A good walk is an ideal remedy for the January blues, and why not double its benefits by making it a walking tour? Thankfully, Edinburgh is a perfect city to explore on foot and is rich with informative, interactive - and some unexpected - walking tours options. Here's a list of tours you might want to book right away.
Intimate Lives: The History of Sex and Desire in Edinburgh's Old Town (16+)
Historical tour with a twist - this walk will take you on a journey through the deepest intimate secrets of Edinburgh of the past. Church, prayer, and all things sacred might be the first thing people think of when talking about medieval times. However, the rarely talked about stories are much more amusing.
The Intimate Lives tour will cover such topics as privacy, masturbation, sex work and LGBT+ relationships in the capital's past, opening up a whole new history path you have probably never heard of.
Price: £8.50
Book here
Black History Walking Tour of Edinburgh
It might come as a surprise, but Edinburgh has close links with African and Caribbean communities, trailing 500 years back. Led by Lisa Williams, the Edinburgh Caribbean Association founder, the tour will take you through that rich history, from the 16th century to the present day.
Running for up to two hours, the walk will touch on the Caribbean and Edinburgh's roles in the Transatlantic Slave System while telling stories of individual people.
Price: £16.22
Book here
Edinburgh's Queer History: a 90-minute walking tour
Uncover centuries of queer history hiding in plain sight in Edinburgh's Old Town with this tour. During the walk, you will hear many stories of real-life people and learn how queer community fought for its rights and acceptance.
A local guide will take you through some of the historical LGBTQ+ events that took place in the capital city and the critical points in the community's history from the 17th century to the modern days. And, of course, there will be cunning stories of love and royal gossip.
Price: £16.50
Book here
Edinburgh Interactive Ghost Walks with Haunting Nights
While every city has a few spooky stories to tell after dark, Edinburgh has enough to leave you sleepless for years. From Half-Hangit Maggie to the famous torturer and executioner Sir George Mackenzie, you'll hear many stories and legends that will send shivers down your spine. Of course, Edinburgh's most haunted pub, with over 500 years of dark history behind it, is also on the list.
Try on a role of a ghost hunter trying out different techniques of detecting paranormal activity with this tour. However, we must warn that the walk is not for those who are scared easily.
Price: £11.37
Book here
