Thomas Begbie's image of the Bowhead House

© Thomas Begbie

West Bow, Old Town, Edinburgh

Private Slum life in Victorian Edinburgh tour - Discover the lives of the poor with an award-winning guide

Slum life in Victorian Edinburgh tour. A 5-star rated Edinburgh walking tour which explores the often-forgotten stories of our poorest people.

COVID-19

Historic Edinburgh Tours Ltd have successfully achieved the ‘Good to go” standard from Visit Britain which shows we follow current government COVID-19 guidelines and that we have processes in place to maintain cleanliness and aid social distancing.


Your VIctorian Edinburgh tour

Victorian Edinburgh was really a ‘tale of two cities’ - we’ve got the opulent and affluent New Town right next to the impoverished and packed Old Town. At one time the Old Town had been the key part of Edinburgh, by the mid-nineteenth century it was an area of extreme poverty. These two worlds clash when middle and upper class people went into the slums and reported back. It’s these eyewitness accounts which we will draw on heavily throughout this tour.  


Life in the slums will be brought vividly to life through excellent story telling, archive images and eyewitness accounts. This often forgotten period in time will be laid bare before you. This is our most emotionally hard tour and we think it is our most fascinating.  


Are you ready to ‘meet’ Victorian Edinburgh’s slum dwellers?

COVID-19 information

Safe Travels

This business has confirmed that they have implemented, and will ensure ongoing compliance with, the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) Safe Travels protocols. The Safe Travels stamp is based on self-assessment and it is not a certification.

From £85 per adult


Departure days

  • Monday
  • Tuesday
  • Wednesday
  • Thursday
  • Friday
  • Saturday
  • Sunday

January — December

Contact details

Historic Edinburgh Tours Ltd

28/2 Bridge Road
Colinton
Edinburgh
City of Edinburgh
Scotland
EH13 0LQ

Tour information

Starting

  • Edinburgh
  • Edinburgh - City Centre

Length

2Hours

Transport

  • Walking

Type

  • Private

Languages

  • English

Themes

  • Ancestry
  • Architecture
  • History

Tour prices


From £85 Per Adult

Book now

Prices are subject to change depending on season

Tour Stops

Historic Edinburgh Tours Ltd

Tour company information

Historic Edinburgh Tours Ltd

Our Edinburgh walking tours cover hundreds of years of Scotland’s incredible history. Discover the places which were important in the story of Edinburgh and walk in the footsteps of some of our most famous historic characters, including, Bonnie Prince Charlie, Mary, Queen of Scots, Robert Burns and more. Explore the historic Old Town with a five-star rated Edinburgh tour guide. Awards Tripadvisor Certificate of Excellence Winners (2017 and 2018) Tripadvisor Traveller's Choice Award (2020) We currently have an average rating of five-stars on Tripadvisor.* *Correct as of 07/04/2022

Opening times

Private tours can be arranged for any times (apart from Thursday and Friday).

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