Old Town Walking Tour

Edinburgh’s Old Town is best understood on foot, and this two-hour walk packs the Royal Mile and nearby closes with rebellion, Jacobite politics, Mary Queen of Scots, and Outlander filming locations. Costumed guide Charlotte leads the route with a personal, lively touch, rather than giving you a dry list of dates.

I like the handmade historical costume and the way the tour links real places to Scotland’s political story. I also like the compact route, which gives you a useful first look at the Old Town without taking half a day. The main drawback is the Scottish weather: the tour needs good conditions, and the non-refundable booking policy leaves little room for a last-minute change of plans.

Key points to know before you book

• Charlotte leads in historical costume, adding personal stories, humor, and enthusiasm to the walk.
• The route includes real Outlander locations, including Bakehouse Close and the spot associated with Jamie’s printing shop.
• Jacobite and rebellion-era stories shape the tour, from Mercat Cross to Parliament Square and Canongate.
• The walk begins and ends at St Giles’ Cathedral, making it easy to fit into a day in central Edinburgh.
• The $24.72 price is strong value if you want an orientation, local history, and filming locations in one outing.
• The group can reach 30 people, so it may feel friendly and manageable, but not always truly intimate.

Why this Old Town walk works so well

Edinburgh’s Old Town is easy to walk past and surprisingly hard to understand. The Royal Mile looks like one long street, yet its closes, courtyards, kirkyards, courts, and old meeting places hold very different stories.

This tour gives you a useful framework. You are not simply seeing attractive stone buildings. You are following the places where religious disputes, political arguments, independence debates, Jacobite hopes, and royal drama played out.

The focus on rebellion gives the walk a clear purpose. You hear about covenant legends at Greyfriars, independence debates around Parliament Square, and plots linked to Old Parliament House. That thread helps the city feel connected rather than like a collection of unrelated stops.

The Outlander material adds another doorway into the past. You do not need to be a fan of the show to enjoy it. The filming sites work best when they are explained alongside the real Scottish events and people that gave the locations their force.

Meeting Charlotte at St Giles’ Cathedral

The tour begins at St Giles’ Cathedral on the High Street at 10:00 in the morning. This is one of the easiest meeting points in Edinburgh, right in the middle of the Old Town and close to public transportation.

Look for Charlotte in her historical costume. Her clothing is more than a photo prop. It sets the tone from the first few minutes and helps separate this walk from a standard city orientation.

Charlotte is the sole owner, guide, and manager of Walk The Old Town. That matters because the experience has a personal feel. She is not simply repeating a company script. She brings her own enthusiasm to Scottish history, Outlander, and the streets she shows you.

You should arrive ready to walk for about two hours. Wear shoes that can handle uneven Old Town surfaces, and bring a rain layer even if the morning looks promising. The walk is suitable for families and is stroller-friendly, but Edinburgh’s older streets and closes may still require a little patience with wheels.

Greyfriars Kirkyard and the stories of resistance

Greyfriars Kirkyard is one of the most atmospheric places on the route. Its gravestones and enclosed paths give the tour a quieter start, but the subject matter is anything but gentle.

Here, the focus turns to the Covenanters and the religious conflicts that divided Scotland. The covenant legends are tied to people who resisted royal religious policy and paid heavily for that defiance. A good guide can make the political and religious stakes clear without turning the stop into a lecture.

I like this part of the walk because it establishes the tone of Scottish identity. The stories are not only about kings and palaces. They are also about ordinary people taking risks over belief, loyalty, and the right to decide how Scotland should be governed.

Greyfriars is also a place where you should slow down and look around. The tour gives you a chance for photographs, but the cemetery can feel crowded at busy times. You may need to stay close to the guide while still making room for other people visiting the kirkyard.

Parliament Square and Old Parliament House

From Greyfriars, the route moves into the political heart of the Old Town. Parliament Square is a natural place to discuss Scottish independence and the arguments that shaped the country’s future.

The setting makes the point well. You are surrounded by old civic buildings in a tight urban space, and the guide connects the architecture to the debates that took place here. This is one of the strongest parts of the tour for anyone who wants more than royal anecdotes.

