• Private Tour
• Instantly Confirmed
• Carbon Neutral

Curious to know more about Edinburgh’s history? Join a local history expert on an insightful tour that will show you a side of the city that can’t be found in any book. This experience will open your eyes to the past and origins of Edinburgh from a local perspective as you learn about Robert Louis Stevenson.

Destination

Edinburgh, Scotland

Category

City Highlight Tours

Duration

3 hours

Transport mode

Walking tour

Available languages

English

Included

• Private guide
• CO2 Neutral: all tours carbon emissions are offset

What you can expect

Choose your local

Get to know these 4 passionate locals, each bringing unique perspectives and talents. Choose your favorite, check their availability, and book to create an unforgettable adventure tailored to you.

This is the plan

Check out the plan below to see what you'll get up to with your local host. Feel free to personalize this offer with the host of your choice.

1. Meeting point

   Meet at Outside of Leo's Beanery - Edinburgh to start your journey

   View on Maps

2. Itinerary

   This is what our experience could look like, but it’s not set in stone! Once you book, you can chat directly with your host to make small tweaks to suit your preferences.

3. Robert Louis Stevenson

   Your history tour in Edinburgh will focus on Robert Louis Stevenson. Learn the impacts, insights and hear stories related to this historic event from your knowledgeable host. Discover the city as you retrace history and go in-depth on the effects this part of history has on Edinburgh

4. Historical Highlights

   Check out main landmarks related to the theme of your history tour and connect their relevance through fantastic stories and facts from your expert local host

5. Hidden Treasures

   During your tour, you’ll also uncover hidden gems that will show you a different perspective of history as you know it, something you can’t easily find in a history book!

6. Storytelling Journey

   As you discover the historical side of Edinburgh, you’ll be able to go back in time thanks to the amazing stories and storytelling skills of your local host. Feel free to ask any questions and feel as if you are relieving history in the present time

7. Make it yours

   Want to tweak the itinerary? Book directly & chat afterwards with your host to adjust highlights, skip stops, or make small changes to fit your preferences.

   Book risk-free: Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund.

   Need something special? Personalize your experience for more time, alternative locations or a completely tailored plan.

Flexible cancellation policy

• Feel confident booking

  Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund. Even up to 7 days before your experience, you’ll receive a refund, minus the service fee.

• Change of plans?

  Reschedule your experience to a date and time that works best for you.

• Loved by travelers worldwide

  Simple and flexible – your plans, your way.

Reviews from guests

DeEtta G🇺🇸 United States

(About local Monica)

15 August 2024

Such a pleasure to meet Monica and have her be our tour guide! She is professional and knowledgeable about Scotland, as well as personable and entertaining, with fascinating stories about Scotland's history. She is truly a people person, enjoys getting to know you and adapts her guidance to suit your interests. Joyful!

Jana

(About local Alec)

24 April 2024

Marvellous Edinburgh city and its history introduced by highly educated and friendly local Alec - highly recommended! Jana and LukasHistory of Edinburgh

Allan

(About local Alice)

27 July 2025

Alice was great fun and completely flexible to our needs . First time with a local tour. Another great way to enjoy Edinburgh. Highly recommend to all. Fun and spooky tour indeed

Arthur

(About local Alec)

26 July 2025

We had a great time with Alec on the food tour. At the beginning, he asked us a few questions to get an idea of our interests beyond food and quickly curated a lot of great sightseeing to go along with the snacks. Alec had great stories and histories to share about the town and kept the entire time very engaging. Because we were moving pretty quick, we also got to go on some bonus adventures, which was very welcomed. The food that was selected was great! If I had one critique, I would say that the back end of the tour where we sampled 4 different pies was a lot all at once. I think I would have preferred we did 1 or 2 pies (because you have to of course!) and maybe another quick stop for something different? However, we had such a great time on this tour and can't recommend it enough!Great Bites and Stories in Edinburgh

Valerie

(About local Alice)

20 July 2025

Alice was great - we had a group of 9 - it was classic Scotland weather - a bit of drizzle off and on - and Alice rolled with it - a few minutes at the Story Telling Centre and then off we went. Lots of history and you can tell that she has a special love for her city. Thank you Alice for a great tour! Great way to tour Ednburgh!

