Tour guide and group with Mercat Cross and St Giles Cathedral in the Background.
Royal Mile, Edinburgh.
Hidden Secrets of the Royal Mile Tour
Edinburgh’s Old Town is steeped in mystery, allow us to unravel the secrets and bring the Old Town’s curious and enthralling past to life. Discover why this is both equally the most distinguished and notorious street in the city.
Join us on this 90 minute guided walking tour as we delve into the past and explore the hidden realms of the legendary and Infamous Royal Mile.
The Royal Mile dates back to around the twelfth century, steeped in rich history with its impressive and majestic blend of period architecture, intriguing statues and monuments, and darkened wynds and closes leading to hidden atmospheric locations.
You'll discover and walk in the footsteps of the some of the most honourable, and some of the most abominable but equally fascinating characters that have shaped the old town of Edinburgh.
Some of the sites along the tour are;
Riddles court - site of an A-listed merchant housing dating back to the 1590s.
Milne's Court - A well hidden building which at the time had one of Edinburgh's first open courtyards.
St. Giles Cathedral - See the exterior of this grand cathedral and hear some of it's history.
Heart of Midlothian - the street mosaic marking the site of the Old Tolbooth jail with a rather unique local tradition.
James Braidwood Statue - Edinburgh's Famous Firefighter who introduces firefighting principles, some of which are still used today.
Mercat Cross - built in 1882 in memory of the Old Mercat Cross.
Adam Smith Statue - hear about the man sometimes known as "The father of Economics" who was also a key figure during the period of Scottish Enlightenment.
City Chambers - one of the Royal Miles more iconic buildings, dating back to 1760.
Tron Kirk - This church built in the 17th century is well known landmark on the Royal Mile, especially at Hogmanay.
From £14 per adult
Departure days
- Monday
- Tuesday
- Wednesday
- Thursday
- Friday
- Saturday
- Sunday
January — December
Contact details
45 Niddry Street
Edinburgh
City of Edinburgh
United Kingdom
EH1 1RU
Tour information
Starting
Length
Bespoke
Transport
Type
Languages
Themes
Covid 19 Facilities
- Advance booking essential
- COVID-19 measures in place
- COVID-19 refund and cancellation policy in place
- COVID-19 risk assessment completed
- COVID-19 staff training completed
- Capacity limit
- Online booking only
- Staff required to regularly wash hands
Tour company information
Auld Reekie Tours
Auld Reekie Tours was formed in 1995. Since then we have been offering a wide range of underground and graveyard tours to visitors from all over the world. We are the only tour company that owns its own vaults, having exclusive use of them. Apart from lighting, our vaults have remained mostly unchanged since they were built in the 1700s.
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