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Private tour in Edinburgh Gwen K
Edinburgh’s Canongate – a separate town till 1856
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2 hours
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Tour date
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2 hours
1
Gwen K.
4.9
Guide rating
34
Reviews
Tours delivered
3 hrs
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My passions are my native city of Edinburgh and meeting the needs of people of all nationalities and ages. An avid traveller, I have experienced the 'kindness of strangers' and want to reciprocate the same hospitality in Edinburgh. Born in Glasgow, I have lived in Edinburgh since the age of 6. I went to school, university and work in Edinburgh and have watched the city evolve. I love history and culture and stories about Edinburgh characters. As I have a broad range of interests including the arts, reading, walking, food and shopping, I provide a wide selection of bespoke small group walking tours. I enjoy taking solo travellers on walking tours. I provide bespoke Edinburgh tours for cruise passengers with luxury transport collection from port and return to port. As well as history and culture, my tours include walks in parks and up to the best places for city views, nature and gardens, food tasting tours, shopping expeditions and experiences more suitable for children, teenagers and the 'young at heart'. I enjoy meeting special needs. When my guests are staying on in Edinburgh, I always provide a pack with maps, leaflets about what to see and do and my own typed sheets which include cafes and restaurants, characterful pubs, art, gardens and history, famous Edinburgh writers, past and present and bookshops and attractions for children. I provide multi-day trips. Visitors can either choose a selection of my tours or I can create a personalised package. Free wheelchair use is available. Edinburgh is a very 'walkable' city with most attractions relatively close to each other. For an additional cost, public transport or a private car and driver can be used for some tours. I like to keep up to date with changes in Edinburgh. I am always learning and discovering new places and experiences. Above all, I want you to enjoy Edinburgh as much as I do and have a five-star experience on my customised walking tours to the main sights, neighbourhood areas, hidden gems and secret treasures. What makes me special is my sense of place. Edinburgh is my special place and my place is to make it special for you too. Edinburgh University: MA Honours History and post graduate qualifications in secondary education and in guidance. I am a qualified secondary school teacher of History and Modern Studies and taught and managed schools for many years. First aider I do not have any restrictions in regard to my guiding, I can offer a full range of experiences”
Have a question or want to customize this tour? Message Gwen K.
Rich in history, folklore and hidden ‘nooks and crannies’
Overview of your Edinburgh tour
An ideal tour for those who would like a short tour in the less crowded and less visited bottom part of the Royal Mile. Discover why: • Canongate got its name • better off people preferred to live here than in Edinburgh’s medieval old town • Mary Clark was drowned • Gibb’s Close is associated with dastardly deeds • Mary Paterson, while dead and naked, was painted by a local artist • The Treaty of Union was signed secretly at night • Huntly House is known as ‘the speaking house’ • Students often visit Canongate Kirkyard • The ‘Cock and Trumpet’ was popular • You should enrol for a National Library of Scotland library card and read the ‘Ranger’s Impartial List of Ladies’ • Secret sculptures are unique and special • A certain correspondence had to be secret • A golf game was so successful • The Marquis of Queensberry's 10 year old son was spirited away to the family estate in West Yorkshire • Brass letters S are embedded in the cobblestones at Abbey Strand • The Scottish Parliament building is controversial
Your Edinburgh tour itinerary
The main highlights include • Characterful closes like Bakehouse Close and Whitehorse Close • The decoration of closes • Moray House (part of Edinburgh University) • Canongate Kirk (church) and kirkyard • Dunbar’s Close Garden • The Poetry Library (interior when open) • Holyrood Abbey (ruins) • The Palace of Holyrood House • The Scottish Parliament building • Holyrood Park, Arthur’s Seat and Salisbury Crags A few places may not be open on Saturdays and Sundays.
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Transport details
Type: Walking
The walking tour does not require public or private transport.
What's included
What's not included
Meeting location
3-5 Saint Mary's Street, Scotland, Scotland, EH1 1TA, United Kingdom
Please meet outside The Waverley Bar which is at the top of St Mary's Street and close to the crossroads with traffic lights on the Royal Mile
- You can request a different meeting location (for example, your hotel) during the checkout process.
Other details
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2 hours
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2 hours
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If your tour is valued over $200 USD and booked at least 45 days before the tour date, you can book with a deposit!
How it works
- Your credit card will be authorized only for the deposit amount.
- Funds will not be withdrawn until your tour booking is fully processed.
- 30 days before your tour date, the remaining balance is automatically charged.