Arne

(About local Monica)

20 July 2025

Wir hatten zu viert eine private Tour mit Monika. Das war super, sehr informativ , sie geht auf alle Fragen ein. Fragt zu Beginn nach unseren Interessen. Thanks a lotSuper

Kathleen🇺🇸 United States

(About local Svend-Erik)

18 July 2025

We totally enjoyed our walking tour the only bad part is it seemed to go to fast. Beautiful day to walk the town and Svend is truly a story teller. Kept us totally engaged would definitely book him again.Great Day in Edinburgh

Inka

(About local Alice)

17 July 2025

For our first time visit in Edinburgh as a family with grown up kids, we booked a three hour tour with Alice: she is a great story-teller, we loved to learn about the secrets of Edinburgh. We had a very interesting and fun afternoon, Alice was warm and cheerful, we enjoyed every minute. Highly recommended Great experience

Asiya

(About local Alice)

17 July 2025

She is a wonderful guide, storyteller and person. She entertained and educated our student group flawlessly. Perfect!

Brecken🇺🇸 United States

(About local Neil)

16 July 2025

We had a fantastic afternoon exploring Edinburgh with Neil! His deep knowledge of the city's history, hidden gems, and fun facts kept us all engaged—and he even managed to keep our 9-year-old twins entertained the entire time. His warm personality and thoughtful recommendations made the experience feel like a day out with an old friend. He tailored the tour to our interests, added plenty of humor and charm, and shared insights we would’ve completely missed on our own. We ended the evening with a delicious dinner at a local spot Neil suggested—it was the perfect way to wrap up a truly memorable day. Highly recommend!A Perfect Day in Edinburgh with Neil!

Sona

(About local Alice)

15 July 2025

This was an excellent tour of the royal mile and Edinburgh castle. My family and I really enjoyed Alice’s stories on the history of the area. Thankyou Alice. Excellent tour for families

Emily🇨🇦 Canada

(About local Gains)

15 July 2025

Gains is extreamly knowledgable about scottish history. He helped us to orient ourselves in the city especially around the royal mile. Wether it was identifying the inspiration for Hogwarts and the validity as such, to the square by the writers museum which holds quotes of Scottish authors, he showed us hidden areas that would be easily missed by the casual visitor. If you have a love of history and want to engage with a likeminded individual Gains is your ideal tour guide.Great tour!

Christoph🇦🇹 Austria

(About local Alice)

14 July 2025

Alice was a great and very entertaining tourguide. The stories she told were definitely spooky and thats what we expected on the tour. You should really go for it and book it. But be aware: its not for the faint hearted:)Absolutely amazing

Nancy🇺🇸 United States

(About local Alice)

14 July 2025

Out of our 14 day UK adventure our tour day with Alice was truly a highlight of the trip. She was fun, calm, not in a rush (critical with 2 young children), and super knowledgeable about the area. She is a captivating story teller and we felt as though we saw parts of Edinburgh that we would never have happened upon on our own. She was so patient with our group and very personable. Can't recommend her enough! Alice is THE BEST

Andrew🇺🇸 United States

(About local Alec)

13 July 2025

Alec gave a really enjoyable tour with lots of tips and information we likely wouldn't have found on our own. We especially enjoyed the bit about the Heart of Midlothian and watching to see who stepped on it and who did not.

Avtar🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Russell)

12 July 2025

Booked this for my parents. They had a great time and a good chat with Russell. Definitely would recommend him for others. This tour was the perfect time length too. Russell was lovely

Andrew🇺🇸 United States

(About local Alice)

9 July 2025

Alice gave us quite a performance of many a spooky story. Added much history to visit to Edinburgh. Loved it all. Booo

Andrew🇺🇸 United States

(About local Alice)

8 July 2025

Alice was a charming and knowledgeable guide and an absolutely brilliant storyteller. She really did a great job of noticing what interested us the most and focusing on those things more, but also introducing us to things we wouldn't have known about otherwise. Thanks again Alice!

Shanna

(About local Alice)

8 July 2025

Alice was an engaging storyteller. We could have listened to her voice all day!Aloce was fantastic!

Odette Maria🇺🇸 United States

(About local Alice)

7 July 2025

We enjoyed each and every minute with Alice. Her storytelling skills and ability to captivate both the adults and the little ones on our guided tour was one of the highlights of our trip, and brought the ancient structures we had been walking through to life. Thank you Alice!Exceptional

Mitch

(About local Alice)

5 July 2025

justine.carbonell0228

(About local Alice)

3 July 2025

Alice was our personal tour guide for Edinburgh Castle. It was a great experience to learn about the history of the Castle in such an interesting way! Alice had a great way of telling the stories behind the beginning of the castle and the different structures within the Castle. I would highly recommend her!Excellent Edinburgh Castle Tour

Pedro Mariano🇧🇷 Brazil

(About local Alice)

