Edinburgh Dark History Tour: Explore City's Murky Past and Notorious Figures

Uncover Edinburgh’s dark and twisted past on a captivating tour. Discover the city’s notorious figures, gruesome crimes, and chilling ghost stories. Prepare to be haunted!

Duration: 2 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Old Town - A walking tour down the Royal Mile of Edinburgh, where your guide will share with you the darker history of Edinburgh.
  • Heart of Midlothian - Former site of the Old Tollbooth, one of Edinburgh’s most notorious buildings. Hear about some of the characters once imprisoned and/or executed here, and why it ultimately became recognised…
What's Included
  • In-person guide throughout the tour
Additional Information

Oh, the charm of Edinburgh! It’s not dubbed ‘The Jekyll & Hyde City’ without good reason. By daylight, it’s an upstanding character with outstanding construction and fascinating past. Yet, as night descends, it narrates a wholly different tale…
Discover the shadowy side of Edinburgh’s history: killers, robbers, flesh-eaters, executions and beheadings,…

Location
West Parliament Square
Find us across the square in Front of St. Giles Cathedral. Search for the white umbrella with the logo of All-Star Guides.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
5.0
(607 Ratings)
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
Anthony
Mar 24, 2025
Great tour. - Lydia was the best guide. She’s very knowledgeable able the city. Very much worth the fee! Lydia also gave us tips for other activities during our stay!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sarah_h
Mar 23, 2025
Very enjoyable two hours of walking - Fantastic two hours learning about the dark history of Edinburgh. Entertaining the whole way through.
Review provided by Viator
Areybee
Mar 22, 2025
Riots and hangings and burnings! Oh my! - Our tour was excellent! Robert was super personable and could tell a great story that didn’t inundate us with facts. We even got some time to go into the St. Giles Cathedral for a wee look around. Robert even joined us for a pint after the tour. Great day in Edinburgh!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Olympiaw978
Mar 22, 2025
Very informative and entertaining - Kieran was and excellent guide. Very informative and interesting content. Would highly recommend. It’s not fast paced so easy to keep up.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Aimee_s
Mar 21, 2025
Great tour - Great tour with engaging stories and historic information. Our guide Kieran was very good and we really enjoyed learning more about some of the things on the royal mile we would have missed otherwise.
Review provided by Viator
Jim
Mar 20, 2025
Can’t Miss With Robert - Such an informative and interesting tour. Robert was a fantastic guide. A great insight into some lesser known and morbid history of the town.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Pgc297
Mar 12, 2025
wonderful tour of the dark side of Edinburgh! - fabulous tour with Callum. Very engaging guide with a deep knowledge of the local history who was also very personable. Highly recommend!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Megan_h
Mar 9, 2025
Not to be missed! We loved it. - Brilliant tour. We won’t forget this, definitely one of the highlights of our trip. Our guide Robert was charismatic, engaging and most of all an expert in knowledge on the city. The tour was so interesting and informative, so many great stories that made Edinburgh and its past come to life. It really helped us to get a much better feel for the city and its history. Robert was kind, funny and made us all feel very welcome. We were a small group and he even made time to go over as we all had lots of questions. Felt like a stroll with a knowledgeable friend. Accessibility wise, we were shattered after a few days of walking everywhere, with a bad back and knee, and this isn’t strenuous at all. Slowly strolling with stops every hundred or so yards or similar. Lots of standing and being outside so comfy shoes and a scarf recommended. But very accessible and very good fun. (One of the graves at the bottom of a slope but could esially sit that one out if mobility was an issue rest of the tour more than worthwhile). Will be recommending to family and friends. Thank you Robert, we really enjoyed spending time with you!!!
Review provided by Viator
Loes_d
Mar 7, 2025
definitely recommend it - The 'dark history' tour was very good. Callum was a great guide and really knowledgeable. I compared a few tours and I'm happy I picked this one. I definitely recommend it.
Review provided by Viator
Pamela_c
Mar 13, 2025
Good historical tour- not much regarding “dark” - The tour guide gave a good overview of the history of Edinburgh. However, personal interpretations regarding the meaning of the stories, especially those that concerned international politics and current political figures, left our group feeling uncomfortable and rather out of place.
Review provided by Viator
From $21
up to 15 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).