Historic Edinburgh Tours

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Historic Edinburgh Tours Explore Edinburgh’s Old Town with your local guide on our award-winning walking tours. Rated 5* on TripAdvisor. We take your satisfaction very seriously.

For bookings & enquiries please visit our website;
www.historicedinburghtours.co.uk Our historical Edinburgh tours have been expertly designed to bring the past to life through a combination of visual resources and well researched, well delivered stories. Each guided tour is limited to 25 places. We use both guides to ensure that you will have ample opportunity to ask us questions as we walk betwe

en locations. This personal touch, not offered by most companies, aids group safety and organisation. This helps us keep everyone together so that no-one misses any stories. We can also offer 'shortcuts' for anyone who cannot physically manage the full tour route.Historic Edinburgh Tours are currently discussing ways we can help market the Edinburgh Museums, such as the fantastic Museum of Edinburgh (Huntly House for those visitors of old!), the People’s Story (in the Canongate Tolbooth) and the Writer’s Museum to name a few.Unlike many ‘free tours of Edinburgh’ we are fully licensed with the City of Edinburgh Council, we’re a legitimately registered company with Companies House and we have comprehensive insurance.

Scotland. A land of mystery. A nation with so many incredible questions from our history. Was Mary, Queen of Scots ba...
15/07/2024

Scotland. A land of mystery. A nation with so many incredible questions from our history. Was Mary, Queen of Scots bad at choosing husbands, or was it just the way life was imposed upon her? Could Scotland have embraced its Renaissance era if James IV hadn’t supported the French in 1513? Is Nessie real? And last night many of us started wondering how the heck this ever happened… I’m in York right now and genuinely wanted England to win. There’s always next time.

Huge thanks to all my customers and an even bigger thanks to everyone who has reviewed me this year. These things reall...
03/07/2024

Huge thanks to all my customers and an even bigger thanks to everyone who has reviewed me this year. These things really are priceless to my wee company. I’ve been blown away by the friendships made, the comments left and by people who have actually taken time out of their vacation to leave a review. I can’t put into words how much I appreciate it.

Places You Normally See From A Different Angle ; Volume 1. I actually think the alternative views from/on Calton Hil...
30/06/2024

Places You Normally See From A Different Angle ; Volume 1. I actually think the alternative views from/on Calton Hill are fascinating in their own right. There is something therapeutic about seeing ‘interest’ and ‘beauty’ in the places around you. I’m no photographer, but I’m beginning to understand why artists and photographers and anyone who likes to re-interpret things are very fortunate on their outlook on life. Here’s hoping we can get a bit less cloud and a bit more sun though!

Day off today. Off to the Royal Infirmary for my anti-migraine Botox (it’s great!) and then on to school to see my cla...
26/06/2024

Day off today. Off to the Royal Infirmary for my anti-migraine Botox (it’s great!) and then on to school to see my class perform their dress rehearsal for their Scottish Opera performance. I like having these different parts to life. In tour terms, it’s been a really great week. A highlight yesterday was seeing a fellow guide a couple of times (I LOVE tour guide ‘banter’) and then out on two tours. Half way through the second tour we came across some of my group from the previous day. They couldn’t have been nicer! A much needed heart-warming moment. Yesterday afternoon’s tour finished with a photo-op moment in the Museum, with a foggy Edinburgh Castle in the distance. It might not be as lovely as the sun, but Edinburgh manages to look very atmospheric on days like these. Have a good one folks.

Where yesterday finished; Edinburgh Castle. So this was how yesterday panned out; Walk around Calton Hill for one of...
19/06/2024

Where yesterday finished; Edinburgh Castle. So this was how yesterday panned out; Walk around Calton Hill for one of the best views of any city anywhere in the world. Visit to Rosslyn Chapel. Incredible place and, shout out to the staff there, they’ve always been very helpful and friendly. Wee walk around the Museum of Scotland, Greyfriars Kirkyard and the Grassmarket. Lunch booked for my guests and then a walk up the Royal Mile to the Castle. really have to keep pinching myself. This is a privilege.

