Old Town and Edinburgh Castle Private Walking Tour

Gaines was absolutely superb! He was able to communicate his vast fund of knowledge in a friendly and non-intimidating way. It was a perfect add on to our Edinburgh Fringe trip so that we were able to acquire an extensive feel for the history of the town. Highly recommend!

Gains was knowledgeable, friendly and showed my wife and I a fantastic tour! Thank you Gains!

If you’re visiting Edinburgh for the first time, book Gains. It was one of the best decisions we made on our entire Scotland trip. Gains is exceptionally knowledgeable (his Ph.D. in Scottish history and published work certainly don’t hurt), but what truly sets him apart is his ability to transform centuries of history into stories that are engaging, nuanced, and memorable. He helped us understand not only Edinburgh, but also the complex relationship between Scotland, England, and Wales in a way that gave context to everything we experienced during the rest of our trip. This was our first full day in Scotland, and Edinburgh was busy and wonderfully chaotic. Having Gains navigate the city was invaluable. He moved effortlessly through the crowds, timed each stop perfectly, and ensured we never felt rushed or missed anything. I even asked him which side of the sidewalk you’re supposed to walk on. He smiled and essentially said, “Who knows?” It turned out to be exactly the right advice. What impressed me most was how attentive he was to our nine-year-old daughter. She was adjusting to jet lag, chilly July weather, and the sensory overload of a bustling city after arriving from Florida. He quietly checked in throughout the tour, paced everything thoughtfully, and instinctively tailored Scottish history for a family audience. Kevin and I got the full story, while the darker aspects were handled with just enough discretion to keep Summer engaged without frightening her. Days later, she was casually repeating facts Gains had taught us and explaining Scottish history back to us. That was the real testament to his skill. Gains was thoroughly professional while still being personable. Along the way he shared stories about performing scenes from Home Alone with his sister as a child and joked that his lawyer father once seemed prouder of the family’s Black Labradors than his own children. As fellow Lab lovers, we couldn’t help but laugh. Those moments made the tour feel like spending the morning with an exceptionally knowledgeable local rather than listening to a rehearsed script. I asked plenty of questions, including several about one of his recently published books, and he never made me feel rushed. He welcomed curiosity and happily explored topics beyond the standard tour. Kevin loved the depth of the history. I loved knowing that everything we were hearing was deeply researched, accurate, and placed into meaningful context by an expert. We came away with a genuine understanding of Edinburgh and Scottish history, not just a checklist of landmarks. Throughout the rest of our trip, we found ourselves referring back to things Gains had taught us. We’ve taken guided tours all over the world, and this was one of the very best. If you appreciate history, thoughtful storytelling, and guides who genuinely care about every member of your family, you won’t find anyone better.

Gains was a terrific guide with plenty of knowledge but able to tell the history through stories that were super engaging for our whole family. Thank you Gains we enjoyed our tour with you!

So much perspective on the history and events of this historic City...an amazing experience.

Gains was very knowledgeable with all kinds of history and tidbits of information. We enjoyed the tour very much.