2 July 2025

Alice was a wonderful guide and a true storyteller. It was a walk full of stories. Thank you for showing us so many precious details that we would never have known.an amazing walk in edinburgh

Alesia🇺🇸 United States

(About local Gains)

2 July 2025

Edinburgh is a wonderful city to visit-rich with history. People were very friendly and it was very convenient to get around the city by tram or bus. We did a walking tour with Gains because we love history. Gains was fabulous-very intelligent and knowledgeable about the history of Edinburgh and Scotland. He fixed the tour around our interests and was very amenable to any changes. We learned so much from him and had a very memorable tour!Edinburgh

Ivana

(About local Russell)

1 July 2025

An afternoon spent with Russell gave us more insight and experience than two full days exploring the city on our own. His personal stories and childhood memories truly brought the places to life, adding a whole new layer of meaning to the streets of Edinburgh. We discovered charming hidden alleys and iconic landmarks we would have completely missed if Russell hadn’t pointed them out. I really appreciated that he reached out to us beforehand and tailored the tour to match our interests — everything was thoughtfully planned. His deep knowledge of Edinburgh’s history added incredible context and made every stop along the way even more engaging. He was well-prepared, kind, and an absolutely delightful person to explore the city with. It felt like walking around with a local friend who knows all the secrets. Couldn’t recommend this tour more — a must-do in Edinburgh! :)An Unforgettable Afternoon with Russell!

Terrina🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Neil)

1 July 2025

I can't recommend Neil enough! Neil is a local to Edinburgh with a passion for sharing his knowledge of his home town with tourists! Our tour was at just the right pace - not too fast or too slow. Neil shared Edinburgh's history and hidden secrets- with a delightful touch of his own personal tales. Thank you Neil!!!Best With Locals Guide Ever!!!

Caroline

(About local Neil)

30 June 2025

We had an amazing tour with Neil! This is what we expected to have with a local. All the little interesting stories besides what you read in common travel literature. We had so much fun and would definitely recommend Neill ! He even sent us some information and links about our tour and provided us with tips for our onward journey! Couldnt have been better ! Best edinburgh stories with neil

Kateryna🇪🇸 Spain

(About local Alice)

29 June 2025

This was our first trip to Edinburgh, and we absolutely loved the tour with Alice! She shared so many fun and shocking stories — it was both entertaining and unforgettable. Highly recommended from the bottom of our hearts!• It Was Absolutely Fantastic!

1alice.griffin🇮🇪 Ireland

(About local Alice)

29 June 2025

Alice’s storytelling introduced us to the people & happenings of Edinburghs history through vivid accounts as if you were there! If you want to learn and experience the past don’t hesitate to book Alice you won’t regret it! Informative storytelling at its finest!

Maaike🇳🇱 Netherlands

(About local Alice)

29 June 2025

Alice is a very good storyteller and knows a lot about Edinburgh ! She takes you back to old Edinburgh. When she tells the stories they come to life. She asks about your specific wishes so that the tour is tailor-made for you.Alice takes you back to the old Edinburgh

Rob🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Alec)

27 June 2025

Alex was a wonderful host who had some incredibly interesting stories and insights about Edinburgh. Would highly recommend this tour to anyone who enjoys a bit of of history interlaced with a glass of whiskey along the way!A fascinating insight into Edinburgh!

rbxtnkxg4n

(About local Alice)

25 June 2025

Alice is a gifted communicator and story teller. Her tour was relaxed and informative. She brought history to life for us visitors. She answered questions knowledgeably. We gained a great understanding of the history of the city of Edinburgh in 3 hours that we never could have on our own. We highly recommend Alice and Withlocals Hidden Gems of Edinburgh Tour. Gifted Tour Guide

Jeffrey

(About local Alice)

23 June 2025

Alice was fantastic. Very knowledgeable and great story telling!Fantastic tour

Nicole🇩🇪 Germany

(About local Alec)

22 June 2025

Alec war ein fantastischer Gästeführer, der uns nicht nur einige interessante Geschichten über Edinburgh zu erzählen wusste, sondern auch kleinere Lokalitäten kannte, in denen wir typische Speisen verkosten konnten. Besonders Haggis hat uns gezeigt, wie groß Qualitätsunterschiede sein können. Herzlichen Dank, Alec für die grandiose Führung!Leckereien und Erzählungen

Nicole🇩🇪 Germany

(About local Neil)

22 June 2025

Neil war ein fantastischer Gästeführer. Er hat uns freundlich empfangen und kompetent durch die Geisterwelt der Stadt geführt. Aber nicht nur das: er wusste auch umfassend andere Geschichten zu erzählen, so dass die Zeit wie im Fluge verlief. Absolut empfehlenswert und ein großes DANKE an Neil!Großartige Führung durch die Geisterwelt

Rick

(About local Alice)

18 June 2025

Alice did a superb job in touring us through Edinburgh Castle! She is informative, thoughtful, and full of personality. I can’t recommend her enough!Alice is Great!

