World City Guide

Tours of the City

The Cadies-Witchery Tours (tel: (0131) 225 6745; fax: (0131) 220 2086; e-mail: info@witcherytours.com; website: www.witcherytours.com), organises walking tours of the Old Town, mixing history with humour and ghosts with gore. The adult price of £7.50 includes a book of witchery tales. The tour leaves from The Witchery restaurant, near the Castle, and lasts 90 minutes.

Mercat Walking Tours (tel/fax: (0131) 557 6464; e-mail: info@mercattours.com; website: www.mercattours.com), operates a ‘Ghosts and Ghouls’ tour daily at 1900 and 2000. The tour costs £7.50 for adults and lasts 90 minutes, with an extended tour lasting an extra 30 minutes also now available. The tour sets off from the Mercat Cross by St Giles Cathedral and the company also offers a number of other ghoulish tours of the city.

The two-hour Edinburgh Literary Pub Tour (tel/fax: (0131) 226 6665 or (0800) 169 7410; website: www.edinburghliterarypubtour.co.uk) has actors guiding walkers through historic taverns where famous writers used to meet. The evening tour sets off from the Beehive Inn, in the Grassmarket, and costs £7 for adults (concessions available). Tours start at 1930 and run daily from June to September (less frequently in winter).

Bus Tours
Tour buses are run by Edinburgh Bus Tours (tel: (0131) 220 0770; e-mail: edinburghtour@fsmail.net; website: www.edinburghtour.com). Tours depart every 10/15 minutes from Waverley Bridge (every 30 minutes in winter). The city sightseeing circuit takes approximately one hour and covers all the major sites, such as Edinburgh Castle and the Palace of Holyroodhouse. A day ticket costs £8.50 and is valid for 24 hours. Highland Experience (tel: (0131) 331 1889; website: www.highlandexperience.com) runs regular tours out to Rosslyn Chapel and further afield into the Scottish Highlands.

Helicopter Tours
Lothian Helicopters (tel: (01875) 320032; website: www.lothianhelicopters.co.uk) runs helicopter tours of the city, costing from £35 per person for a short flight through to £390 per person for a comprehensive tour of the Forth Valley. Most popular is a 20 minute tour of the city and Forth rail and road bridges, costing £90.