Private walking tours in Edinburgh - Clan Pascual Tours

Strolling around the Old Town, we will travel back in time and look at key moments that shaped the history of the city, and we’ll introduce some of the main royal and religious characters, including Mary Queen of Scots, James VI, Bonnie Prince Charlie, and the Protestant minister John Knox. We will admire historical buildings and monuments such as Edinburgh Castle**, the National Museum of Scotland, the Palace of Holyrood House**, the Scottish Parliament*, the Writers Museum, St. Giles Cathedral, the Mercat Cross and the Walter Scott Monument*.

As we walk along the Royal Mile, we will explore some of the characteristic closes and wynds, which will serve as the backdrop to recall the stories of murderers, ghosts and witches. We will discuss what life was like in early modern times, and trace the origins of whisky, kilts, tartan and bagpipes in Scottish history and culture. On our way, we will stop in Greyfriars graveyard, and pay a visit to Bobby the dog.

We’ll wander around the cafes and picturesque streets believed to have provided inspiration to JK Rowling for the Harry Potter book series. We’ll also include in our visit some of the spots that featured in recent movies and TV series, such as Outlander. We will also turn our attention to the many festivals that the city hosts, including the renowned Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Duration: 2 hours. It is possible to extend this tour to 3 or 4 hours.

**Please note that this walking tour does not include admission to the buildings. If you’d like to add a visit to Edinburgh Castle or any other site to our tour, please get in touch and we’ll be happy to organise this for you. The tour is fully customisable.

Wandering along its broad streets, we will learn about neoclassical architecture and see impressive buildings such as the Dome on George Street, St. Andrews Square’s Palladian style mansion, Georgian House, and Bute House -known for being the residence of Scotland’s First Minister- in Charlotte Square. We will also pause in front of Jenners, the Balmoral hotel, the National Portrait Gallery, and the newly built St. James Quarter, to see how past and present buildings merge together to create a vibrant landscape.

We will see that Edinburgh was home to some of the great minds of the Enlightenment, including the inventor James Watt, architects Robert Adam and James Craig, writers and philosophers such as David Hume, Adam Smith, and Arthur Conan Doyle. We will soak up the atmosphere of the city by walking through the Princes Street Gardens (voted the most beautiful park in the UK outside London) dotted with historical landmarks such as the Sir Walter Scott Monument and the Ross Fountain.

Leaving the New Town behind us, we will enter the picturesque Dean Village, one of Edinburgh’s most charming areas and a green oasis of peace. The cobbled streets, stone bridges, and traditional houses will take visitors back to a medieval past when bakers and weavers lived and worked in the Dean Village. We will see the old granary, learn about the hydro-powered mills that once stood along the Water of Leith, visit the Victorian social housing funded by a local philanthropist, and the neoclassical St. Bernard’s Well, whose spring water was once believed to have healing powers.

Duration: 2 hours. It is possible to extend this tour to 3 or 4 hours.

* Please note that this walking tour does not include admission to the buildings. If you’d like to add a visit to Edinburgh Castle or any other site to our tour, please get in touch and we’ll be happy to organise this for you. The tour is fully customisable.

Our tour will start from Edinburgh Castle, the perfect spot to introduce the city and start a journey to its medieval past. We will see how the city emerged and explore its most important streets, lanes, and squares. We will walk down the famous Royal Mile, learn about its buildings and monuments such as St. Giles Cathedral and the Mercat Cross. The colourful Victoria Street will lead us to Grassmarket, once the place of public hangings. We will recall stories about ghosts, witches, and murder as we stroll through Greyfriars graveyard and along the closes of the Royal Mile.

