A Mercat Tours Storyteller and tour group on the Edinburgh Castle Esplanade.
Edinburgh Castle Esplanade
Mercat Tours - Secrets of Edinburgh's Royal Mile
This walking tour is the perfect introduction to Scotland’s capital. The first secret you’ll learn? That you can skip the line at Edinburgh Castle!
Step into Edinburgh’s secrets and discover the heart of Scotland’s capital, beyond the reach of tour buses and guidebooks. A beautiful city steeped in awe-inspiring history that has been perfectly preserved in the wynds, closes, courtyards and homes of Edinburgh’s Old Town.
Take a journey through time, feel the cobblestones beneath your feet as you explore the lives of Edinburgh residents from generations past – from historical figures like Mary Queen of Scots and Robert Burns, to the everyday folk who for their entire lives never left the city’s walls.
With every step along the Royal Mile, echoes of the past surround you — stories of royalty, rebellion, crime and culture brought vividly to life by our masterful Storytellers, and historic landmarks that still stand today.
Want to visit Edinburgh Castle? Skip the line with Mercat Tours.
The castle towers over Edinburgh from up high on its ancient volcanic rock – a literal fortress, looking out over the city’s stunning landscapes. Battles and sieges were fought over it, royalty lived and died within its walls, and countless generations have been inspired by it.
Visit Edinburgh Castle with your Mercat Tours Storyteller and from the Royal Mile you’ll walk over the drawbridge and straight past the ticket line – leaving the queues behind and continuing your journey into Edinburgh’s history uninterrupted.
Prefer to join us for the 1 hour and 30 minute walking tour? That’s absolutely fine – there’s plenty to explore in Edinburgh’s Old Town.
From £27 per adult
Departure days
- Monday
- Tuesday
- Wednesday
- Thursday
- Friday
- Saturday
- Sunday
January — December
Contact details
28 Blair Street
Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Scotland
EH1 1QR
Key facilities
- Level Access
Tour information
Tour Stops
Tour gallery
Tour company information
Mercat Tours
'History is a damn good story, what it needs is a damn good telling' Join In! Enjoy immersive storytelling experiences as you explore Edinburgh's Old Town. Stories Connect You'll have a deep connection with the people & places of the past and build remarkable memories of Scotland's ancient & beautiful capital. Good for You, Good for Everyone Choosing us, a local, independent family business and Living Wage employer, means you support an ethical team rooted in our local community since 1985
Other tours from this company
Mercat Tours - Evening of Ghosts & Ghouls
Departs: Edinburgh - City Centre, Edinburgh, Edinburgh & The Lothians
A walking tour of the darker closes and wynds of Edinburgh, before journeying in...
Key facilities
- Hearing Loop
Gory Stories: The Kids’ Tour
Departs: Edinburgh - City Centre, Edinburgh, Edinburgh & The Lothians
Tales of stinking streets, terrible tortures and ghostly goings-on. A daytime to...
Key facilities
- Hearing Loop
Mercat Tours - Historic Vaults
Departs: Edinburgh - City Centre, Edinburgh, Edinburgh & The Lothians
Get exclusive access to the Blair Street Underground Vaults – the largest system...
Key facilities
- Hearing Loop
Mercat Tours - Haunted Underground
Departs: Edinburgh - City Centre, Edinburgh, Edinburgh & The Lothians
Discover who once lived in the murky depths of the Blair Street Underground Vaul...
Key facilities
- Hearing Loop
The content of many of our web listings is provided by third party operators and not VisitScotland. VisitScotland accepts no responsibility for (1) any error or misrepresentation contained in third party listings, and (2) the contents of any external links within web listings ((1) and (2) together hereinafter referred to as the "Content"). VisitScotland excludes all liability for loss or damage caused by any reliance placed on the Content. The Content is provided for your information only and is not endorsed by VisitScotland.
Share On