“Another day in the office!” Well, Rosslyn Chapel isn’t my ‘office’, but it’s where I am with a lovely group from the...
18/06/2024

“Another day in the office!” Well, Rosslyn Chapel isn’t my ‘office’, but it’s where I am with a lovely group from the USA. Sometimes i have to pinch myself that this is what I do, and that the people I get to work with are so lovely. Side note; Rosslyn is a really great place to understand how carefully managed tourism has preserved and enhanced the site for future generations. The phenomenal success of the Da Vinci Code book and film brought so many people here that the conservation work was paid for and finished waaaay ahead of the originally planned completion date. It’s nice being surrounded by people saying “wow” and taking photos because of where they are and what they are seeing. It’s special.

One of my favourite ever groups. We really did have heavy rain and gorgeous sunshine and they allowed me to take up six...
10/06/2024

One of my favourite ever groups. We really did have heavy rain and gorgeous sunshine and they allowed me to take up six hours of their precious vacation time. I was truly honoured. It was like taking old friends around my home town. Thank you for that trust.

You gotta love Edinburgh weather. These two photos are unedited (save for the frame). And they were taken a few second...
10/06/2024

You gotta love Edinburgh weather. These two photos are unedited (save for the frame). And they were taken a few seconds apart. One looks out over the amazing Bank of Scotland Museum on the Mound building (see…) and the other is the view when I swirled round to catch the Castle. Great buildings both, but is it just me or does it oook like two different weather systems are on the go?! I’m not going to take bets on which one is going to be following me around town today….

A wee cheeky day off. I decided to let Edinburgh be enjoyed by the Swifties this weekend and headed down for a nice lil ...
08/06/2024

A wee cheeky day off. I decided to let Edinburgh be enjoyed by the Swifties this weekend and headed down for a nice lil dog walk along the walls of Berwick-upon-Tweed. Happy days. We couldn’t quite hear Ms Swift in action from our house, but it seems like it was a great show. I do remember being in my friend’s garden a couple of decades ago and hearing “I can’t get no satisfaction” coming from Murrayfield as the Rolling Stones were playing. Not a bad wee bit of music history there. I tell you what though, I was out in my thick woollen kilt yesterday and I was cold. I’m not convinced it had warmed up for the evening show! Mind you, at least it was dry. Whilst history is my ‘thing’, Edinburgh has also played host to Springsteen, Swift and the Who in the last wee while. Not bad eh! To anyone who is going, has been, or has family or friends going, I hope they have a truly fantastic experience.

Pre-tour coffee shop vibes. Cracking view. Not loving the rain specs. We’ve had it all recently. I’ve been burned in ...
07/06/2024

Pre-tour coffee shop vibes. Cracking view. Not loving the rain specs. We’ve had it all recently. I’ve been burned in the sun (Factor 50 not withstanding) I’ve had the most incredible rain showers. It’s cold. It’s been too hot. It’s been everything. But, and it’s not such a big ‘but’, that view is always there. Win win.

Feeling very humbled by comments like these. I’ve been so blessed to have a few reviews of late, and they never fail to ...
04/06/2024

Feeling very humbled by comments like these. I’ve been so blessed to have a few reviews of late, and they never fail to make me feel the same. Huge thanks to this lovely couple for taking time to review me whilst still on their holiday. I’ve a few more of these I’ll be sharing this week, some of the comments have been quite something! I know it might seem like im showing off, I really don’t mean it that way. It’s just such a positive feeling to have lovely comments from people who spend a lot of money to come here and then share some of this special time with me. I love it.

04/06/2024

One of my favourite places in Edinburgh. It’s a shelter when it’s wet, it’s even more special when it’s sunny and it’s always been a constantly changing and evolving visual feast. And yeah, like most Edinburgh folk ‘of a certain age’, I do remember the fish ponds in this central space!

I had the pleasure of attending a coffee morning and then a talk about wildlife at the Edinburgh Hebrew Congregation thi...
02/06/2024

I had the pleasure of attending a coffee morning and then a talk about wildlife at the Edinburgh Hebrew Congregation this morning. Although I’m not a follower of a religion, I’m very fortunate to work in a very multicultural school and I get to surround myself with people from many different cultures and backgrounds…and faiths. I’ve always been fascinated by the customs of faiths and I’ve always been a little bit in awe of the community spirit which permeates religions. I also had the pleasure of catching up with a former pupil who had a set of qualifications which just blew my mind (but also which came as no surprise given how dedicated and talented she was when I taught her). I also got to take along some pictures from one of the books from my company archive. This book wasn’t available in the British Library when I got my copy, and it’s beautifully illustrated. This picture shows a scene from a synagogue which once stood where the University of Edinburgh Students Union apparently now sits. Big thanks to the for a genuinely lovely and educational time today.

