Secrets of Edinburgh's Royal Mile Afternoon Walking Tour

Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Begin your tour at the Mercat Cross which marks the historic heart of Edinburgh. Here merchants gathered to trade: 'Mercat' is simply the Scots word for market. The townspeople met to exchange news and gossip and listen to public pronouncements, and visitors to the city came here to find a guide who was both city grapevine and taxi driver!

Pick up your guide at the Mercat Cross and let him entertain you with stories from Edinburgh's past. Since the earliest times, Edinburgh has been at the forefront of religious and legal matters in Scotland. St Giles Cathedral was founded in 854 AD and has been site of some of the most dramatic events in the nation's history. The Protestant Reformers, the brave Covenanters and the fiery Jenny Geddes who threw her chair at the Bishop - hear about them all.

Home to the earliest skyscrapers in Europe, some famous Edinburgh tenements were 14 stories high. After defeat by the English in 1513 the city fathers build the Flodden Wall around Edinburgh to protect against invasion. As the population grew, the city could not expand outwards, so it grew upwards. It is said that people, ten stories up, could reach out and shake hands with their neighbors in the opposite building!

Your tour ventures down the narrow passageways into courtyards where you learn of tragedy and triumph, marvel at the stunning architecture - and recoil at the cry "gardyloo". The Royal Mile was home to the great, the good - and the not so good - of Edinburgh. Deacon Brodie, locksmith by day and thief by night, inspired Robert Louis Stevenson's famous novel The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. Deacon Brodie and many others populate this enthralling and fascinating tour of the Old Town of Edinburgh.

USD $15.95

Review by: Daniel L	December 2011
Fascinating tour. The guide was quite interesting and showed us a lot we would have never found on our own.

Review by: Linda D	September 2011
Lots of fun with our guide, Roger, who gave us some interesting backstory.

Review by: Alice G	September 2011
This tour provided the means to become acquainted with the history and evolution of the city. I would have loved to hear about the building construction techniques used.

Review by: Michael R	September 2011
Our guide was delightful. There are many secrets in the city of Edinburgh, and we now know a lot of them . . . the closes and winds, old parliament building, and especially the horse statue! Well done.

Review by: Mary G	August 2011
It was a very rainy day when we went for this tour. With our rain coats in placed we traversed this old city on the Royal Mile and learned some of its history. We really enjoyed the information given to us by our guide.

Review by: Maria V	August 2011
The tour was informative and fun. Sue our guide was brilliant. Highly recommended.

Review by: blackandwhitebybonham	July 2011
Excellant tour and great to see under Edinburgh too

Review by: Miranda K	June 2011
Really enjoyed this tour. We learned lots of interesting facts about Edinburgh. Only wished that our guide was Scottish so we could hear the accent.

Review by: Jim B	May 2011
Worth doing but not recommended.

Review by: Douglas S	May 2011
I enjoyed this tour. It lasted about two hours. I learned a lot about the buildings and history of Edinburgh. The tour of the old parliment area and the current supreme court of Scotland was interesting. The information about the statues, the brick patterns on the walkways and the various alleyways between the buildings (each one is called a "close") added to an appreciation of Edinburgh. I went on this tour on the first day I was in Edinburgh and found it to be worthwhile and was a good orientation of the city.

Review by: VIVIENNE B	May 2011
Very intersesting ...allows you to see places you would not normally find.....intersting look into the court house too.

Review by: T T	May 2011
Excellent guide really informative and interesting.

Review by: Maureen S	February 2011
We really enjoyed this tour. At first we thought it might just be going round a few places but we visited places that you would never have found on your own. The guide was really good and very interesting. Although we had been up and down the Royal Mile repeatedly, we had never noticed the things he pointed out to us. Well worth the money.

Review by: Julie D	January 2011
Excellent, very informative. Nice to clearly understand the tour guide.

Review by: Lee E	November 2010
This was a very good tour and I particularly liked that we had the ability to see Parliament House, which generally would not have been accessible. The tour guide was very knowledgeable, but as my particular interest was in the origin of the closes and a tour of them, I had somehow expected them to be covered in greater detail. This is not a criticism, just a suggestion as they are quite fascinating in and of themselves. Very much liked everything, though and the information about the development of the New Town was good.

Review by: Michelle W	November 2010
excellent guide - very informative, you would not have wandered arround the areas they took you by yourself, and if you did you would not realise the significance of the areas

Review by: Betty R	September 2010
This walking tour was a great introduction to Edinburgh. We took the tour our first full day in Edinburgh and learned so much about the city , its landmarks and it's famous people. We went back on our own 2 days later and spent hours visiting Edinburgh Castle, St. Giles Cathedral, and Holyrood Palace. Not to be missed.

Review by: Teri S, United States of America	June 2010
This is a nice little walk with lots of facts about the Royal Mile. Our guide answered questions and offered tidbits about Edinburgh. The group was not too large, and we moved along the street at a nice pace. Our guide also provided tips on historic places we should visit.

Review by: MARC R, France	February 2010
Instructive and a good way to learn the history.

Review by: Duane S, United States of America	February 2010
Some very interesting storys.

Review by: Marc R	February 2010
Instructive and a good way to learn the history.

Review by: D W, Australia	November 2009
Excellent tour with a very knowledgable guide.

Review by: Darrell W	November 2009
Excellent tour with a very knowledgable guide.

Review by: Nicola S, New Zealand	October 2009
Reasonable value for money. Knowledgeable guide.

Review by: Susie R, United Kingdom	July 2009
After a disastrous flight coming in to Edinburgh I thought my bad luck couldnt get any worse, and surprisingly I was right: this tour was great! The guide was very friendly and knowledgeable, so much so I even bought a book straight after the tour to learn more about the Royal Mile and its secrets.

Review by: Londa N, South Africa	June 2009
Very informative.

Review by: Jean W, United Kingdom	April 2009
This was a very interesting walk that lasted about 1 hour 45 minutes, just about the right length and found out quite a few things you wouldn't normally find if you were on your own.

Review by: Velinda B, United States of America	January 2009
Very informative tour guide. She included things that would keep my nine year old grandson interested. He retained a lot of what she told us.

Review by: James B	January 2009
Very informative tour guide. She included things that would keep my nine year old grandson interested. He retained a lot of what she told us.

Review by: Pamela B, United States of America	November 2008
The walking tour was very informative and interesting. Tours are truly the best way to learn about a culture.

Review by: Anonymous	August 2008
Fun!

Review by: Michael V, Germany	July 2008
The guide was highly knowledgeable, open to questions and very inspiring. I am very glad I booked this!!!

Review by: Anonymous	July 2007
Our guide was very knowledgeable.

Review by: Mark R, United States of America	January 2007
Very informative.

Review by: Anonymous, United States of America	October 2006
I thought this tour was very good.

Review by: Raelene M, Australia	September 2006
I thought this tour was very good.