Laura🇺🇸 United States

(About local Alice)

17 June 2025

We enjoyed our walk around Edinburgh with Alice. She is a storyteller and that really comes through as she tells stories about the town. We very much enjoyed our quick preview of the city through her eyes. Thank you Alice for a wonderful time. Wonderful Experience

Unknown

(About local Neil)

15 June 2025

Neil was extremely knowledgeable and accommodating to our needs and catered the tour our ability! I highly recommend Neil!Fantastic tour guide!

Lessa🇺🇸 United States

(About local Alec)

14 June 2025

Despite the rain (after all it is Edinburgh), Alec showed us interesting historical sites and bought us lovely treats. I even ate haggis, even though I never thought I would. It was delicious! I especially appreciated how Alec tailored the tour to our interests. For example, he took us to the University of Edinburgh because I told him I had a special interest in colleges. Hire Alec for a wonderful, fascinating day!We had a great day with Alec!

Alicia🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Alice)

9 June 2025

Alice was able to provide a well-paced guide to the Edinburgh castle (and an extended tour of the Royal Mile). Her story telling skills were exceptional. The history and fun facts came alive with her stories and even we, by the end of tour, were starting to get the timeline sorted of some of the most important Scottish events and people. We were thankful for her tweaking of timings to different parts of the Castle to maximize warmth and dryness on a very wet Scottish day so that we could really concentrate on what was being said and in front of us. Book Alice, you’ll have a great day out. Bad weather? No matter with Alice

Ryan

(About local Alice)

9 June 2025

Alice did a wonderful job tailoring our tour of Edinburgh to our family of five (children ages 15, 13, and 8). All of us were engaged throughout the tour, and Alice was able to answer our questions. She is a fantastic storyteller and made the city's history come to life. We travel frequently, and this is one of the best tours we've ever had.Fantastic Tour!

Tom🇺🇸 United States

(About local Gains)

9 June 2025

Shannon🇺🇸 United States

(About local Alice)

8 June 2025

Alice was so fun. It was basically pouring rain the entire time, but she was so engaging. She is a wonderful storyteller and we had a great time exploring Edinburgh with her. Amazing

Robert

(About local Alice)

8 June 2025

Alice was a wealth of knowledge and provided the background which we found to be amazing. Her ability to communicate the history in a way that made one feel when you left the castle you wanted to find out more about the kings and queens of Scotland. The 2 hour tour was the right amount of time. Strongly suggestThe Castle fact and fiction

David

(About local Monica)

7 June 2025

Monica was simply the best — friendly, kind, and accommodating. She created an extended tour at our request and provided true “local” insights to her hometown. Her communications were excellent. The info was a combination of history, human interest and local insights. A very fun time. Highly recommend seeing Edinburgh through the eyes of Monica. The best

Chris🇺🇸 United States

(About local Alec)

6 June 2025

Alec provided us with a terrific tour of Edinburgh; full of history and current events. He really entertained and educated us a the same time.Alec is a Great Guide

Julie🇺🇸 United States

(About local Monica)

4 June 2025

We had a great tour of Edinburgh Castle with Monica. She customized it to accommodate my bad knee, which was so helpful. Monica told us many wonderfully rich and historic tales that tied the history of Scotland together using the castle as thread. Highly recommend booking With Locals and requesting Monica. I could have spent days listening to her stories of Scotland. Wonderful tour of Edinburgh Castle

Christiane

(About local Alice)

2 June 2025

We had a wonderful afternoon with Alice, learning and walking around the city. We included the castle as well! We had flown in very early that morning and Alice more than kept us awake and entertained. Would certainly love to tour with Alice again. A wonderful afternoon in Edinburgh

Unknown

(About local Alice)

2 June 2025

This experience was exactly what we needed to introduce us to Edinburgh. So much interesting history and perfectly tailored to our taste. All Alice’s restaurant/ shop recommendations were also on point. Couldn’t recommend Alice more.Perfect!

Eric🇺🇸 United States

(About local Svend-Erik)

1 June 2025

Svend was very informative and flexible for what we wanted out of the tourMary Queen of Scotts