Photos: Daniel Kraft, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 Bernard Gagnon, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 Saffron Blaze, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo credits
Photos: Daniel Kraft, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 Bernard Gagnon, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 Saffron Blaze, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Grassmarket's food stalls and the smell of the Old Town
Your local guide
Isla Fraser
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Highlights
- Steam rising from a food stall
- Oatcakes explained stall side
- A window full of shortbread
- What makes a proper bridie
- Scottish baking beyond the obvious
About this tour
This session moves through the Grassmarket's food stalls and past a bakery window nearby, looking at Scottish food you can actually see rather than a restaurant menu. You see steam rising from a stall, a tray of oatcakes, and a window full of shortbread and bridies. Isla explains what each item is and how it's traditionally made.
After a sound check by the square, the session works stall to stall at an easy pace, pausing at the bakery window for longer, with questions welcomed throughout. Isla answers as you go and sends a short list of what to look for afterwards.
It suits anyone curious about Scottish food beyond the usual mentions of haggis, and works well before a first visit to the market itself. It also appeals to home cooks.
Included
- Live video session with a local guide
- A close look at the dishes and where locals buy them
- A short list of places and dishes to try later
Not included
- Food and drinks shown on camera
- Travel to the city
Itinerary
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Welcome and sound check 5 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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The Grassmarket stalls 21 min
The camera moves along a row of food stalls set up in the square, steam rising from a few of them. Isla points out a stall selling Scottish oatcakes and explains how they're made.
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A baker's window 21 min
A bakery window displays rows of shortbread and bridies. Isla explains what a bridie is and points out the pastry's folded edge, the sign of it being made properly.
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Your questions 9 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 4 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 8 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 The Grassmarket stalls and A baker's window 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 buy or cook anything?
No. This is a conversation: the guide describes the dishes and where to find them, so you can try them yourself whenever suits you.
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. I hold on anything worth a closer look.
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: Sat 5 Dec · 8 seats left From 23,00 €
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