

Explore all of the Royal Mile, Edinburgh’s Old Town, the New Town, Leith and the Shore without leaving the comfort of your home to make sure you plan the perfect trip or use it while you’re here for your tour at your pace.

Haste Ye Back!