• Private Tour
• Instantly Confirmed
• Carbon Neutral

You’ve probably heard that Edinburgh is well-known for its ghosts tales, myths and legends, but do you know the stories and origin behind it? Or how much influence it has on the locals daily life? On this private city tour, you are in for a cultural treat!

Destination

Edinburgh, Scotland

Category

City Highlight Tours

Duration

2.5 hours

Transport mode

Walking tour

Available languages

English, Español, Dansk, Svenska

Included

• Private guide
• All Withlocals Tours are Carbon Neutral

What you can expect

Choose your local

Get to know these 8 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 the gates to the main entrance of the Canongate Kirk - 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. Culture of the City

   On this private tour, you’ll experience and discover Edinburgh through its culture. Whether it’s focused on a tradition, a special part of town with a story to tell, cultural beliefs, or around a cultural activity that shaped the city into what it is - this tour will be a cultural awakening you can’t miss!

4. Ghosts, myths and legends in Edinburgh

   Your tour will focus on ghosts, myths and legends, a very important cultural subject in Edinburgh. Thanks to your local host, you’ll learn and see how ghosts, myths and legends made an impact in Edinburgh, making you experience the city from a different perspective.

5. Cultural Highlights

   As you deep dive into the subject of your tour, you’ll make stops to visit unique spots that will give you a full picture of the city. Visit the Robert Fergusson statue, Canongate Kirkyard, Greyfriars Kirkyard, and more and see how these cultural highlights are part of the local life but have so much history behind them!

6. Storytelling Journey

   As you discover the cultural side of Edinburgh, you’ll be able to embrace it 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.

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

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

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!

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

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

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

Rex🇺🇸 United States

(About local Chris)

1 July 2025

We had a really great time with Chris. He’s a very pleasant person and shared interesting stories about the city he grew up in. It was a perfect introduction on the first day we arrived. Highly recommend doing a tour with him!Great tour with Chris!

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!

Jeffrey

(About local Alice)

23 June 2025

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

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

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

Emilie🇫🇷 France

(About local Alice)

30 May 2025

Alice's tour was the one of the most captivating of the guided tours we have been on. Even though we were quite tired from our long day, she managed to get our attention from her first to her last word. What a storyteller! If you're looking for a informative and entertaining tour full of ghastly anecdotes and exhilarating tales, I would 100% recommend Alice !The most wonderful storyteller

Daniel

(About local Alice)

28 May 2025

We had an amazing experience on our ghost and history tour in Edinburgh, all thanks to our fantastic guide, Alice. Her storytelling skills were truly outstanding—she transported us back in time with vivid tales that made the city’s dark past come alive. Alice struck the perfect balance between eerie ghost stories, intriguing myths, and fascinating historical facts. It wasn’t just spooky—it was an immersive journey through Edinburgh’s rich and mysterious history. What made this tour even more special was that it was just the two of us, making the experience incredibly personal and intimate. It felt far more engaging than the larger group tours we’ve been on before. If you want a unique, memorable, and spine-tingling experience in Edinburgh, this tour with Alice is a must!Edinburgh’s Dark Past Brought Alive

Brenda🇨🇦 Canada

(About local Svend-Erik)

13 May 2025

Eric was very informative and really knew his history! Loved hearing his many stories-truth and fiction! Answered all of our questions and would highly recommend Happy Seniors

Dawn

(About local Alice)

9 May 2025

Just the best 2.30hrs spent in s long time Alice was amazing 👏 Wow what a fab experience.

