Local History Tour Options

Edinburgh Uncovered: Calton Hill

Known for its classical monuments and beautiful views Calton Hill’s history goes much deeper. 

You’ll hear about everything from Medieval tournaments and modern festivals to panoramas and panopticons as we wander up, over and around one of Edinburgh’s most iconic and popular greenspaces. With star-gazers and school-boys, washer-women and business women, plus grand Neoclassical terraces and hidden backstreets you’ll discover there’s much more to Calton Hill than meets the eye.

Time: 2hrs Distance: 3km Terrain: moderate

Edinburgh Uncovered: New Town - part 1

Explore Edinburgh's local history and its connections to the wider world through people, plants, and places. 

From pioneering scientists and philanthropists to cabbage and sugar-cane, via the Himalayas and the Holy Land, Edinburgh’s New Town is bursting with stories. Hear about ordinary, and extraordinary, men and women as you stroll through the elegant cobbled streets of the New Town and Stockbridge to Inverleith. Discover how local history intertwined with countries around the world to shape our city and the lives of its residents.

Time: 2.5hrs Distance: 3km Terrain: moderate

Edinburgh Uncovered: New Town - part 2

Explore Edinburgh’s local history and its connections to the wider world through people, plants, and places.

From writers and fur-traders to poppies and passion-flowers, via the Arctic and Oceania, Edinburgh’s New Town bursting with stories. Hear about ordinary, and extraordinary, men and women as you wander through the suburbs of Inverleith and Canonmills to St Andrew’s Square. Discover how our local history intertwined with countries around the world to shape our city and the lives of its residents.

Time: 2.5hrs Distance: 3km Terrain: easy to moderate

Edinburgh Uncovered: Holyrood to Duddingston

Explore an ancient landscape and uncover the secrets of its past.

Created by fire and ice this landscape has many stories to share; from sacred wells and Beltane beacons to medieval mills and country manors, via seedsmen and bag-pipers. On this hearty hike, from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to the ancient village of Duddingston, you’ll discover the history and heritage of the area while walking through open parkland full of local flora and fauna.

Time: 3hrs Distance: 3km Terrain: challenging

Edinburgh Uncovered: Industrial Abbeyhill

Explore the impact and legacy of 19th century industrialisation on one Edinburgh neighbourhood! 

Just a short walk from Edinburgh's historic centre, the neighbourhood of Abbeyhill was completely transformed by the arrival of the railways. In just a few decades, the landscape around Abbeyhill changed from open fields to a place of manufacturing and industry. Discover what these industries were, uncover the real 'Lochend Butterfly' and hear about one of Edinburgh's innovative 'colony' style co-operative workers housing developments.

Time: 2hrs Distance: 2.5km Terrain: easy

Edinburgh Uncovered: 900 Years in the Making

Discover how Edinburgh evolved from its tiny medieval beginnings into the vibrant cultural capital it is today!

On this walk from the Canongate to Calton Hill you'll hear how the city, and its identity, has been changed and shaped by trade, industry, royalty, religion, culture, and landscape over the last 900 years. Along the way you’ll see over 400 years of the city's changing architecture, from traditional tolbooths to the spectacular 21st century Parliament. If you've ever wondered why Edinburgh looks the way it does today, or how it came to be Scotland's foremost city, then this tour's for you!

Time: 2hrs Distance: 2.5km Terrain: moderate

Small-group tours - scheduled from May to October, from £12 - book via Eventbrite 

Private bookings - all year round, from £50 - enquire via email

I also offer:

Bespoke tours 

A great option for get-togethers with a difference, entertaining special guests, or as a birthday treat!