Old Parliament House adds another layer. The tour explores stories of rebels and plotting, giving you a sense of how political opposition operated in earlier centuries. Charlotte’s delivery is especially useful here because the material could otherwise become a blur of names and dates.

You do not need a detailed background in Scottish history. The route is built for a first visit, and the guide explains why these places matter as you see them.

Mercat Cross and public declarations

Mercat Cross is one of the most memorable points on the walk. In old Scottish towns, the market cross was a public center, and this one carried political weight as well as commercial importance.

The tour connects Mercat Cross with freedom proclamations and public announcements. That makes it easier to imagine how news spread before newspapers, television, or social media. A proclamation here was meant to be heard, repeated, and carried through the streets.

This stop also helps you picture Edinburgh as a working city rather than a museum. Markets, political messages, celebrations, and conflict all occupied the same public spaces.

Bagpipe music is included as part of the experience. It adds atmosphere without replacing the historical explanation. You still get the story of the place, but with a strong Scottish sound to mark the moment.

Niddry Street and the Old Town’s less obvious stories

Niddry Street brings the walk away from the most familiar postcard views. This is where the route looks for less obvious tales and shows how much of Edinburgh’s past sits just off the main road.

That is a real benefit of walking with a guide. On your own, you may pass an entrance to a close or a court without noticing it. With Charlotte, these small openings become part of the story.

The Old Town rewards curiosity, but it can also be confusing. Streets change name, stairways lead in unexpected directions, and historic spaces are often tucked behind modern-looking entrances. The route gives you a better sense of how the old city fits together.

This is also where the group size matters. The maximum is 30 people. That is still manageable for a walking tour, but you should not expect a private experience every time. Charlotte’s energetic style helps, and the tour has received praise for allowing time for photographs, but you may stand near the back if the group fills.

Royal Canongate and Mary Queen of Scots

The walk continues along the Royal Canongate, an important stretch of the Old Town with links to Mary Queen of Scots and the road toward the Palace of Holyroodhouse.

This section gives the tour a royal thread after the earlier focus on resistance and rebellion. Mary’s presence helps you see the Canongate as more than a route between attractions. It was part of the city’s political and royal life.

I find this contrast useful. Edinburgh’s story is not simply one of rebels versus rulers. The same streets carried royal processions, religious conflict, public trade, political schemes, and daily life.

The Canongate is also a good place to think about the scale of Edinburgh. The Old Town is compact enough to cover on foot, but every short stretch can carry a different chapter. You see a lot in two hours, although you will not have time to enter every historic building along the way.

Tweeddale Court and Bakehouse Close

Tweeddale Court offers another look at the hidden side of the Old Town. Its enclosed character helps explain how Edinburgh’s historic spaces can feel private even when they sit close to the Royal Mile.

Bakehouse Close is especially valuable for Outlander fans. The close was used as a filming location, and the tour connects it with the show’s Edinburgh setting. You may also see the location associated with Jamie’s printing shop, one of the details that can make the route feel familiar if you know the series.

The strongest part of this stop is the link between screen and real place. Charlotte does not treat the location as a quick photo opportunity only. She places it within the wider story of the Old Town, so the show becomes an extra layer rather than the entire subject.

If you are not an Outlander fan, you still get an attractive historic close and a better sense of how filmmakers use Edinburgh’s old streets. If you are a fan, this will likely be one of the most anticipated parts of the walk.

Canongate Cemetery near Holyroodhouse

The route finishes near Canongate Cemetery and the Palace of Holyroodhouse. This quieter stop brings together several of the tour’s themes: royal connections, political change, old Edinburgh, and the darker side of the city’s past.

Cemeteries can be difficult to appreciate when you rush through them, so the guide’s explanation matters. You get context for the people and stories connected with the site rather than only a quick look at gravestones.

The cemetery also has an Outlander connection, making it a fitting later stop for fans of the show. By this point, you have seen how the series draws on real Edinburgh spaces while reshaping them for drama.