Craig🇿🇦 South Africa

(About local Alice)

9 May 2025

Thank you, Alice, for a fascinating couple of hours. You certainly know how to tell a good story, and it is always a pleasure to listen to someone, who not only knows what they are talking about, but who clearly enjoys what they are doing as well. You made old Edinburgh come alive for me, thank you. Will hopefully be back before too long, with my wife this time, and we will certainly look to book with you again. Many thanks Craig Dobson

JILL

(About local Alice)

2 January 2025

Rebekah🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

(About local Alice)

19 October 2024

We had a fantastic tour with Alice. She was knowledgeable, funny, and accommodating throughout our tour. We learned so much about Edinburgh and Alice gave great recommendations for places to visit. The amazing stories really made our experience there all the more magical! Thank you, Alice!Amazing storyteller

Erin🇺🇸 United States

(About local Alec)

6 October 2024

Alec was a delight. Witty, professional and knowledgeable- couldn’t ask for anything more from a tour. We had the best time learning about Edinburgh from him. Absolutely book Alec. Exceptional guide & tour!

Jennifer

(About local Xavier)

4 October 2024

Loved the historical perspective! Great Tour

Elizabeth🇺🇸 United States

(About local Sara)

20 July 2024

Sara was fantastic and tailored our ghost and legends tour perfectly to our group (3 adults/1 child), including an abundance of Harry Potter facts and trivia. We would definitely recommend this experience if you’re looking for something a little different but still loaded with historical facts & finds from a local who loves her city! Highly recommend!

Catriona 🇦🇷 Argentina

(About local Alice)

9 July 2024

We had the best tour with Alice!!! She was a fantastic storyteller and kept the kids mesmerised with all her tales throughout the entire tour. She is very welcoming and joyful!!! Thank you very much Alice for a wonderful afternoon!!!!Wonderful fun tour with Alice

Nicholas🇺🇸 United States

(About local Alice)

22 June 2024

Our family had a wonderful tour with Alice. We all agreed she was the best guide we have had on trips. At each stop she shared a story which helped us understand the history of Edinburgh. Alice was fun and charismatic which made it a highly enjoyable walking tour of a great city.Edinburgh walking tour

Erin Christine🇺🇸 United States

(About local Alice)

13 June 2024

After a delightful tour with Alice when here last summer, I knew I needed to book another tour with her while here this summer. She is so good at not just telling you information but also helping you live the stories she is telling about the city and its people. A wonderful evening tour, and Alice is great. Great tour

Tom🇺🇸 United States

(About local Alice)

3 June 2024

Out evening with Alice was everything we could have hoped for. My wife and I have enjoyed many a walking tour over the years, but the the rest paled in comparison this one. Alice brings genuine talent and enthusiasm to her craft as she walks her guests through some of the rich, dark history and lurid tales of colorful characters who have walked the streets of Edinburg. Her presentation was gripping and her knowledge deep. Highly recommended!A true artist--captivating and fun!

Dr Bruce🇺🇸 United States

(About local Svend-Erik)

16 May 2024

Melissa🇺🇸 United States

(About local Alice)

5 May 2024

Alice was a fantastic guide and story teller. We spent 2.5 hours exploring old town Edinburgh, through cemeteries and back alleyways, hearing stories ranging from disturbing to chilling along the way. Alice and friendly and easy to talk with, when she gets into a story she is very expressive and we were all invested in the stories. Even my husband who was doubtful he’d be interested in “ghosts, myths and legends” hung on to her every word and has raved about her storytelling since. We would definitely book another tour with Alice and highly recommend her.Captivating stoeyteller!

Greg🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Sara)

29 March 2024

Pleasant experience with going off the beaten path and seeing and hearing some great stories Informative walk

María del Mar

(About local Xavier)

22 January 2024

Hicimos dos tours con Xavi, mi familia y yo. El tour corto por la cuidad y el de los fantasmas. Ambos imperdibles, Xavi es extraordinario para contar historias y hasta actuarlas. El tour de los fantasmas nos tocó mucha lluvia y viento y aún así no pudimos dejarlo, súper recomendable. Un placer haber conocido Edimburgo con Xavi. Muchas gracias Fantastico

Alexander🇩🇪 Germany

(About local Sara)

