Your Perfect Edinburgh Tour — From Haunted to Historical

As our new tour programme launches, there’s something new and exciting for everyone.

Enrich the connections you make with Edinburgh, its people and its past through storytelling experiences that’ll stay with you long after you leave the city. Engage in the sights, sounds, scents and stories of Edinburgh’s past with multi-sensory experiences for history buffs and ghost-lovers alike. 

Read on to find out what you can look forward to this year, and find your perfect Edinburgh tour. 

 

Edinburgh Ghost Tours 

Haunted Underground

A ghost tour of the Blair Street Underground Vaults, said to be one of the most haunted sites in Scotland. Encounter true tales of tragedy, revenge and treason. Most chilling of all is that these twisted tales of history at its worst are all true. 

After, take the story home with an exclusive, annotated short story featuring an old Edinburgh haunt. Read it time and again, a gift from our Master Storytellers. 

 

Evening of Ghosts & Ghouls

Explore the Edinburgh vaults before indulging in a dram of Ballantine’s Finest Scotch Whisky, a local IPA or a Scottish-made soft drink in the cosy Megget's Cellar.  

In the warmth of candlelight, your Storyteller will conjure more tales of Edinburgh’s ghostly, ghoulish past and the tortured souls that still stalk the city’s streets. 

 

Doomed, Dead & Buried

An extended experience offering the chance to visit the Blair Street Underground Vaults and the ancient Canongate Graveyard. 

Experience the terror of the city’s gruesome past, with a focus on horrific true tales from Edinburgh’s dark history, on this adult-only experience.

 

Gory Stories: The Kids’ Tour

Creepy characters, stinking streets, terrible tortures and ghostly goings-on. Explore Edinburgh’s secret underground vaults and uncover unbelievable history: a tour recommended for all the family. 

Learn about real history, see and touch real artefacts and hear about the grisly things that were once commonplace in Edinburgh life. 

Available during school holidays, and adults pay the same as a child ticket! 

 

History Tours of Edinburgh 

Historic Vaults

Breathe in the scent of Edinburgh’s past as our award-winning Storytellers share vivid accounts of life within the vaults, revealing Edinburgh’s history in a way you’ll never forget.  

Hold original artefacts in the rooms they were discovered and experience the scents that once filled these rooms with a specially-designed scent card you can take home. 

 

Secrets of Edinburgh’s Royal Mile

Stand amongst history and hear it play out around you. With your Master Storyteller, discover Edinburgh hidden gems, listen to the sound of carriages clattering across cobblestones and unravel the stories of Edinburgh’s past citizens. 

Want to extend the tour? Step into Edinburgh Castle alongside your Master Storyteller, with all entry arrangements handled so you can stay immersed in the story. 

 

Witches: Trial & Truth

Learn the names and stories of the real people who suffered in Scotland’s witch trials as you follow in their final, tragic footsteps. Bear witness to the accusations, the trials and finally, the truth. 

At the end of the tour, light a Remembrance Candle to honour the accused. Take their story home, remember their name and light your candle to remember them, always.

 

Underground: Whisky Tour & Tasting

Embark on a sensory journey through Scotland’s whisky. Explore Edinburgh’s Old Town before stepping below ground into the candlelit Megget’s Cellar. 

Alongside your Master Storyteller, nose and taste your way through the whisky regions, with sample whiskies from Speyside, Highland, Islay and Lowland distilleries. Consider this your first step to becoming a whisky connoisseur. 

 

At Mercat, Master Storytellers are at the heart of each experience. Our tours are enriched with hand-picked sounds of Edinburgh and delivered through TourTalk audio devices. Take the story home and form connections that last. 

Whether you’re looking for an Edinburgh underground tour or an introduction to Scottish history, we’re here to help you find the best things to do in Edinburgh.