Alec

The Talk o’ the Toon

  • I live in Edinburgh
  • I speak English
  • Verified Local host
  • Response time less than 12 hours

Hi there! Nice to meet you

Alec

Firstly, congratulations for deciding to visit Edinburgh! Whether you book a tour or not you are visiting a very special city that has so much to offer regardless of the time of year or what the weather is doing.

I grew up in Edinburgh and have a passion for my city and all the incredible sights, sounds and tastes it has to offer. Having travelled extensively myself over the years I know how important local knowledge is to really get to grips with a city as only a local can look past the obvious tourist hotspots and understand what makes a city tick. Edinburgh has so much to offer but it's the quirky, hidden gems that I'm most excited to share with you.

So, if you want to make the most of your time visiting what Time Out recently announced as 'the world’s most beautiful, walkable and generally bloody excellent place to visit' then I'd be very happy to show you around!

  • I live in Edinburgh
  • I speak English
  • Verified Local host
  • Response time less than 12 hours

My Edinburgh in pictures

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Reviews

Ashley
3 August 2025
We absolutely loved our tour with Alec who was personable, knowledgeable and went above and beyond! He was prepared for any question we could ask and typically had additional information at his fingertips to share with us. Highly recommend! Wonderful experience with Alec
Arthur
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
Andrew
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.
Rob
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!
Nicole
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
Lessa
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!
Chris
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
Ethan
30 May 2025
Alec was an absolutely fantastic guide. He walked us through the streets of Edinburgh, stopping at places we never would have stopped at before, recounting fabulous stories. He is extremely learned, and is able to tailor tour to what his audience cares about and is fascinated in. I would 10/10 recommend people booking this tour!Knowledgable, interesting, and helpful!
Diana
16 May 2025
Alec was an excellent guide who tailored his tour according to our interests. Personable , Knowledgeable, and well paced. As usual, WithLocals offers great private tours. Thank you, Alec Walking Edinburgh with Alec
Laura
14 May 2025
We had a fantastic experience on our Castle Tour with Alec! He was an outstanding guide—knowledgeable, engaging, and clearly passionate about the local history. Alec shared fascinating stories and historical insights that really brought the castles to life. He explained everything in a way that was easy to understand and helped us truly appreciate what we were seeing. We walked away not just entertained, but also having learned so much. Highly recommend touring with Alec!

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