5 December 2023

Sara is a gifted story teller and the tour was amazing. We had some good laughs. Listening to one of her songs at night is an event in itself. She told us a lot of detailed stories about some famous Edinburghians. Don't want to spoil too much here, you need to take the tour! She also reacted to our questions and interests and spontaneously changed the tour a bit to make it fit even better. Also, the places we visited are really worth to see them at night and hear the stories about some famous and some notorious Edinburgh poets, misfits as well as about the lucky and unlucky ones, not to forget the development of the city and its underworld. Also, if you are interested particularly (as we were) into the stories of body snatching and grave robbery, this is your tour! Also, Sara patiently waited at all sites we went to, to give me a chance to translate for my dad, who also very much enjoyed the tour. So, overall, that's a tour, which also gives you a lot of inspirations to come back to the places and explore them in more depth (as we did the day after). Highly recommended! The night is dark & full of... stories

Martina🇩🇰 Denmark

(About local Alice)

27 November 2023

I absolutely loved being guided on the spooky tour of Edinburgh by Alice. She is a captivating storyteller, with impeccable timing and just the right amount of words in every sentence to keep it interesting, flowing and engaging. She was masterful in navigating the fine line between story and fact, weaving them seamlessly together. In the end, it didn't actually matter whether all of it were true or not, because I wanted to believe it! And isn't that the power of a truly good story? I can highly recommend Alice as a guide for an authentic and well-timed experience of Edinburgh's myths, ghosts and legends. Brilliantly spooky tour

Nanna🇩🇰 Denmark

(About local Svend-Erik)

25 October 2023

Vi havde en rigtig sjov og interessant tur rundt i Edinburgh med Svend-Erik. Han ved rigtig meget om byen og kan fortælle dens historie (og røverhistorier) på fornemmeste og mest underholdende vis. Han går virkelig op i det han laver, og involverer sig i sine fortællinger, så man kommer ikke til at kede sig i hans selskab. Han var også imødekommende og fleksibel i forhold til at tilpasse ruten, så det passede bedst i forhold til vores startsted og efterfølgende planer for dagen, så det var alt i alt en helt perfekt formiddag - og han deler i øvrigt gerne ud af sine gode tips til lokale spisesteder, pubber osv. Det var fedt i forhold til vores planlægning af turen for en gruppe på 14. (P.s. - selvom alle vi der var med i gruppen taler fint engelsk, så var det nu også dejligt at få en rundvisning på dansk :-) Så alle vores bedste anbefalinger af Svend-Erik).Super guidet tur med Svend-Erik

Dominique🇨🇭 Switzerland

(About local Svend-Erik)

22 July 2023

Very interesting tour filled with humour, nerdy facts and good times. We enjoyed the tour very much and would definitely recommend Svend's tour to anyone looking for some gritty and essential stories from Edinburgh. He is a great storyteller who can get the whole tour group immersed through his suspensful and immersive storytelling skills.Great tour

Stacie🇺🇸 United States

(About local Alice)

16 July 2023

We had a wonderful time with Alice and highly recommend her tour if you enjoy storytelling and like hearing less known tales of Edinburgh. We thoroughly enjoyed walking through the city with her and seeing the places as she told true legends of the sites. It was a highlight of our trip.Excellent tour and storytelling

Claire🇨🇦 Canada

(About local Alice)

13 July 2023

We had a wonderful tour with Alice ! She shared so many myths, legends and truths about the history of Edinburgh that it captured my family instantly ! She tailored the stories so that they were interesting to both our 10 and 12 yr olds and to us ! Thank you, Alice ! Would definitely recommend this tour to others ! Wonderful dark tour of Edinburgh!

Jeanine🇺🇸 United States

(About local Alice)

6 July 2023

We had such a lovely time with Alice last night (July 5th) on our private History, Ghosts and Legends walking tour of Edinburgh! She was a font of knowledge, and really made the histories and legends come alive with her engaging storytelling style! 😀Alice is AMAZING!!

Mark🇺🇸 United States

(About local Alice)

25 June 2023

Perfect introduction to the darker side of Edinburgh, both in location and tales. A very well tailored tour for our needs.

Yannicke🇳🇱 Netherlands

(About local Alice)

19 June 2023

Alice was very lovely and a great storyteller!

