Edinburgh's famous 'Royal Mile' gets its name from the 500 year old processional route used by queens and kings, and the old “Scots mile”, which actually measures 107 yards longer than an “English” mile. Popular with citizens and tourists alike, the Royal Mile connects Edinburgh Castle, which sits atop an extinct volcano, and Holyrood Palace, which has served as the principal royal residence in Scotland since the 16th century.
Paving the Royal Mile are locally sourced cobbles - also known as “sets” - typically made from hard wearing stone-granite and basalt. In 2021 Edinburgh Council widened the pavements on the city’s Royal Mile to make it more pedestrian friendly. During this process, all the historic cobbles in various sections were removed, reconditioned and painstakingly relaid. At the end of the process there was a handful of cobbles left spare, which Two Skies founder Adam McIntosh managed to secure a purchase on with the Royal Mile project manager Stan.
Edinburgh is still affectionately known as "Auld Reekie" (Scots for 'Old Smokey'), a nickname originating from the days when smoke from open coal and peat fires hung over the city like a fog.
