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Grand Historic and Literary Tour of Edinburgh

4 Reviews 5.00 out of 5 stars Based on 4 reviews collected by City Boat Tours and TripAdvisor |
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| Edinburgh, Scotland
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from $34.27 per person

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Grand Historic and Literary Tour of Edinburgh Image 1
Crossing the Royal Mile
At Leith Shore
Along Princes Street
The upper Royal Mile

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On average, this is booked 19 (0) days in advance.
3 hours (approx.)
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Overview

Edinburgh is a city bursting with history, but also with bookishness; so much so that it was the first city in the world to be awarded UNESCO’s ‘City of Literature’ title.

Now, for the first time, you can take a tour which delves deeper than ever before into both our history and our literary connections, from Sherlock Holmes to Harry Potter!

Come with 7 Hills Tours and your guide, Edinburgh native Dr Moray Grigor, on the deepest, most comprehensive coach tour ever offered in Edinburgh, traversing the whole city from the sea to the hills (with short tea break) to bring you our historic and literary secrets, all presented in the engaging style that has won 6 complete years of 5 star review for Moray's other tours. Together we'll be imagining the scenes and events that made history, and there will be chocolate prizes on offer for correct answers to our history and literature quiz questions!

Historic and literary surprises absolutely guaranteed – plus the warmest of Scottish welcomes!

What's Included

  • Air-conditioned vehicle
  • Tea and coffee Coffee and/or Tea
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Meeting Location

Meeting point

Regent Road
Edinburgh EH8 8DR, UK

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Detailed check-in instructions, including the exact address, are provided with your booking confirmation.

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

The Burns Monument

This memorial to our national Bard is in the form of an ancient Greek temple, and is the start point of our tour.
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5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

The Balmoral (Pass By)

Landmark Edinburgh hotel, famous for its clock running three minutes ahead to help rail passengers catch their trains - also where J.K. Rowling completed the 'Harry Potter' saga!
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Scott Monument (Pass By)

The world's biggest literary memorial, to the 'Man who invented Scotland' - superstar romantic author Sir Walter Scott.
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Saint Andrew Square (Pass By)

Grand 18thC square, one of the twin focal points of Edinburgh's 'New Town'. Crowned with statue of Henry Dundas - 'the uncrowned king of Scotland'
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New Town (Pass By)

We'll proceed along upscale George Street, meeting a young man who would gain literary fame and fortune in Canada, and passing the site of Edinburgh's greatest religious schism - the Disruption of 1843. Turning into Hanover Street we'll pass the Royal Society of Edinburgh - where James Hutton's seminal paper on the age of the earth was presented. We'll also pass Milne's Bar, haunt of the 1950's poetry scene!
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Old Town (Pass By)

Ascending the Mound and crossing the Old Town, we'll meet Edinburgh's most notorious criminal and its greatest philosopher, and see the cafe where Harry Potter was 'born' and the site where the disastrous Darien Scheme was hatched in the 1690s.
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Bristo Place (Pass By)

We'll pass Edinburgh's world-renowned Medical School, where we'll hear of some famous alumni, both inside and outside medicine! Next we'll pass George Heriot's school, inspiration for Hogwarts and site of Scotland's first hot air balloon flight! Passing into East Fountainbridge we'll hear of a night club bouncer foiling a gang attack, and later reaching global fame!
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West Princes Street Garden, Edinburgh (Pass By)

We'll meet a world famous woman author getting married in virtual secret, and hear why cemeteries in old Edinburgh needed security towers! Also we'll hear a story of a tough young nightclub bouncer foiling an attack - and later rising to global fame!
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Charlotte Square (Pass By)

In this twin to St Andrew's Square we'll meet a little boy with a VERY big future - and his very unusual birthday present; also we'll unearth the pub haunt of Edinburgh's top contemporary crime writer!
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New Town (Pass By)

Continuing into Queen Street we'll meet another little boy, destined for literary greatness, pass the house where a historic medical discovery was made and the site of possibly the most 'steam-punk' attraction ever made - all will be revealed!
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Newhaven Harbour (Pass By)

Heading north now, we'll hear of greyhounds, speedway riders, and perhaps the greatest tragedy ever to affect the city, before reaching the sea at Edinburgh's delightful fishing port of Newhaven, birthplace of a warship that was the world's biggest!
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Leith (Pass By)

Continuing along the coast, we'll enter Leith, hearing of whisky, red wine, Oliver Cromwell, Rabbie Burns, a cannibal family, and a young queen's return to Scotland...plus, the first of two of the world's first golf courses we'll pass on our tour, with the story of the first Open Champion, surgeon John Rattray, nearly killed by his trade, but saved by his hobby!
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Portobello Beach

Heading east still, (and stopping for a short refreshment break) we'll hear of the world's greatest ever assembly of warships, and also solve the puzzle of which navy were menacing Edinburgh in 1779! We'll meet two of the greatest stars of the early 20th century stage, one who was born in Edinburgh, one who died here, and also reveal perhaps Edinburgh's greatest culinary secret!
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15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Holyrood Park (Pass By)

Returning to the city we'll cross Holyrood Park, site of our Royal Palace and historic Abbey, and also encampment for Bonnie Prince Charlie's Highland army of 1745. Coming out of the park, we'll pass the first of two girls' schools which became world famous in fiction!
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The Pleasance (Pass By)

Crossing the street which becomes The Pleasance, we'll encounter historic Jewish Edinburgh, and see a famous architect's first, very beautiful Edinburgh project. We'll also hear the tale of when Scott met Burns for the one and only time!
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The Meadows (Pass By)

