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Offered languages
- English
If you like your history a little deeper and more unusual, these new walking tours of the Royal Mile may be perfect!
Building on more than 6 years of unbroken five star reviews for his private touring, your guide Dr Moray Grigor will be delighted to welcome you into the rich and strange history of Scotland’s capital, as he brings you traditional tales of the Royal Mile and its historic events and characters.
In this uppermost section of the street (Monday tour) , we’ll hear of drunken judges, crazy clubs, religious fanatics, rebel ladies, fake news, philosophers, sieges, and hear why a pet blackbird was arrested! Annual building works permitting we’ll also enjoy the views from the Castle Esplanade.
Hear the sounds of Scots and Gaelic poetry and song (with translation), and tales that will stir the imagination and bring our history to life.
Experience the care, attention and warm Edinburgh welcome that brought six years of unbroken five stars!
What's Included
Meeting and pickup
We meet at the west end of the square, opposite the main door of St. Giles' Cathedral - your guide will be clearly liveried in 7 Hills Tours jacket.
Itinerary
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1
We begin the tour by meeting Adam Smith, kingpin of Edinburgh's intellectual golden age; we'll be following his life and career as the tour progresses. What was the unusual medical prescription for his teenage psychological breakdown? All will be revealed!
10 minutes • Admission ticket free -
2Deacon Brodie's Tavern
We'll pass this historic Tavern, where we'll hear the story of Edinburgh's most infamous criminal, and how he inspired Edinburgh author Robert Louis Stevenson to create one of the most iconic characters in the world of literature.
10 minutes • Admission ticket free -
3Lawnmarket
Working our way up the street itself and passing through its back courts, we'll be sharing stories of the street's history and the characters who enriched it - Weir the Wizard, the Bowhead Saints, Lady Stair, Lord Newton, Patrick Geddes, and the great Rabbie Burns, to name just a few!
40 minutes • Admission ticket free -
4Castlehill
Here in the uppermost section of the Royal Mile, we'll hear stories of the great literary critic Dr Johnson's time in Edinburgh, as well as learning how Edinburgh solved its water crisis in 1674; we'll also pass the former palace of Marie de Guise, mother of iconic Mary, Queen of Scots
30 minutes • Admission ticket free -
5Castello Di Edimburgo
Annual construction works permitting, we'll visit the 'top of the town' - a wonderful spacious plaza with magnificent Edinburgh Castle as backdrop. Here we'll look out across the Lothians and Fife, and hear stories of King James VI, Allan Ramsay and Bonnie Prince Charlie; also we'll hear about what Edinburgh youth got up to on Saturday afternoons before sports were invented!
30 minutes • Admission ticket free
Additional info
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Tags
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
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Cancellation Policy
- For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
- If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
- Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
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