The Writers' Museum

Burns, Scott and Stevenson in a 1600s house

Tickets: Free
Address: Down Lady Stair's Close, off the Lawnmarket on the Royal Mile

A short turn off the Royal Mile and a 17th-century house wraps around a quiet courtyard. Inside, each floor holds belongings of Robert Burns, Walter Scott and Robert Louis Stevenson. It is the small things that stick, letters, busts and well-handled objects. Entry is free, which also makes it a good place to duck a rain shower on the Royal Mile.