Crossing this beautiful green space, we'll hear stories of its history as a loch, its present as a student playground, and of the great 18th century intellectuals who lived and walked in the area.
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Merchiston (Pass By)

Heading now towards upscale Merchiston, we'll surprise you with a very famous American visitor of the 1840's, and also reveal a couple of Edinburgh's industrial firsts, also passing close to the estate of Scotland's greatest mathematician and the home street of our most famous present-day writer, J.K. Rowling.
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Craiglockhart (Pass By)

Passing through 'Happy Valley', we'll encounter Great War poets Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoon, who met in 1917 during recovery at the pioneering military psychiatric hospital founded in a converted hotel here.
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Morningside Road (Pass By)

Making our way cross-town now, we'll pass close to the lodgings of a pre- WW1 German naval spy, and along the home street of Robert Louis Stevenson's beloved nanny Alison Cunningham, whose resting place is nearby. In the legendary suburb of Morningside we'll find out what happened when rich and poor lived as near neighbours, but also of riots, wars against the English, and Oscar Wilde, among other stories!
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Bruntsfield (Pass By)

Returning towards downtown Edinburgh, we'll meet a young Sunday school teacher who achieved sporting immortality in a life cut tragically short, before reaching literary Bruntsfield and our tour's second former girls school, one which inspired one of the great Edinburgh novels, 'The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie'.
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Lauriston Place (Pass By)

Here we'll see our former maternity hospital, the first to be purpose-built in the city; birthplace of a world-famous actor and site of the UKs first ante-natal clinic. Just across the road we'll pass our historic fire station, HQ for what was the world's first municipal Fire Service!
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Grassmarket (Pass By)

Here in the capital's unofficial town square we'll hear of some of Edinburgh's most notorious crimes and an unexpectedly explosive event late one night, not to mention find out what Edinburgh lads of the 1600s did for their Saturday entertainment!
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Cowgate (Pass By)

We'll travel the length of the 'poor relation' of the Royal Mile, meeting revolutionaries and poets, and seeing the building which houses the only surviving pre-reformation stained glass in the whole of Edinburgh - bearing the coat of arms of a very important lady in our history!
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The Scottish Parliament (Pass By)

Nearing the completion of the tour now, we'll pass the famous but initially controversial modern home of the reconstituted Scottish Parliament, opposite Edinburgh's own royal palace - Holyrood.
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Show 22 more stops

Additional Info

  • Confirmation is instant and will be received at time of booking
  • Public transportation options are available nearby
  • Suitable for all physical fitness levels
  • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 19 travelers

Frequently Asked Questions

(6)

Q: What is the cancellation policy for the Grand Historic and Literary Tour of Edinburgh?

A: You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the tour for a full refund. For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the tour start time.If you cancel less than 24 hours before the tour start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.Any changes made less than 24 hours before the tour start time will not be accepted.Cut-off times are based on the tour local time (BST).This tour requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund. Read more Apr 2025

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the tour for a full refund.

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Activity code: C-90592P26

Reviews

5.00
4 reviews

Average 5.00 out of 5 stars based on 4 traveler reviews collected by City Boat Tours and partner sites such as Cool Destinations and TripAdvisor

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Frequently Asked Questions (6)

Activity name

The answers provided below were previously given in response to questions from City Boat Tours customers.

Filter by:

Q: What is the cancellation policy for the Grand Historic and Literary Tour of Edinburgh?
A:
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the tour for a full refund.
  • For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the tour start time.
  • If you cancel less than 24 hours before the tour start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
  • Any changes made less than 24 hours before the tour start time will not be accepted.
  • Cut-off times are based on the tour local time (BST).
  • This tour requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.
Apr 2025
Q: What's included in the price?
A:
The following is included:
  • Air-conditioned vehicle.
The following is NOT included:
  • Tea and coffee. Coffee and/or Tea.
Apr 2025
Q: What is the minimum age for this tour?
A:

The minimum age to participate is 8. This tour requires at least one adult to accompany children..

Apr 2025
Q: My date is not available in the calendar, I am just checking to see if it is available?
A:

If a date or time is not listed on the calendar, it’s sold out or unavailable for another reason. Support cannot assist further if a date or time is not on the calendar.

If you find a date and time that works for you, book it NOW because things always sell out at this time of year.

Apr 2025
Q: Is this an accessible tour?
A:

Accessibility information for the Grand Historic and Literary Tour of Edinburgh is as follows:

  • Public transportation options are available nearby
  • Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Apr 2025
Q: Where is the meeting point for this activity?
A:

Detailed check-in instructions – including meeting point address, Google map, and parking information – for Grand Historic and Literary Tour of Edinburgh will be included in your confirmation email from City Boat Tours. Please be sure to double and triple check your email address is correct at checkout so this important email makes its way to you!

 

 

Mar 2024

What's Included

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  • Air-conditioned vehicle
  • Tea and coffeeCoffee and/or Tea

Additional Info

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  • Confirmation is instant and will be received at time of booking
  • Public transportation options are available nearby
  • Suitable for all physical fitness levels
  • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 19 travelers

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Free Cancellation

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100% refund
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You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the tour for a full refund.

  • For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the tour start time.
  • If you cancel less than 24 hours before the tour start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
  • Any changes made less than 24 hours before the tour start time will not be accepted.
  • Cut-off times are based on the tour local time (BST).
  • This tour requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.

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