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Private Old Edinburgh Tour: Historic Walk
5.0
211 Ratings
Edinburgh
Step into the past on a private Old Edinburgh Tour. Walk in the footsteps of Royals and Rogues, from Mary, Queen of Scots to Bonnie Prince Charlie. Discover the city’s rich history with a local guide dressed in a kilt and explore iconic landmarks with archive images.
Duration:
2 hours
Cancellation:
1 day
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Highlights
- Greyfriars Kirkyard - Your tour starts just inside the main gate of Greyfriars Kirkyard. You’ll find out about Edinburgh’s famous ‘wee dug’; Greyfriars Bobby. There are a number of versions of his story. We’ll let you make your own mind up!
- Grassmarket - Candlemaker Row and the Grassmarket will be next on your route. You’ll find out about one of Scotland’s most significant weddings and how it affected Edinburgh. You’ll follow the route of the pre-wedding party.
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Royal Mile - Your tour will take in a number of locations along Edinburgh’s famous Royal Mile. We’ll see where Mary, Queen of Scots spent part of her childhood, we’ll visit a charming little courtyard (with a royal link) and we’ll discover the very strange story of Deacon William Brodie and his hanging.
We get to cover a brief history of St Giles before visiting the site of the old Mercat Cross. You’ll learn about the significance of this location in the story of Prince Charles Edward Stewart (‘Bonnie Prince Charlie’) before we visit an atmospheric Old Town close. The stories here will be rather memorable… - Cowgate - The Cowgate is often ignored by other tours, but we’ll make the most of it when we discover what life was like for Edinburgh’s Victorian poor.
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University of Edinburgh - We’ll visit two stops which belong to the famous University of Edinburgh. Burke and Hare, the infamous Irish murderers, came to where we make our penultimate stop. You’ll find out how this pair worked, why they were able to murder so many people…and finally what happened to them.
We may even look at the ‘traditional’ Highland outfit your guide will be wearing.
Your final stop takes place near to Old College (or, if it’s open to us, inside Old College). This is possibly one of the most fascinating places on our tour. It looks incredible now…but the story we share is even more explosive. Literally!
What's Included
- Local guide
What's Not Included
- Gratuities
Additional Information
Join us at Historic Edinburgh Tours for a captivating walkabout through the time-honoured lanes of the Old Town. You’ll have the chance to traverse the same pathways where some of Scotland’s most renowned (and notorious) figures once resided and strolled. From Mary, Queen of Scots to Bonnie Prince Charlie, Deacon Brodie and beyond, this is a can’t-miss chance to uncover Edinburgh’s prolific past.
Your local guide, Robert, will be donned in a traditional kilt for your exclusive tour. Carrying a book filled with archival images, Robert will highlight the city’s distinctive landmarks whilst shedding light on its fascinating history. With our collection of old photographs, you’ll witness the transformation of Edinburgh throughout the ages - and even draw comparison with its modern-day image. An absolute must-see for history enthusiasts and visitors alike!
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). Greyfriars Kirkyard, Candlemaker Row, EH1 2QQ
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
5.0
(211 Ratings)
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Louis_a
Sep 16, 2024
A fantastic tour of Edinburgh - This was a fabulous tour. Our guide, Robert, a life-long citizen of Edinburgh and a teacher by trade, shared his immense knowledge about the history and people of the city (including some of its famous canine residents) and showed us the lesser traveled venues and passages with the most amazing views. I highly recommend it!
Review provided by Viator
Louisax8490sa
Sep 16, 2024
Fantastic Edinburgh tour - Robert was a fantastic guide. He was extremely knowledgeable and entertaining, bringing us to the most interesting places. I highly recommend his Edinburgh tour!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jetsetexplorer
Sep 15, 2024
Excellent tour! - We very much enjoyed our 2 hour private tour with Robert. He was funny, very knowledgeable and told great stories about the city he clearly loved. I appreciated that he asked us what we were interested in. I would definitely recommend.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Val_s
Sep 8, 2024
Fun and educational Edinburgh - Robert was an amazing guide! His sense of humour added to his incredible knowledge of the city. The tour was very comprehensive and we ended the tour with a much better understanding of this beautiful city!
Review provided by Viator
W2964udmichaeld
Sep 2, 2024
Learning and laughing in Edinburgh - Robert was fun, knowledgeable, totally engaging as soon as we met him, a terrific communicator, And empathic to our needs and wishes during the tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Maureen_m
Sep 1, 2024
Robert is AWESOME! - Ask for Robert, the tall man in a glorious kilt! He was an outstanding tour guide - hilarious, informative and delightfully irreverent! Seriously, we travel all over the world and this was one of our best guides ever!
Review provided by Viator
Kathryna180
Aug 16, 2024
Perfect intro to the history of Edinburgh - Robert was our guide, and he is so knowledgeable about the city. He is fun and informative. He carries a small binder with supplemental pictures and explanations of various locations, which enhances the experience. While I understand that he does this tour often, his narrative was fresh and engaging. I tire easily, so he made adjustments to accommodate me, without compromising the quality of his presentation. If you like history, this is a tour worth taking. And, ask for Robert!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ralph
Aug 11, 2024
One of the best walking city tours ever - Fantastic guide, funny and full of knowledge.
One of the best city tours we had. Booked for 2 hours and got 2.5 hours out of Robert
Highly recommend
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Gary
Aug 10, 2024
Humour and History - Humour, History and Haggis… well no haggis. Best tour guide we have experienced.
Considerate of group and nice easy walking pace.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Dogger70
Aug 1, 2024
We really enjoyed tour with guide Robert. - Robert was a fantastic guide. Friendly, informative, funny, tailored the tour for our family. Highly recommend this tour to get a nice history and overview of Edinburgh.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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