Edinburgh - Dark History
Recommended by 100% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Edinburgh, Scotland
- 2 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
What's Included
- In-Person guide
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- West Parliament SquareW Parliament Sq, Parliament Sqr, Edinburgh EH1 1RF, UK
Find us across the square in Front of St. Giles Cathedral. Search for the white umbrella with the logo of All-Star Guides.
End point
- Canongate Kirk153 Canongate, Edinburgh EH8 8BN, UK
Itinerary
Old Town (Pass By)
1
Heart of Midlothian
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
2
St Giles' Cathedral
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
3
Mercat Cross
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
4
Royal Mile
40 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
5
John Knox House Museum
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
6
Canongate Kirk
40 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Transportation is wheelchair accessible
- Surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Most travelers can participate
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 30 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
5.0
based on 838 reviews
Nancy_M, Mar 2026
Very interesting and our guide is very knowledgeable
We do not get the general idea of different places in the city; just dark histories but it is interesting. What was amazing is the knowlodge of our guide!
Christopher_M, Mar 2026
Very nice tour that tells you about the history of the city particularly the troublesome and gruesome stories of various people and events. Lydia was a wonderful guide.
Nikki_M, Mar 2026
This tour was so good! Informative and engaging. Joe was such a a great storyteller and was so knowledgeable that we enjoyed every bit . I, and my whole family would highly recommend this tour.
Abi_H, Feb 2026
Our guide was Robert (not Ferguson, although we learnt a lot about him) and he was amazing! Really knowledgeable and genuinely passionate about the history of Edinburgh. This was a varied and entertaining tour that kept us interested throughout. Our teenagers loved it too and the pace was just right. Not gimmicky at all - we thought it was excellent value and felt it was a highlight of our few days in Edinburgh.
Joeun_P, Feb 2026
It was amazing walking tour in Edinburgh. Our guide James was fantastic, so knowledgeable and helpful to understand what happened back in the time in Edinburgh which makes me actually interested in history! I would definitely recommend if you were more into history rather than a spooky ghost tour. I only wish if my English was better!
Reeva_S, Feb 2026
Very fun and educational experience. Robert was great, his stories were captivating, and kept attention throughout the tour. Loved the harmonica, it gave a very special vibe!
Glen_H, Feb 2026
Robert was very knowledgeable of Edinburgh history, even down to the smallest details ,and funny with it
Ian_F, Feb 2026
This tour covers more of the history of Edingburgh, rather than the dark grizzly stuff.
Very informative and interesting, guide was very knowledgeable.
William_R, Jan 2026
This was a really solid tour. Joe, our guide, did a great job setting the scene and giving us a flavour of the city and its history. Despite being a very cold evening (the temperature getting down to zero after sunset), the tour kept us moving and full of information to keep us intellectual warm. A good story was told.
Louise_V, Dec 2025
This tour was absolutely incredible! James is an outstanding guide - knowledgeable, engaging, and full of fascinating stories that bring Edinburgh’s dark past to life. His passion for history and great sense of humor made the experience both educational and entertaining. The pacing was perfect, and the atmosphere he created really set the tone for the tour. Highly recommend this to anyone looking for a unique and memorable way to explore the city!
April_D, Dec 2025
We thoroughly enjoyed our walk around Edinburgh with Kieran who was great, he was very informative about the dark history of Edinburgh and took us to some interesting places, made much more interesting at night. Highly recommend this tour, thank you Kieran 😊
Anne_M, Dec 2025
Kieran was a wonderful guide. Our tour was informative and entertaining. Would definitely recommend.
Amanda_H, Nov 2025
James was phenomenal. The tour was insightful and entertaining highly recommend it to anyone visiting.
Courtney_D, Nov 2025
Learned so much on this tour. Be prepared for lots of walking and weather changes - but that's a given in Scotland. Would definitely recommend!
Hayley_G, Oct 2025
James was a great guide giving us a tour carefully tailored for 31 October. He also acknowledged our friends who had made the event part of their Halloween themed wedding. A memorable part of an already special day. Highly recommended 🎃
Jennifer_A, Oct 2025
Advertised as 90 mins, lasted 2 hours.
Stories at a couple of stops could have been shortened considering the weather.(Started drizzing rain)
Lovely guide however very little interaction with tour participants.
Ulf_S, Oct 2025
I can highly recommend this tour. We participated in the 3pm tour and our guide was really lively talking about different time periods and dark topics related to the history of the city. His way of presenting was very engaging. Can only recommend.
Gary_A, Oct 2025
A fun experience with a lot of great stories. Our guide Robert was very entertaining. Got in some interesting history with the stories.
Mark_F, Oct 2025
James was an excellent tour guide! He was very knowledgeable and well spoken and he went out of his way to accommodate us all. If you’re looking for a fun and unique tour, this is the one to go on. We learned a lot of new facts about Edinburgh that we didn’t know before. The walking distance was also decent. It’s not too much and you only go up one flight of stairs. If you or your relatives have struggles with walking tours over a mile, this tour would be a good choice for you. I would absolutely recommend this tour!
JohnA_C, Oct 2025
Amazing tour about real facts which occurred in the city. The dark history of an extremely old city. Lydia our tour guide was wonderful and knowledgeable about the history of this old city. Definitely worth taken if you want to hear real facts which occurred during the history of Edinburgh. Cheers.
Nick_A, Oct 2025
My brother & I toured with Robert and had an amazing time! He is very knowledgeable, passionate, quick-witted, and personable. We learned a great deal about Edinburgh's most notorious thieves, murderers, witches, riots, amongst many notable eras in a city filled with rich history. Amongst the many tours available, this is a must-do for people interested in the gruesome and gritty real history of Edinburgh.
Caitlin_T, Oct 2025
This is a great tour learning about some of the less savory aspects of Edinburgh history. We had a great time- Lydia did an excellent job!
Natalie_S, Oct 2025
Keeran was very knowledgeable and fun! We had a great time learning about the history of Edinburgh. We can highly recommend this!
Moira_K, Oct 2025
James was very knowledgeable! We so enjoyed learning the history and stories surrounding the monuments and buildings of the city.
Michelle_R, Oct 2025
Really informative tour! The stories Joe told were fascinating and he told them with flare. He was super knowledgeable and answered our questions like the historian he is - highly recommend!!!!!!
Suzy_B, Oct 2025
A historical walk through Edinburgh's past, learning about how they took law and order to a very dark and disturbing level. James was a very knowledgeable guide to the twisted, torturous past lurking around every corner of the old town.
Samantha_M, Oct 2025
Brilliant evening, very numerous and informative with a good bit of gore and graves! Would definitely recommend if you like historic true crime or fancy something a little different from a traditional city tour!
Jeff_B, Oct 2025
The guide Chris was very knowledgeable and added some humour which made the tour a must do experience
Andrew_C, Oct 2025
Joe was a wonderful guide! He was knowledgeable, funny, and accommodating. Would definitely recommend.
Anup_K, Oct 2025
Loved this walking tour - Robert, our guide has great energy. It lasts about 1h45. Learnt a lot about unsuspecting artifacts all over the royal mile.
From $21.58
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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