Edinburgh: Royal Mile & Old Town Private Walking Tour

Walk Edinburgh's Royal Mile with a guide who knows where the royals and rogues actually lived

You walk the Royal Mile and Old Town's closes with a local guide who carries archive photographs and dresses in a kilt, stopping at Greyfriars Kirkyard, the Grassmarket, St Giles, the Mercat Cross, and the University of Edinburgh. The tour covers Mary Queen of Scots, Deacon Brodie, Bonnie Prince Charlie, and the Burke and Hare murders, with Robert adjusting the pace and depth to your interests. It's a private tour, so you're not part of a larger group, and the whole experience is built around the stories that actually happened on these streets.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Edinburgh's historic Old Town

• Start at Greyfriars Kirkyard gate
• Learn about Greyfriars Bobby
• Walk Candlemaker Row and Grassmarket
• Hear story of significant wedding
• Follow pre-wedding party route
• Visit Royal Mile landmarks
• See Mary, Queen of Scots' childhood home
• Explore royal-linked courtyard
• Discover Deacon Brodie's story
• Learn history of St Giles
• Visit old Mercat Cross site
• Hear about Bonnie Prince Charlie
• Visit atmospheric Old Town close
• Explore Cowgate area
• Discover Victorian poor life
• Visit University of Edinburgh stops
• Learn about Burke and Hare murders
• See traditional Highland outfit
• Stop near or inside Old College
• Hear explosive Old College story

The Experience

Robert meets you at Greyfriars Kirkyard in his kilt, carrying a leather-bound book of archive photographs. Before you've walked fifty meters, he's already told you three versions of Greyfriars Bobby's story and left you to decide which one is true. That's how this private Edinburgh tour works — he doesn't hand you a script; he hands you the questions, and the city answers them.

The route moves through Candlemaker Row and into the Grassmarket, where you'll hear about one of Scotland's most significant royal weddings and how the pre-wedding party actually walked these same cobbles. Then comes the Royal Mile itself, the spine of Old Town, where Mary Queen of Scots spent part of her childhood, where Deacon William Brodie — respectable tradesman by day, burglar by night — was eventually hanged, and where Bonnie Prince Charlie's arrival changed everything. Robert stops at a small courtyard with a royal connection, then at the old Mercat Cross site, then pulls you into an atmospheric close where the stories stick with you longer than the walk itself.

Most tours skip the Cowgate, but this one doesn't. You'll see what Victorian Edinburgh looked like for the poor, then move to the University of Edinburgh, where Burke and Hare — the Irish murderers who killed for the anatomy school — operated. The final stop is near Old College, possibly the most visually striking building on the route, with a story that's even more explosive than it looks. The whole thing takes you through the layers of Edinburgh at once: the royal, the criminal, the ordinary, the architectural.

You're walking the entire time, so comfortable shoes matter. The tour is private, which means Robert adjusts the pace and the depth to what you actually want to know. He carries those archive images throughout, so you can see how each street corner has changed since the 1800s. It's the kind of detail that makes a walking tour feel less like a checklist and more like a conversation with someone who genuinely knows the place.

What’s included

Your tour includes a private local guide (Robert) dressed in traditional kilt, a book of archive photographs showing how Edinburgh has changed over the years, and stops at Greyfriars Kirkyard, Candlemaker Row, the Grassmarket, the Royal Mile, St Giles, the Mercat Cross, an Old Town close, the Cowgate, and the University of Edinburgh area. The guide adjusts the pace and depth to your interests throughout the walk.

Good to know

Moderate physical levelStroller friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Historic Edinburgh Tours

Is this one for you?This works best if you want the real stories behind Edinburgh's most famous streets without joining a larger group — the private format means Robert can slow down where you're curious and skip ahead where you're not. You'll need to be comfortable walking on cobblestones and uneven ground for several hours, but the pace is yours to set.

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Top questions

What's included in the tour?

A local guide (Robert) in traditional kilt, archive photographs to compare with present-day locations, and access to all outdoor stops including Greyfriars Kirkyard, Royal Mile, Grassmarket, Cowgate, and the University of Edinburgh area.

Is this tour suitable for children?

Infants and small children can use a pram or stroller. The tour involves walking on cobblestones and uneven surfaces, so older children should be comfortable with that terrain.

Do I need to be very fit for this tour?

You should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness, as the tour is entirely walking-based and covers hilly Old Town streets with stairs and closes.

Can I bring my dog?

Service animals are allowed on the tour.

What's the story about Greyfriars Bobby?

Robert shares multiple versions of the famous story and lets you decide which is true — it's part of how the tour works, rather than giving you a single definitive answer.

Will I see where Mary Queen of Scots lived?

Yes, the Royal Mile section includes a location where Mary Queen of Scots spent part of her childhood, plus a courtyard with a royal connection.

What happened to Burke and Hare?

They were Irish murderers who killed for the anatomy school at the University of Edinburgh. The tour covers how they operated and what eventually happened to them.