🏴The Scotsman Steps 🏴
Edinburgh is a city of culture, history and the capital of Scotland. YThere is much to see and do, from the Castle to Arthur's Seat. Everywhere you walk there is history and also geology. The buildings take you on a journey through Scotland. As you walk around you can see and touch stones from Caithness, Dumfriesshire, Kirkcudbrightshire, Mull, Argyll and Aberdeenshire. The city echoes to the sound of the pipes on The Royal Mile, and the laughter and voices along Princes Street.
Robert Burns, the Scottish National Poet wrote about the city, which he visited in 1786, his work titled 'Address to Edinburgh', stating
'Here Wealth still swells the golden tide,
As busy Trade his labours plies;
There Architecture's noble pride
Bids elegance and splendour rise:
Here Justice, from her native skies,
High wields her balance and her rod;
There Learning, with his eagle eyes,
Seeks Science in her coy abode.'
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The city is a place of the Scottish Enlightenment, an intellectual movement that ranged across the arts, geology, medicine, literature and sociology, indeed some of most important figures in the history of the United Kingdom are connected with this period, such as the geologist Hutton, and writers such as Walter Scott.
🏴 This Geocaching Virtual Cache, takes you to one of the most enlightened places in Edinburgh, it has a connection to geology, the arts and architecture.
The Scotsman Steps were built between 1899 and 1902 , as part of the construction of the building for the Scotsman Newspaper. It consists of an octagonal tower, which forms a link on foot between North Bridge and Market Street. Though they are now a place of wonder and enlightenment
The Scotsman Steps were built between 1899 and 1902 as part of the construction of the Scotsman Newspaper buildings and are contained in an octagonal stone tower forming a pedestrian link between North Bridge and Market Street in Edinburgh. The steps were Category A listed in 1974 and sit at the heart of the Old Town Conservation area and World Heritage Site. After 100 years, the Scotsman Steps had become dilapid, after a century of use, they had become dilapidated, and a place of ill repute. In the early 21st Century, they were renovated, and are now the site of an artwork, by the artist Martin Creed. Each step, of which they are 104 is of a different stone, with differing geology. It is a place you could spend hours looking at.
🏴 So, how to claim this Virtual Cache as a find?
The idea behind this Virtual is to enjoy the process by getting to look at the steps. In order to log, you need to do the following:
1. Have your photograph taken at the top entrance (as per the below photograph), with the arch in clear view behind you, and THE SCOTSMAN STEPS clearly visible. You can also take a picture of your device, or your caching name at the location.
2. Please have your photograph taken at the bottom entrance of The Scotsman Steps. You can also take a picture of your device, or your caching name at the location.
Virtual Rewards 5.0 - 2026-2027
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between February 3, 2026 and February 3, 2027. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 5.0 on the Geocaching Blog.