After lunch**, we will head north towards Calton Hill. From here, we will appreciate the breathtaking views over the city and explain how the city developed in the 18th century. A fine example of urban planning in the Enlightenment, the New Town is characterised by broad roads, large squares, and well-kept green spaces, such as the popular Princes Street Gardens. As we walk around the New Town, we will discuss Georgian architecture, introduce illustrious residents such as Robert Louis Stevenson, Robert Adam, and David Hume.
We will end the tour in the Dean Village, a green oasis of peace located only 10 minutes walking from the busy city centre, along the Water of Leith. Once an industrial hub which consisted of a tannery, a bakery, a distillery, and eleven hydro-powered mills, the Dean Village is today a popular residential area which has retained the features of a village.

 What we will see in this tour*:

*Please note that this walking tour does not include admission to the buildings. If you’d like to add a visit to Edinburgh Castle or any other site to our tour, please get in touch and we’ll be happy to organise this for you. This tour is fully customisable.

**We would also be happy to arrange lunch for you and your guide, and add a food experience to your day! Get in touch to discuss the available options.

Once inside Edinburgh Castle, we will walk along its cobbled promenade and discover the key features of the fortress, including St. Margaret Chapel, the oldest building in the city, the architecturally impressive Great Hall, and the Royal Palace. Here is where Mary Queen of Scots gave birth to James VI, who became the first monarch of both Scotland and England in 1603. In the Crown Room, we will admire the Honours of Scotland, the oldest jewels in Britain, and learn about the fascinating history of the Stone of Destiny.

* This private walking tour includes admission to Edinburgh Castle and you will save time by skipping the ticket line with your guide.  Edinburgh Castle private tour is fully customisable, please get in touch with us if you’d like to prolong the tour by adding a visit to Edinburgh’s Old Town.

This private family tour will introduce you to the history of Edinburgh and its main landmarks. As we stroll around Edinburgh’s Old Town, we will travel back in time and learn about kings, queens, battles, writers, and major historical events. We will walk along the most picturesque streets and squares of the city, visit spooky graveyards, national museums, and introduce the fascinating history of Edinburgh Castle.

Younger kids (age 4-12) will be handed a travel booklet to carry along the tour, which will keep them engaged with a range of interactive activities. Through games, quizzes, and hunts they’ll learn about the history of the city and its architecture, meet Greyfriars Bobby the dog, hear about the mythical creatures of Scottish folklore (yes, including the Loch Ness monster…), and discover the magic world of Harry Potter. The fun does not stop there! The booklet will be theirs to keep, so they can carry on using it during their holiday and learn more about Edinburgh’s past and present.

If you feel like taking a short break during the tour, you’ll have  the opportunity to stop for a snack – a perfect occasion  to give you lots of tips such as where to grab something to eat after the tour. We will also share ideas about family-friendly activities you can do during your stay, such as the Camera Obscura, the Mary King’s Close, the Botanic Garden, and a yummy chocolate experience.

The tour will be private and we can personalise it for you. Feel free to provide us with information about your kids’ hobbies and interests, so we can match you with the most suitable guide

Duration: 2 hours

* Please note that this walking tour does not include admission to the buildings. If you’d like to add a visit to Edinburgh Castle or any other site to our tour, please get in touch and we’ll be happy to organise this for you. The tour is fully customisable.

We will talk about witchcraft in the 16th and 17th centuries, and discover what witches were normally accused of and persecuted for. We will recall the stories of famous witches and trials, and visit to the National Museum of Scotland* to look at a range of objects and artifacts connected to witch hunting, including torture devices and charmstones. On the Castle Esplanade, we will stop at the Witches Well, a drinking fountain erected as a memorial to those who died there.

Exploring the dark closes of the Royal Mile, walking through spooky graveyards, and hearing spine-chilling stories linked to Edinburgh’s history, you will get a deeper understanding of the role ghosts and witches played in Scottish culture. If you are lucky, you may even see a ghost along the way.

*Our Edinburgh Ghost and Witches Tour can take place during the day or in the evening. If you wish to visit the National Museum of Scotland as part of the tour, please note that the museum closes at 5 p.m. Admission to the National Museum of Scotland is free.