First non-tour day in over a week and we’re out and about sorting the ‘to-do’ list. Well, one of us is. The other is wa...
02/06/2024

First non-tour day in over a week and we’re out and about sorting the ‘to-do’ list. Well, one of us is. The other is watching the progress at the old Royal Infirmary. I think Daisy approves…!

01/06/2024

Oh yes. It’s been years since I was last up here. Yes, even as an Edinburgh tour guide, I STILL have my own ‘Edinburgh bucket list of things to do’. Part of this is so that I can tell my guests about it, but part of it is…well, you can see the views in this video. I mean, you just have to don’t you! Local or visitor, this city just gives you so many ‘Oh wow!’ moments.

Coming to the end of my busiest ever week and it was so lovely to receive this last night, for the tour I’d taken last n...
31/05/2024

Coming to the end of my busiest ever week and it was so lovely to receive this last night, for the tour I’d taken last night! Huge thanks to the members of this incredibly inspirational group. I was truly humbled by them.

The view before the start of today’s second tour. Can’t wait! In this tour I get to tell some stories about WW2 and th...
30/05/2024

The view before the start of today’s second tour. Can’t wait! In this tour I get to tell some stories about WW2 and the role played by the Firth of Forth in Edinburgh’s military history. Happy days!

Another brilliant group - as ever I’m flattered people trust me with some of their valuable holiday time, but it’s also ...
30/05/2024

Another brilliant group - as ever I’m flattered people trust me with some of their valuable holiday time, but it’s also fascinating to spend time with people from all over the world. This group were amazing company and helped me with a wee personal question about something I have coming up in the next week or so. Learning about other people, nations, cultures etc is something I love and I’m so fortunate to get to do this in my home city and with people who have already committed to visiting and understanding Edinburgh. Here’s to good things for all the people I’ve been able to spend a friendly couple of hours with so far - it’s truly inspiring and heart-warming.

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Opening Hours

Monday 09:00 - 17:00
Tuesday 09:00 - 17:00
Wednesday 17:00 - 21:30
Saturday 09:00 - 17:00

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+447590026077

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What. A. Place. Really! A wee jaunt outside of the Old Town. #rosslynchapel #davincicode #historicedinburghtours

Well this is lovely to see. And, as ever, I’m very grateful for all the custom, support and lovely memories my guests have given me.

Robert Burns - Happy Burns Night to everyone! I’ll admit to something I shouldn’t: I was never a ‘fan’ of Burns as a child. I loved history, loved Edinburgh’s history, really loved military history - but a poet? In the Eighteenth century? No. Not for me. Now I see him differently. Some of his poetry is lovely, some are interesting and Tam o’Shanter is a cracking tale, but “A Man’s a Man for a’ That” is just incredible. I was maybe too young to understand the sentiment, but now I love it. I’ve included the final part of the poem. The whole poem is special, but the last part is poignant. I see it as up there with Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech. King talked about people being judged on the “content of their character” and not on their skin colour; Burns talks about people not being judged on the money in their pocket, the titles they hold, the clothes they wear. The last line is aspirational, possible, true for some and not for others. I’d happily have this as Scotland’s National Anthem!

A comparison montage between my Greyfriars Bobby photo of 2011, shown earlier this week, and a photo I took yesterday.

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What’s our story?

Historic Edinburgh Tours offer expertly crafted guided tours of Edinburgh’s Old Town. Whether it’s an exploration of Greyfriars Kirkyard, a walk around the sites of the Victorian slum or a full exploration of the Old Town, we’ve produced a walk with some of the best stories for you to enjoy. We use lots of visuals and props to help bring ‘Old Edinburgh’ to life.

We’re TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence holders, Luxury Travel Guide Edinburgh winners for 2017 and the Travel and Hospitality Award Winner Cultural Tour Company of the Year (Edinburgh) winner 2017. You know your tour is in safe hands with us! Want more proof? Check out our TripAdvisor reviews page - https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g186525-d5599246-Reviews-Historic_Edinburgh_Tours-Edinburgh_Scotland.html

We’re sure you’ll see Edinburgh in a very different light after you’ve been on one of our tours!