This was a fantastically enjoyable excursion. Alastair was friendly, knowledgeable, and possessed of truly wicked wit. The tour was a mixture of history, literature and pop culture. Whatever flavor you’re looking for, this walking tour can provide.
A fantastic experience with Dr Allison as our guide. Her historical knowledge was incredible and made the tour. She let us go at our own pace, was engaging with every story and anecdote, and the 3.5 hours flew by. She personalised the tour and very much tailored her commentary and what we saw to our interests. Every member of the family including two teens said it was the highlight of our time in Edinburgh. Highly recommend.
Stuart Usher is a most entertaining, helpful and knowledgeable guide. This is a great experience and I thoroughly recommend it. I'm now looking forward to reading his intriguing book about the Usher ancestry and the significance of his family in Edinburgh's history.
sunsetharbor1
5 October 2024
It is shame that we only had 5 stars to choose from because our tour was better than that! Douglas Graham was our tour guide. He was wonderful. He is a PhD who has an encyclopedic knowledge of Scottish history in general and Edinburgh in particular. He was able to share this effectively and with great passion. This was well worth the price….and more!
crawf0rd4
28 September 2024
Had an amazing walking tour with David. We believe his knowledge and delivery was spot on. We enjoyed being walked through Edinburgh past and with some discussions on its future. David was the perfect person for us. The walk was at a good pace and a lot of opportunities to stop and take pictures. David also spoke to the group well and looked after everyone. No questions went unanswered and even the homework for after the tour has got us thinking and checking our history books/Google!! Thanks again David on a job well done. The Crawfords
rthompson1991
24 September 2024
We had our 1/2 day walking tour of Edinburgh with our guide Fiona on Friday the 30th of September. Overall, it was a fantastic day where we learned a ton, but were also fully entertained the entire time. Fiona was a master at teaching while making us laugh. We are American, and Fiona also did a great job of weaving some key points of our country history with that of Scotland. We really loved having a private guide (well worth the additional $) so we could customize and spend time on those things most interesting to us. We took a larger group tour the next day of the castle and it wasn’t nearly as enjoyable because of varied interests and paces in the group. It was so easy to meet up with our guide and to navigate the city by foot.
On our recent trip to Edinburgh, my wife and I did a half day walking tour with Alastair Sim as our guide. Quite simply, Alastair was amazing in every sense of the word. It's probably worth mentioning that we are very well traveled, and have had many tours, both as part of a group, and private, and we've never enjoyed or gotten so much out of a tour as we did with Alastair. Thanks for a fabulous experience.
David Forsyth captured our attention from the minute we met him! Outgoing, incredibly knowledgeable, with plenty of fun and fascinating stories and facts. We would highly recommend this 3 1/2 tour--the time whizzes by. I would recommend booking close to when you first arrive so you can get a feel for the city and its layout. Thank you, David, for introducing us to Edinburg--we loved spending the morning with you. A perfect way to begin our Scotland stay! Awesome!
We had a very large party and Stuart was amazing. He was so knowledgeable and patient with the group. He was great with the teenage girls and keeping them engaged. Lovely tour, lovely city
Our tour guide David was brilliant. He customized our tour to fit our personal interests. Since our family is very interested in history, David applied his deep historical knowledge of Scotland to tell us insightful stories, explain the context of events and places, and expand on the biographies of fascinating characters from the past. He did not shy away from any question, no matter how difficult or random. I cannot recommend this tour enough.
This was one of the best tours I have been on. Our tour guide, Alastair Sim, was phenomenal. He adapted to all of our needs--short time, a member of our party in a wheel chair, and our desires of what to see. When he learned we'd already taken a tour of the Castle, he asked what we wanted to see. We didn't know, so he prompted with questions like: Do you like Game of Thrones or Harry Potter. We responded that we liked Harry Potter. Alastair then completely changed what he had originally planned and took us on a good walking tour that included many wonderful sites in Edinburgh along with a few specific to Harry Potter, but not limited just to HP. He was kind and patient as we pushed a wheel chair up steep hills and over cobblestone roads. His knowledge of Scotland was phenomenal. If you can get Alastair on a tour, you will be in for a treat!
sandramE7364GF
19 July 2024
Our guide, Fiona Parker was awesome! We visited Edinburgh for the day when our cruise ship docked in South Queensferry. She was extremely knowledgeable about the city and Scottish history, friendly, and expertly maneuvered around the city so we didn't have to walk straight up huge hills. Edinburgh is a beautiful city and we were able to see so much of the old town that we wouldn't have been able to see on our own. I mistakenly booked our trip for the wrong date and realized it only when I received the emailed reminder the day prior. I immediately called the company and explained that I had made an error. Fortunately, Fiona was available on the date I needed and Dave very graciously moved our tour to the correct date. I would highly recommend this company.
Our guide, Dr Alison Duncan arrived at our hotel before our meeting time calling when she arrived. She was pleasant and always upbeat and excited to show us the history of Edinburgh. She was patient and accommodating to our interests and questions while providing historical facts and information along with a timeline of when, where and why the historical events took place. She also lead us on an architectural tour woven into the tour while she weaved us through the old town avoiding the crowds to reveal hidden gems about the old town and its small private spaces. She was animated, and enthusiastic, and full of passion as well as being very knowledgeable not just of Edinburgh but of Scottish history and insights as a
historian and educator. I would recommend her to anyone and will definitely arrange a tour with her when we visit Edinburgh in the future
elisabethbZ7384II
9 July 2024
Professor John, our guide, was amazing and knowledgeable!!! We learned so much about Edinburgh’s history and because John is an epidemiologist, about Edinburgh’s healthcare. Fabulous and fascinating!
Dr Alison Duncan was our Edinburgh walking tour guide. She was really great! She not only gave us a lot of history during our tour, but she also made sure to make sure everyone was comfortable. She found places for us to sit and take breaks as we needed. She is an amazing person who is committed to understanding history and she shared that with us. Very good tour, thank you.
The highlight of our time in Edinburgh. Our guide was so friendly and knowledgeable. I high recommend doing this tour at the start of your time in Edinburgh, it was fascinating - a great way to become acquainted with Old Town Edinburgh and learn about its history.
We recently enjoyed a private walking tour in Edinburgh, and it was an exceptional experience! Our tour guide was incredibly friendly and informative, making the exploration of this historic city both engaging and educational. . We visited iconic landmarks like Edinburgh Castle, Holyrood Palace, and St. Giles' Cathedral, and the guide’s captivating stories about figures like Mary, Queen of Scots and Sir Walter Scott brought the city’s past to life. What made the tour truly special was the personalized attention. Our guide was attentive to our interests, allowing us to explore areas at our own pace and delve deeper into topics that intrigued us. This flexibility, combined with the guide's enthusiasm and local insights, made the tour feel tailored just for us. Additionally, we ventured into some lesser-known spots, uncovering hidden gems that we would have missed on our own. The guide’s recommendations for dining and further sightseeing were also invaluable, enriching our overall stay in Edinburgh. In summary, we had a
fantastic time on our private walking tour. The combination of a friendly, knowledgeable guide and the tailored. Highly recommended for anyone looking to explore Edinburgh in depth.
Our group was composed of German, French, Greek, Spanish and British people and this review is based on comments made in different languages. From David, we learnt the Scots word dreich which was very appropriate for a wet and misty Edinburgh day lit up by a fascinating and detailed insight into the city’s history and architecture. David’s tour was delivered with passion and humour and was a thoroughly informative and entertaining introduction to the city. We particularly appreciated learning about Scotland’s strong historical connection with the rest of Europe and its contribution to the enlightenment. Highly recommended.
