Hidden Secrets of the Royal Mile Walking Tour

Edinburgh's iconic Royal Mile is home to centuries of history, with countless hidden gems down the famous closes. On this 2.5-hour walking tour with Blue Badge guide Hannah Mackay Tait, you'll explore the people and places that have shaped Edinburgh.

From wealthy merchants’ mansions to 18th-century brothels, you’ll be amazed what’s hiding just off the main road. Join Hannah to discover the hidden secrets of the Royal Mile and bring hundreds of years of Scottish history to life.

Tour Details and Accessibility Info

The route covers approximately 2.5km (1.5 miles) from the castle esplanade to Holyrood Palace. Due to the nature of the closes in the Old Town, it is unfortunately not possible to completely avoid steps and uneven surfaces. We won’t be going up or down any full staircases, but the route is not completely step-free. As the tour takes place outside with physical distancing, the guide will not be wearing a mask to facilitate lipreading. If you have a visual impairment and would like more verbal descriptions of the things we’re looking at, please just let me know on the day or in advance. Guide dogs and other assistance dogs welcome.

Covid-19 Info

To allow for physical distancing, the total group size is limited to 10 people. In line with current guidance, a 2m distance will be maintained between different households/bubbles within the group. Hand sanitiser will be available from the guide at the start of the tour and throughout.

As the tour takes place entirely outside with physical distancing, the guide will not be wearing a face covering. However, please bring one with you (unless exempt) for our break. We’ll be stopping in spots with plenty of space, so please make every effort to maintain a respectful 2m (6 foot) distance from other participants and members of the public throughout the tour.