The activity ends back at the meeting point at St Giles’ Cathedral. That is convenient if you want to continue sightseeing on the Royal Mile, visit another central attraction, or stop for lunch nearby.

What $24.72 buys you

At $24.72 per person, this is a reasonable way to get a first orientation to Edinburgh. You are paying for roughly two hours with a dedicated guide, historical explanation, access to a planned route through several parts of the Old Town, bagpipe music, and Outlander-related stops.

The value is strongest if you are new to Edinburgh. After the walk, you should have a clearer idea of where Greyfriars, Parliament Square, the Royal Canongate, Holyroodhouse, and the Old Town closes sit in relation to one another.

It is also good value for a fan of the show who wants filming locations without committing to a longer excursion outside the city. The tour keeps the focus on central Edinburgh and adds the Jacobite and rebellion stories that give those locations meaning.

The group cap of 30 is worth noting. You are not paying for a private guide, and a full group may reduce the personal feel. Still, the tour has a strong small-company character because Charlotte handles the guiding herself.

The experience is commonly booked well ahead, with an average of 57 days in advance. That does not guarantee that every date sells out, but it is a good reason to reserve early if your Edinburgh schedule is fixed.

Weather, walking, and family suitability

This is an outdoor walking tour, so the weather affects the experience. If poor conditions force cancellation, you are offered another date or a full refund. If you cancel for your own reasons or ask to change the booking, the payment is non-refundable.

That policy makes travel insurance or careful scheduling worth considering. Do not book this for a day when you already expect a tight connection or a packed indoor schedule.

The route is family-friendly, and most people can take part. Strollers are allowed, and service animals are allowed. Even so, a stroller may be less convenient in older closes, crowded areas, or on uneven surfaces, so a lightweight model would likely be easier to manage.

You should also plan for two hours outside. Comfortable footwear and weather protection will make a bigger difference than dressing up for photographs. Charlotte’s costume adds visual appeal, but you still need to dress for Edinburgh.

Who should book this walk?

I would recommend it to a first-time visitor who wants a fast but meaningful introduction to the Old Town. It suits you if you prefer stories and local context to simply ticking off major buildings.

It is a strong choice for Outlander fans, especially if you want to see Bakehouse Close, the printing shop location, and the Canongate sites while also learning about the actual Scottish events behind the drama.

Families can enjoy it because the costume, bagpipes, and dramatic stories keep the walk moving. History fans will appreciate the emphasis on Jacobite politics, rebellion, religious conflict, and Scottish identity.

You may want something else if you dislike outdoor tours, need a very slow pace, or want a private guide. The two-hour schedule covers a lot, so you will hear many stories without having time to examine every site in depth.

Should you book the Old Town Walking Tour?

Book it if you want an affordable Edinburgh orientation with personality. Charlotte’s costume, friendly manner, and enthusiasm are central to the experience, and the route gives you a useful mix of political history, royal connections, cemetery stories, and Outlander locations.

I would especially choose it early in an Edinburgh visit. You can use the walk to decide which places deserve a longer visit later, and you will recognize the city’s closes and landmarks more easily afterward.

Skip it only if the weather forecast looks poor, your schedule cannot handle a fixed two-hour outdoor activity, or you need a fully private tour. For most people who want to understand the Old Town quickly and enjoy a guide who clearly loves Scotland, $24.72 is a fair price.

FAQ

Where does the Old Town Walking Tour begin?

It begins at St Giles’ Cathedral on High Street in Edinburgh, EH1 1RE.

What time does the tour start?

The scheduled start time is 10:00 am.

How long does the tour last?

The walking tour lasts approximately two hours.

Where does the tour finish?

The activity ends back at the meeting point at St Giles’ Cathedral.

Is the tour offered in English?

Yes. The tour is offered in English.

Is the tour suitable for families and strollers?

Yes. The tour is suitable for the whole family and is stroller-friendly. Service animals are also allowed.

What happens if bad weather cancels the tour?

If the tour is canceled because of poor weather, you will be offered a different date or a full refund. Personal cancellations and requested changes are non-refundable.