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
- Statue of Walter Francis Montagu Douglas ScottQueensberry Memorial to Walter Scott, W Parliament Sq, Edinburgh EH1 1RN, UK
Our meeting point is in WEST Parliament Square, 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 886 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Michelle_B, Jul 2026
My boyfriend and I did the dark history tour with Kieran and had an absolute blast! He did a fantastic job of telling us some truly dark stories about Edinburgh that you definitely don’t hear from the other tour guides (and for good reason!). You can tell he has a passion for history and telling stories. We have an interest in the macabre and this tour satisfies that. We found it engaging and fascinating. Our only complaint was how fast it went by! We loved every moment of it and have already recommended it to others!
Mandy_W, Jul 2026
This dark history tour was very informative and interesting. I recommend this tour at the beginning of your stay so that you can learn about the history of Edinburgh before exploring the town.
Julie_P, Jul 2026
Robert was a friendly, personable and extremely knowledgeable guide. Would highly recommend this tour, a great (re)introduction to a city of such fascinating and brutal history!
Angela_H, Jul 2026
The tour was very nice! David was very personable and knowledgeable about the area and its dark history. He was attentive and tried to place us in spots with the most amount of shelter from the wind! This is not a ghost tour so if you want to hear about the darker sides of Edinburgh, give this a go! It was a very enjoyable experience overall.
Victoria_G, Jun 2026
Great tour! Our tour guide, Irish Mark, was awesome! Learned a lot about Scottish history. Would highly recommend.
Mervyn_H, Jun 2026
This was a very enjoyable two hours with Jack which my partner thoroughly enjoyed as she is retired medical professional! The seamier side of Edinburgh's history was very well presented, including what happens with those, 'nasty' inconveniences of existence in a city, as well as the fateful occurrences that befell some prominent citizens and some less prominent as well. Great fun!
Stuart_F, May 2026
Fantastic tour of the Old Town led by a very knowledgeable and talented guide, Lydia. She kept the tour interesting throughout its duration and tailored it to our interests.
Chelsea_H, May 2026
This was a great walking tour of Edinburgh in the Royal Mile area, and i would strongly recommend it to anyone interested in the “dark history” of the city. It is not a ghost tour, or not like other tours where they dress up in costumes - it’s enlightening, informing and the guides are great story tellers. From hearing about the witch trials to the history of the closes and more, as a travel agent, i strongly suggest this tour! It is also historian led company and is a local small company, a great way to support smaller businesses in comparison to some of the bigger touring companies found in the same area.
Rebecca_M, May 2026
Jack was very knowledgeable and provided an interesting and well curated overview of some key locations of historical significance around the core of Edinburgh. It was a fairly reasonable (edging or short) walk, which was appreciated as tourist who have done a lot of walking over the course of the day. Our group would highly recommend this tour, and Jack as a thoughtful and effective guide!
alex6789, May 2026
Great tour. Our guide Lidia was very knowledgable and meant for story telling. She loves the city and knew the right spots to take us.
Nora_C, Apr 2026
We had a very good tour with Kieran. He is knowledgeable and was quick to respond to our questions. He kept it entertaining for the full 2 hours.
Olivia_J, Apr 2026
Learnt so much on this tour. Was a lovely experience and made our holiday. Joe was very good, the way he told the stories was engaging. If you love history, this is perfect! We had the best time and would recommend to anyone! Thank you!
Markrobinson, Mar 2026
Absolutely wonderful, we were in a smallish group which for us was even better. Our guide was James, a very knowledgeable guy, none of the silly histrionics of other tours, just excellent history and facts about the dark side of Edinburgh’s history.
Highly recommended
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.
From $24.69
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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