Private Old Edinburgh Tour - Walk in the footsteps of Royals and Rogues!
5.0
197 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 learn more
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.
  • 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.
  • 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
(197 Ratings)
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Q7682ecannw
May 13, 2024
History Done Right! - Our Old Town walking tour with Robert was a highlight of our trip. We both love history and appreciated that Robert was knowledgeable, interesting- and has a great sense of humor. The history he shared was enhanced with props and visuals. Also liked that he pointed out some great photo ops. Highly recommend this tour!! Definitely time well spent.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Margo_s
Apr 30, 2024
Wonderful! - Robert was super accommodating and had wonderful stories to share. What a great guide and lovely, personable fellow! You will love your private and personalized walking tour! Thanks, Robert!! 💜🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿💜
Review provided by Viator
Lga5844fg
Apr 16, 2024
Fantastic tour - Robert took our class on a walking Mary, Queen of Scots tour. The children throughly enjoyed it. Robert was very knowledgable and enthusiastic about the topic. Would highly recommend.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
K3422oxelainem
Apr 6, 2024
Schools Old Edinburgh Tour - I did an Old Edinburgh tour with my 28 Primary 4 pupils recently. Robert was excellent and had them captivated throughout. They were historians looking at clues from the past and used old maps and photographs to discover the differences between Old Edinburgh and today. As an experienced primary teacher Robert knew how to hold their attention and his stories kept them entertained throughout. I would highly recommend this tour for any class studying the history of Edinburgh. Thank you!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Quest17508
Mar 27, 2024
Amazing memories made - What an amazing tour! Robert was friendly, knowledgeable and witty! He was able to keep 4 teenagers entertained and enthralled! I highly recommend doing this tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Joanneth
Mar 27, 2024
This tour ROCKS, ROBERT is amazing at this - Robert took us on a tour round Edinburgh, Calton Hill, Grey Friars Kirk and other places, his upbeat tempo kept us completely focused on stories of Edinburgh even when the weather was awful in parts. He checked in with us regularly but my kids and guests had a ball on his tour! He knows his stuff really well and his approach is perfect for groups.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Fellowtraveler691922
Mar 19, 2024
Robert Howie is THE BEST tour guide you can get! - This was a fantastic tour! Robert Howie, who is also a primary school teacher, is an absolute wealth of knowledge. He is not only knowledgeable, he is also very personable, humorous, entertaining, and just a pleasure to be around. You will not be disappointed! I’ve been on many different walking tours in different countries and his was THE BEST I have ever experienced. His teaching style is superb! We not only experienced the sights, but also the sounds, smells, and even the feeling of the history around us. You can tell that history and teaching are his passions. It is much more than just a walk through an ancient city, pointing out monuments as you go by. It is an in-depth dive into the past. It’s like drinking from a fire hydrant! Robert is the person you want to request if you are considering a tour of Edinburg or “ “EDD-in-buh-ruh”,” the way they say it! Thank you Robert! From: Jay & Ellen Phillips, Alabama, USA. :)
Review provided by Tripadvisor
863fionan
Feb 27, 2024
Fun, facts and fabulous views - This was such an interesting and good fun tour. As a long term Edinburgh it was great to find out so many new things about my city. Robert is a born storyteller and it was hugely entertaining from beginning to end.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Excursion32326108604
Feb 23, 2024
Amazing guide - Robert was funny, friendly, informative, and had lots of local insight. He asked what we hoped to get out of the tour and provided a unique experience that our family loved. I enjoyed going down paths on the Royal mile that without a guide, we probably wouldn’t have noticed. And showed us some spectacular photo spots. The tour never felt rushed and I appreciate the little details throughout the town that he’d point out with historical stories. Our tour started with some rain but he rocked that quilt with confidence and I was happy he didn’t cancel on us because it was worth it!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mother_of_twins704
Dec 29, 2023
This was a very personalized, fun experience for our family - Wow, Robert was an absolutely amazing tour guide! My family and I had an absolute blast with him exploring the captivating city of Edinburgh, despite the chilly and damp weather. We were completely enthralled by all the fascinating information he shared with us about the city's history and culture. I would highly recommend this tour to anyone looking for an educational, fun experience, and I can't thank Robert enough for making our trip so incredibly special!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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