Femke🇳🇱 Netherlands

(About local Svend-Erik)

27 May 2023

In the following 2 days we frequently got reminders of the great stories that Svend told us. Edinburgh is full of these stories and Svend was for us the best person to tell them. Very pleasant! A great story-teller.Great way to get to know the coty

Tobias🇩🇪 Germany

(About local Alice)

11 April 2023

Alice is a great storyteller with a great passion for Edinburgh history. We did a 2 hour walking tour of the old town and had a lot of chilling fun with the eight or nine stories Alice told us and we learned a lot of interesting details about the history of the city. The tour started at Canongate Kirk and ended with Bobby's story at Greyfriars. Important for us as non-native speakers: Alice was wonderful to understand and also responded to our children. Definitely our best of many good experiences "with locals" so far! Strong recommendation!Fantastic Storyteller

Lex

(About local Alice)

1 March 2023

We had a great evening Tour with Alice in Edinburgh. Great stories, wonderpil told zo us and a very nice and interesting tour which brought us to unexpected places. Great stories flexibel tour

Mike🇺🇸 United States

(About local Svend-Erik)

2 January 2023

Svend was great. He was very knowledgeable about the many areas in Edinburgh we wanted to explore and told his stories in a fun and engaging way. Would definitely recommend! Fantastic tour

Hege Angelica🇳🇴 Norway

(About local Svend-Erik)

22 November 2022

We had lovely tour, and we learned a lot about Edinburgh and it’s people in the old days. Svend-Erik is engaging and tells stories in a fun way. Now, every time we pass by certain places we remember his stories. Time went by fast. Great experience and great guide

Jennifer🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Alice)

5 November 2022

Alice was great - stories were so interesting and linked, mixing history and a bit of spookiness (it is Edinburgh after all!). Learnt lots of interesting tidbits - thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience, would happily do another!Such a great personalised experience!

Rita🇺🇸 United States

(About local Alice)

21 September 2022

Five of our family followed Alice through closes and graveyards in the dark. She told us fascinating stories about characters in Edinburgh's past, both rumored and true. She set a pace that was doable for a couple of us with knee issues; Greatly appreciated that. And her warmth and humor. Had a great time!Engaging

Sandra 🇩🇪 Germany

(About local Svend-Erik)

14 September 2022

What a crazy and more than worthy Experience. Svend with his huge Amount of Knowledge was Just Amazing !!! We did have a Great Time with. Lots of Laugh and Stories. Thanks so much !!‘ Great Start into a 3 Week Scotland Trip Sandra with Oli Fun and a lot of Information

Shannon🇺🇸 United States

(About local Svend-Erik)

21 August 2022

Svend-Erik is an excellent storyteller-- full of interesting facts and energy. We very much enjoyed our tour with Svend, and highly recommend him for anyone who likes a good story told in situ. Svend even changed the planned tour for us a bit, because we had already seen some things on the original itinerary, and he customized the stories for things that were interesting to us. An excellent way to spend an evening!

Fiona🇨🇦 Canada

(About local Sara)

6 August 2022

I’ve been to Edinburgh before (I have family in the area) so I was looking for a tour for my mother and I that would go beyond the standard tour. Sara did not disappoint. She took us to places I’ve never been and shared stories and history I did not know. She was lovely to spend time with and a talented singer. I highly recommend her tour! Fantastic tour with a bit of beautiful singing

Michelle🇪🇸 Spain

(About local Svend-Erik)

20 July 2022

Scend-Erik was great. We enjoyed very much our time and learn many interesting things Svend-Erik was great.

Carolin🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Alice)

14 June 2022

Our walking tour with guide Alice was really a delight! All three of us are students here in Edinburgh and have been staying here since last year, however, on this tour we learned many new things about Edinburgh's history and legends. Alice is a great storyteller and really brought the stories to life. You will visit some dark closes and graveyards, which adds to the spooky atmosphere. All in all a really fun tour that I would highly recommend!Treasures of Edinburgh Walking Tour