Photos: Berthold Werner, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Patche99z, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 Rhododendrites, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo credits
Photos: Berthold Werner, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Patche99z, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 Rhododendrites, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Old Town closes and the Royal Mile
Your local guide
Fiona MacLeod
View profile
Highlights
- Advocate's Close, looking down on Mary King's Close
- St Giles' Cathedral and the Thistle Chapel ceiling
- Gladstone's Land, a merchant's house from the 1600s
- Canongate Kirkyard and Adam Smith's grave
- White Horse Close near the foot of the Mile
About this tour
This walk follows the Royal Mile's closes and courtyards, from Advocate's Close down through St Giles' Cathedral to Canongate Kirkyard near the foot of the hill. You look down into Mary King's Close from above, see the carved ceiling of the Thistle Chapel, and stand at Adam Smith's grave among the tradesmen he wrote about. It is the Old Town read through its side streets rather than its main frontages.
The session starts with a sound check, then works down the Mile close by close, stopping longer wherever there is a story worth telling in full. Questions come along the way, and a short list of the closes and what is behind each name follows once the call ends.
This suits anyone interested in how Edinburgh was actually built and lived in, layer on layer, rather than just its skyline. It also suits those who have walked the Royal Mile before but want to know what is behind the doors they passed.
Included
- Live video walk with a local guide
- Questions to your guide all the way
- A short list of places to visit later
Not included
- Internet connection
- Travel to the city
Itinerary
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Welcome and sound check 10 min
The guide joins the video call, checks the picture and sound with you, and gives you a quick sense of Edinburgh before heading out.
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Advocate's Close 21 min
From Advocate's Close, the camera looks down into Mary King's Close below street level, the sealed alleys that were built over rather than demolished, visible from above rather than entered.
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St Giles' Cathedral 21 min
Inside St Giles' Cathedral, the guide walks past the crown spire's stonework and up to the Thistle Chapel, its ceiling carved for the Order of the Thistle.
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Gladstone's Land 21 min
Outside Gladstone's Land, the camera holds on the arcaded ground floor and painted ceiling beams of the merchant's tenement, built in the 1600s and kept much as it was then.
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Canongate Kirkyard 21 min
In Canongate Kirkyard, the guide stops at the grave of Adam Smith, the economist buried among the merchants and tradesmen of the Old Town he wrote about.
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Your questions 18 min
Time to ask anything about Edinburgh: prices, safety, food, or whatever you are curious about.
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A short list to keep 8 min
Before you go, the guide sums up with a few things worth remembering: a dish to try: Haggis, neeps and tatties and Old Town, worth a slower look.
Good to know
- A stable wifi or mobile connection makes the picture smoother than a shaky one.
- Any phone, tablet or laptop with a camera works. You watch, the guide does the walking.
- Times are shown in London time, so check the time where you are before you book.
- The session is not recorded, and recording it yourself is not allowed. Feel free to take your own notes.
- Ask questions any time, out loud or in the chat. The guide will pause to answer.
- Sessions run in small groups, up to 12 people, so there is room for everyone to ask something.
Questions about this tour
What will the session cover?
The guide walks through Edinburgh, showing you Edinburgh Castle and Palace of Holyroodhouse live on camera, plus whatever else you would like to see.
What happens if my connection drops?
Rejoin with the same link within a few minutes and the guide will catch you up on anything you missed.
Can I ask the guide questions during the session, or is it a fixed script?
Anything, any time. Sessions leave room for your own questions throughout, not just at the end.
Do I need to know the history already?
No background needed. The guide explains everything as it comes up.
How it works
- You get one join link after booking.
- Join from any device: phone, tablet or laptop.
- We meet on Google Meet; the link comes with your booking. I walk Edinburgh live with my phone and you ask anything as we go.
Times shown in London time (GMT)
Cancellation
Flexible
- Cancel up to 24 hours before the start: full refund.
- Cancel less than 24 hours before the start, or no-show: no refund.
- If the guide cancels or the date does not reach its minimum group: full refund.
- Cancel in My Account → Bookings; the refund is calculated from the start time in the tour's local time.
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Next: Thu 29 Oct · 12 seats left From 19,00 €
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