Mercat Tours

‘‘History is a damn good story,  what it needs is a damn good telling!”

Mercat Tours are Edinburgh’s original five star history and ghost tour company. Our accredited guides bring Edinburgh’s stories to life every day. Discover the history of the city or join one of our ghost tours to hear about the Edinburgh’s dark past. From 10am to 10pm we have tours running from central Edinburgh, 7 days a week.

Our history tours are the perfect introduction to Scotland’s capital. Discover an Edinburgh beyond the reach of tour buses and books. Your expert guide will take you to the places where history was made – the wynds, closes, courtyards and homes of Edinburgh’s Old Town. You’ll be hanging on your guide’s every word, as the true stories of our capital’s past unfold. Think Mary Queen of Scots, David Hume, Adam Smith and Robert Burns. But you’ll go far beyond the well-known facts and faces – uncovering another side of our city, and Scotland’s past.

Our later ghost tours include grisly tales of witchcraft, torture and restless spirits as you venture down medieval closes and descend into the Blair Street Underground Vaults – and we’re the only people with access. Your cloaked guide will lead you through the dimly lit caverns, filling the night with stories – all of them true. In the warmth of candlelight, your storyteller will conjure more tales of Edinburgh’s ghoulish past, and the tortured souls that stalk the city’s streets. From crime and culture to politics and everyday events.

Sharing a warm welcome and our remarkable history, our guides are waiting to meet you at the Mercat Cross.