Greyfriars Kirkyard Tour: Discover the Stories of Old Edinburgh's Deceased

Uncover the captivating stories of Old Edinburgh’s deceased on the Greyfriars Kirkyard tour. From martyred Covenanters to infamous ghosts, discover the secrets of Scottish history in an entertaining and respectful manner.

Duration: 1 hour, 45 minutes
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Greyfriars Kirk - This entire tour takes place within the historic burial ground. We don’t visit the Kirk itself, although we recommend guests visit this wonderful building during their visit to Edinburgh.
  • Historic Edinburgh Tours - Our entire tour takes place within the historic burial ground of Greyfriars Kirkyard.
What's Included
  • Expert local guide
What's Not Included
  • Gratuities
Additional Information

The tour of Greyfriars Kirkyard is tailormade for those curious about the annals of Scottish history. The individuals interred within the Kirkyard helped shape Edinburgh into its present form. We’ll recount some of the most pivotal, engaging, and unexpected tales about these truly intriguing individuals. All this will be done in a fun, professional, and…

Location
Greyfriars Kirkyard
Candlemaker Row
Just inside the main entrance, next to the grave of Greyfriars Bobby (the pink headstone which you see as soon as you enter the Kirkyard).
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
5.0
(55 Ratings)
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258walkerc
Dec 3, 2024
Edinburgh's buried history brought to life! - Loved the tour of Greyfriars Kirkyard with guide Robert Howie during our visit to Edinburgh. He brought the history of this cemetery to life - from the legend of Bobby of Greyfriars to the possible links of J.K. Rowling's characters to the names you see on tombstones. With historic photos, maps, and even a pair of thumb screws - he shared a wealth of knowledge of the city's "buried history". Robert tailors his presentation to his visitors interests and was very responsive to emails. Highly recommend.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Catherine
Nov 5, 2024
Interesting, very informative fun trip of Greyfriars Kirkyard - Fantastic tour and talk of Greyfriars Kirkyard and old Edinburgh. I was parent helper with my son’s p3 class and Robert was great at keeping the children’s attention and setting the tone for their age. I’d definitely recommend him to others!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
313kerryw
Oct 18, 2024
Phenomenal History-Focuses Tour in a Sea of Ghost Tours - Robert has an encyclopedic knowledge of the “residents” of the Kirkyard, Scottish history and corny dad jokes. The combination of the three makes for a phenomenal tour. We had a great time learning about the Kirkyard, the Bobby, and the bloody history of Scotland. Thanks, Robert, for spending part of the last day of school holidays with us!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Daytrip43390401009
Oct 11, 2024
Fantastic Graveyard Tour--Robert is the best! - I cannot recommend the private tour of Greyfriars Kirkyard with Robert highly enough! We learned so much on the tour and Robert is extremely knowledgeable and funny! Since it's a private tour, Robert is very accommodating regarding what you want the tour to be and what you want to learn. The 90 minutes flew by so fast, I could have easily enjoyed another hour or more. Do yourself a favor and book Robert's tour before you get to Edinburgh!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mjacksteit
Jul 23, 2024
Excellent Private Family-Friendly Tour - Robert was excellent. I’d highly recommend this tour. - Robert knows his history. - Robert has the heart of (and is a) teacher. - Robert is great at adapting his tour to the needs of the group. - The value of the tour is very high- an exceptional cost for a group. - Robert caters the tour to all ages. He is great with continuing the tour despite kids flopping around aimlessly. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Gayle_t
Jun 30, 2024
We loved it!! - Robert was great! Kind, friendly, and extremely knowledgeable. He was able to tailor the presentation to our interests and checked in regularly to make sure he was giving us information in a helpful way. We loved it!
Review provided by Viator
523angusk
May 19, 2024
Fun and interesting. - We had friends visit Edinburgh from Switzerland and London, and Robert took us on a really interesting, fun and informative tour of Greyfriars and surrounding area. I’ve lived in and around Edinburgh for 30 years, and I learned a lot too. It was a 2 hour tour- went by very quickly. I highly reommend .
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ellahj8265xt
Mar 12, 2024
Entertaining and Informative your around Edinburgh! - An amazing insightful and entertaining tour around Edinburgh! An excellent way of learning about Edinburghs history and getting to see famous landmarks with interesting stories and fun facts along the way!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Renoc
Dec 15, 2023
TRAVEL WRITER REVIEW: A FABULOUS TOUR AND EXPERIENCE - As a travel writer, I was asked to visit Edinburgh for two weeks and review a range of hotels, venues, and experiences. This is one of the tours that caught my eye when researching, and I'm so glad we went on it. From our very first communication some months ago, Robert couldn't have been more helpful. He was always on hand for any questions, changed the time of the tour to suit me, and ensured that everything ran smoothly with the arrangements. When we met up on the afternoon of the tour, he was bang on time and such a lovely guy. He was very easy to talk to, I felt comfortable asking questions, and we had a laugh on an essentially cold and rainy day (which was perfect for this particular tour, it added to the atmosphere). Robert took us all around the Kirkyard, told us grim and macabre stories, lightened the mood with his wit, and made the experience one to really remember. I'll enjoy doing my write-up of this experience, as it brings back some great memories! If you get to do this - or any other - tour with Robert, go for it. It's not only educational in a fun way but enables you to explore the darker side of Edinburgh and its rich history.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Niconiconiconi
Nov 4, 2023
Amazing Experience with a wonderful guide - We did the Greyfriars Kirkyard tour with Robert and it was one of the highlights of our entire trip. Robert sent clear instructions on when and where to meet and arrived ready to go. He spent a few minutes getting to know us and what we wanted out of the private tour. We then proceeded with a wonderful hour and 45 minute tour that included a lot of history, some great folklore and many delightful stories. Robert is a great story teller and guide, he also ended the tour by showing us a great balcony in the Scottish Museum that allowed us the opportunity to take some amazing photos of Edinburgh Castle and Greyfrair's Kirk. I recommend Robert as a guide and this tour to anyone wanting a lot of great stories of the characters in Greyfriar's Kirk.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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