Tours of Edinburgh’s Untold Stories
As much as it’s been an incredibly tough year for tourism around the world, I’ve enjoyed using all this unexpected free time to learn more about the places and people we don’t always hear about. With little to do except explore my own city, I’ve been able to dedicate time to wandering down new closes, digging up new stories for tours and discovering figures from Scottish history whom I’d never heard of before. Now that things are finally starting to open up again, I’m incredibly excited to be launching a new series of walking tours throughout the month of May: Edinburgh’s Untold Stories.
Look how happy I am at the prospect of giving tours again!
Each Edinburgh walking tour will explore a different aspect of our history, from the contributions of women and LGBTQ+ people to the stories hidden down the closes of the Royal Mile. Researching these tours has been an absolute joy, and I hope you’ll enjoy learning more about our city as much as I have!
Tickets for all my upcoming walking tours in Edinburgh are available now on Eventbrite, so keep reading to find out more. All tours will be socially distanced and take place outdoors in small groups – what better way to get back out there and enjoy the city again?
Edinburgh’s LGBTQ+ History – 4th to 8th of May 2021, 12–3pm each day
Join me for a walking tour of Edinburgh’s LGBTQ+ history. Although LGBTQ+ people often had to hide their identities during their lifetimes, that didn’t stop them from making important contributions to Scottish society. On this tour, you’ll hear stories of over 400 years of Scottish history, from a 16th-century king to the activists who fought for LGBTQ+ equality in the 1980s.
Click on the image above for tickets to my LGBTQ+ history tour
Covering 5km (3 miles) at a leisurely pace through the town centre, we’ll see how LGBTQ+ history is woven into the fabric of the city. Learn how a pioneering trans doctor from Edinburgh University joined the British army in the 19th century and discover the places where LGBTQ+ people met to find intimacy, joy and love amongst a deeply homophobic society. LGBTQ+ history is Scottish history, and you might be surprised to find out just how many folk from the community have shaped our country through the centuries.
Find tickets and further details here on Eventbrite, £16.76 per person including booking fees.
Hidden Secrets of the Royal Mile – 11th to 15th May 2021, 12–3pm each day
Every inch of the Edinburgh Old Town is packed with history, so join me on this walking tour to discover the hidden gems tucked away off the main road. Our walk will lead us down the closes of the Royal Mile to learn about the ancient city and the stories it has to tell. Many of the buildings we can still see today have gone through hundreds of years of changes, from 400-year-old mansions to 18th-century brothels and everything in between.
Click on the image above for tickets to my Hidden Secrets of the Royal Mile tour
Our route will take us from Edinburgh Castle esplanade to Holyrood Palace, covering a distance of roughly 2.5km (1.5 miles) as we weave in and out of the city’s historic streets. You’ll hear about the people who inhabited these closes through the centuries, from religious firebrands during the Protestant Reformation to the bawdy drinking clubs and sensational crimes of the 18th century. Some of these streets have been here for over 500 years – come with me as I bring the Old Town to life through the people and places of historic Edinburgh.
Find tickets and further details here on Eventbrite, £16.76 per person including booking fees.
Women’s History – 18th to 22nd May 2021, 12–3pm each day
My walking tour of Edinburgh women’s history leads you through centuries of remarkable stories. Join me to learn about the 9-year-old girl who used her bagpipes to campaign for the right to vote, the steadfast doctor who refused to “go home and sit still” in wartime, and a forgotten author who outsold Jane Austen.
Click on the image above for tickets to my women’s history tour
This tour will go from the West End to George Square, covering around 5km (3 miles) as we explore the women who shaped Scotland. Artists, writers, doctors, activists – women have done it all over the years. They never stopped making their voices heard, so come with me and listen to what they had to say.
Find tickets and further details here on Eventbrite, £16.76 per person including booking fees.
Covid Safety
All my walking tours will take place outdoors with social distancing and no more than 8 participants. I’ll have hand sanitiser available for you to use if you wish, but there’s no need to wear a face covering outdoors unless you want to. We’ll be spending time outside in the fresh air, so a walking tour is a low-risk activity and a fun way to hang out with some friends!
I’m a member of the Good to Go scheme, so I’ve thought hard about how to make these walking tours a safe and enjoyable experience for everyone involved. I can’t wait to get back out there and help you to explore Edinburgh!
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Thanks for reading! Feel free to get in touch if you have any questions. If you enjoy reading these posts, please consider sharing them with other people and following me on instagram. You can also leave something in my tip jar if you’re able. I’ll be back with another post next Friday! Hannah x