Edinburgh Royal Mile Walking Tour: An Honest Review

Alright, so you’re thinking of checking out the Royal Mile in Edinburgh? Cool, I mean, who wouldn’t be? And you might be pondering whether to actually jump on one of those walking tours, that is that right? Specifically, you might’ve seen the “Edinburgh Tales of the Royal Mile Walking Tour” floating around and are now thinking: is it worth the cash? Well, I went on that tour, and I’m here to share what went down, what I liked, and also, you know, some stuff that maybe wasn’t so amazing.

First Impressions and Setting the Scene

To be honest, the Royal Mile can feel kinda overwhelming when you first show up. There are throngs of folks all moseying down the street, bagpipe sounds competing with shopkeepers trying to catch your eye, plus old buildings towering over you. It’s pretty to see, sure, but also quite confusing if you are hoping to actually learn anything about this historic old street. That’s kinda where the walking tour steps in, I feel. The “Edinburgh Tales” tour promises, maybe, a peek past all the surface stuff and, possibly, gets you into the stories, the strange things, and yeah, even a bit of the darkness that makes the Royal Mile super special. At the very least, it will get you oriented, usually.

The Guide and Storytelling

Honestly, the guide can make or break a walking tour, basically. Our guide was, like, super enthusiastic and really got into it, right? I believe her name was, let’s just say “Eliza”. She wasn’t only reciting historical facts, yet, she was properly bringing them to life with all types of tales and, of course, even a few impressions. Now, there were several stops where she talked about some seriously creepy events that went down hundreds of years ago – murders and hauntings and such. Also, in some respects, she delivered them really well and I could notice several people around me seemed properly spooked. So, clearly she was succeeding.

Basically, Eliza seemed super knowledgeable about the stuff, that, you know, actually happened and, moreover, wasn’t hesitant about expressing strong viewpoints. It really added character, you see, to the whole thing and, to be fair, prevented the history from just feeling a bit… dry? She certainly knew what she was doing.

The Stops and Sights Along the Way

Of course, the tour brings you by quite a few main spots along the Royal Mile, that is. We stopped, like, by St. Giles’ Cathedral – I was definitely fascinated learning about some of its rather radical history – as well as the Mercat Cross, where they used to, actually, carry out public executions, and all those horrible events she brought to life for us. We even slipped away down a couple of those little closes (basically, tiny alleyways), I felt like those closes really give the Royal Mile its unique character.

Too, she pointed out all kinds of cool architectural stuff I might have missed on my own, yeah. A few carvings with quirky background or the explanations about how old the construction truly was – that sorta thing, maybe. And while some of these sights are highlighted on every tour, I feel it’s Eliza’s storytelling which, maybe, really set this one apart.

What I Liked (and Didn’t Like So Much)

So, yeah, as I was saying, I loved the storytelling aspect. But, honestly, the enthusiasm from our guide was maybe super infectious. However, at the end of the day it wasn’t only about the ghosts and scary stuff – even though she covered all those nicely. The tour does actually manage to give you a stronger appreciation of Edinburgh’s history.

As for what wasn’t so amazing? Very, very few things really, alright, I am someone that appreciates getting value for my money! But, honestly, you have to know going in that any walking tour around the Royal Mile involves dealing with some crowds and it can get extremely tricky when it’s the holiday season. Plus, while Eliza worked quite hard to get us all closely gathered when she was speaking, sometimes the group gets separated just a little, right? And then it can be hard to really hear what’s going on. Also, there were a few instances when she was, maybe, asked off-topic things by random individuals and I felt like, in some respects, that took her attention away from the tour for a short amount of time.

Recommendations

So, I’d recommend the Edinburgh Tales of the Royal Mile Walking Tour to, like, pretty much anyone that actually wants to get more deeply in touch with the history behind the iconic old street. You will want to make sure it aligns with what kind of experiences you are hoping to get though, actually. Like, the story leans more toward scary things but there are other tours too if you would prefer history facts only, apparently. Very, very few could go wrong selecting the Edinburgh Tales of the Royal Mile Walking Tour!

Here are some final points:

• Best time to go: The tour often, may be better if booked earlier during the day, hopefully sidestepping the super-huge crowds that you will always find a little bit later in the day.
• Dress for the occasion: Actually, Edinburgh weather is tricky to read, it is, right? Layers are, like, always a brilliant thing.
• Wear suitable shoes: You could be spending, like, two hours upright.