Edinburgh LGBTQ+ History Walking Tour

LGBTQ+ people have always been part of Scottish society, but their stories haven't always been told. On this three-hour walking tour with qualified guide Hannah Mackay Tait, you'll discover the LGBTQ+ history that shaped modern Scotland.

From a 16th-century king to a pioneering trans doctor and a pair of revolutionary booksellers in the 1980s, LGBTQ+ people have been a driving force through the centuries. Join Hannah to explore the places they lived, worked and studied around Edinburgh and rediscover the stories that history tried to erase.

Tour Details and Accessibility Info

The tour will meet on Cambridge Street outside the Traverse Theatre and finish at the bottom of Broughton Street, covering approximately 7km (4 miles) over 3 hours. It involves going up and down some slopes and the pavement may be uneven in places but there are no stairs or steps at any point, including lowered kerbs at all crossing points. We'll visit the top of Calton Hill, but using a paved route without steps in both directions.

There will be a short coffee break halfway through the tour at a café with accessible entrance and toilets available for customers. As the tour takes place entirely outside with physical distancing, the guide will not be wearing a mask to allow for lip reading. If you have a visual impairment and would like more detailed descriptions of the places we stop at then please just let me know. Guide dogs and other assistance dogs welcome. Feel free to get in touch for further details of the route if you'd like to know more.

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.