Photos: Saffron Blaze, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 marsupium photography, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo credits
Photos: Saffron Blaze, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 marsupium photography, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Princes Street Gardens under the Castle
Your local guide
Morag Reid
View profile
Highlights
- The Castle rock from the valley floor
- A loch that became a garden
- Victorian ironwork on the Ross Fountain
- Sunken lawns where a railway once ran
- Two centuries of change in one view
About this tour
This session stays inside Princes Street Gardens, looking up at the Castle from the valley below and finishing at the Victorian Ross Fountain. You see the sunken lawns where a loch and later a railway once ran, and the fountain's detailed ironwork. Morag explains how the gardens took their current shape over two centuries.
After a short sound check, the walk moves at an easy pace between the two stops, with time for questions about the gardens' history. Morag answers as you go and sends a short note afterwards on the best time of day to see the Castle from below.
It suits anyone wanting a calmer view of the city centre, and works well alongside a busier Old Town session. It also appeals to those interested in how Edinburgh reshaped its own landscape.
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
-
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.
-
The sunken gardens 15 min
The camera looks up from the gardens at the Castle rock rising almost straight above. Morag points out the old railway line that once ran through what is now a valley of lawns and flowerbeds.
-
The Ross Fountain 15 min
A Victorian fountain stands near the west end of the gardens, its ironwork painted in detail. Morag explains how the gardens were once a loch before the city drained it.
-
Your questions 7 min
Time to ask anything about Edinburgh: prices, safety, food, or whatever you are curious about.
-
A short list to keep 3 min
Before you go, the guide sums up with a few things worth remembering: a dish to try: Haggis, neeps and tatties and New 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 10 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 sunken gardens and The Ross Fountain 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.
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 look up at the Castle 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.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Reviews appear here after travellers have completed this tour.
How reviews work
Only travellers who booked and paid through Locals Guide and whose tour took place can leave a review, within 60 days of the tour. Every review is marked "Verified booking". We check reviews before they appear and publish positive and negative ones alike; we remove only reviews that break our rules (insults, personal data, unrelated content). Guides cannot pay for, edit or hide reviews, and ratings are the plain average of all published reviews.
Next: Tue 27 Oct · 10 seats left From 20,00 €
Book