“This tour was arranged for us
by a friend and I would have
to say it was the best small
group tour we did in Scotland.
Robert is very knowledgable
and gave a very in depth tour
of the history surrounding
Greyfriars, at the same time
making it interesting and
enjoyable without the usual
boring overload of facts that
you tend to”
Clair V TripAdvisor review -
31/8/2018
Meet the Dead of Old Edinburgh on our TripAdvisor five-
star rated guided walk.
Discover the stories behind martyred Covenanters, an
amusing artist, an infamous ghost story, grave robbers, a
tortured spy and, of course, the devoted Skye Terrier,
Greyfriars Bobby!
We love looking at the stories of people. We’re
fascinated by how people lived, acted, what they were
involved in and how they died. We know that these
stories all add to the rich tapestry of the history of
Scotland’s capital city.
The burial ground has some truly incredible memorials,
but we’ll reveal the stories of some fascinating people
who are interred here. Their stories are stories of
Edinburgh’s history, and you’ll learn about these
characters as you stand only inches away from where
their mortal remains lie buried today.
“Amazing storyteller!
Robert definitely knows to
catch the attention of the
audience. My teenage son
that usually looses interest
for anything historical quite
quickly was following from
start to finish with pleasure
and was really looking to the
next tour - he told us he
though that barely 30 min
were spent into Greyfriars
(tour is 1.5h !). Quite an
achievement!”
TripAdvisor review by Marc Deryke
- July2019
Days: Thursday 7pm - 8.45pm (selected dates).
Prices: Adult - £10 Senior - £8 Children - £2
Duration: 1 hour 45 mins (approx).
Meeting place: Just in front of the church
Candlemaker Row, EH1 2QQ
WE CAN ONLY TAKE GUESTS WHO HAVE PRE-BOOKED
THE RESURRECTIONISTS
Resurrectionists, or 'bodysnatchers,' almost certainly stalked the yard, looking for freshly buried corpses which they could dig up and sell to Edinburgh's anatomists. Their story is one of the most mysterious and misunderstood stories in Edinburgh's history. We'll also look at one of the supposed ways of lifting a corpse as well as stories of the most famous anatomists of the 1820s, an infamous period where some saw murder as a much easier alternative to using a wooden shovel to dig up corpses in the graveyard…
KEY INFORMATION
LEARN ABOUT EDINBURGH’S PEOPLE
INCHES FROM WHERE THEY LIE TODAY!
MEMENTO MORI
Your ‘Dead of Old Edinburgh’ exploration doesn’t just focus on the lives and deaths of people; it explains some of the symbology on the oldest tombs in the graveyard. You’ll even discover how most of the bodies were buried, quite a chilling thought when you remember that they are there, only a few inches under your feet!A CHEEKY CARICATURIST
This caricaturist is one of our favourite ‘Old Edinburgh’ people! He lived at a time when the Scottish Enlightenment was in full swing, a time when some of the most significant Scottish thinkers were in Edinburgh, yet he chose to draw caricatures of some of the strangest and most entertaining people in the city. His stories give us a peek into life in the Old Town during one of its greatest periods.GREYFRIARS BOBBY
For over a hundred years, the most visited grave in the Kirkyard has been that of the loyal wee Skye Terrier, Greyfriars Bobby. We’ll look at his story right at the start of your tour. It IS a fascinating one (and it would be rude to miss out the Kirkyard’s most famous ‘resident’!)THE INFAMOUS GREYFRIARS
KIRKYARD GHOST STORY
We usually don’t tell ghost stories, but we do make an exception for one of Edinburgh’s most historically significant ghostly tales! The story of ‘Bluidy Mackenzie’ really is a classic yarn! You’ll discover why this ghost story was helpful to one young highwayman and what this tomb meant to the local school children!
We can also offer this as a private walk.
FRIENDLY LOCAL GUIDE - Robert was born in Edinburgh
and has lived here all his life.
VERY GOOD ACCESSIBILITY - Only one set of steps and a
possibility of muddy shoes. The perfect ‘walking tour’ after a
long day of walking!
REALLY ATMOSPHERIC - This place is gorgeous in the
spring and autumn months, relatively tranquil in the
summer and eerily atmospheric in the winter!
VERY VISUAL - Your guide uses an A3 book with images which
will help you imagine the stories he’s discussing.
EXCELLENCE - This graveyard walk has an average
‘five-star’ rating on Tripadvisor.
FIVE REASONS TO COME ON THIS
HISTORY WALK
‘MEET’ THE DEAD OF OLD EDINBURGH
ON OUR GREYFRIARS KIRKYARD TOUR
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT YOUR
GREYFRIARS KIRKYARD TOUR
SOME HIGHLIGHTS OF YOUR
BURIAL GROUND EXPLORATION
Text/Call us :
+44 (0)7590 026 077
BOOK ANY TOUR
EDINBURGH
TOURS
PRIVATE
TOURS
OUR
BLOG
WHO ARE
WE?
ONLINE
EXPERIENCES
Please note that we’re only offering this tour as a private tour at the moment.
Private tours are safer for your guests and you and cost as little as £40, for up to
four guests. We can also run the tour at a time which best suits you.
Please note that we’re only offering this tour as a private tour at the moment.
Private tours are safer for your guests and you and cost as little as £40, for up to
four guests. We can also run the tour at a time which best suits you.
Copyright Historic Edinburgh Tours Ltd 2020
Registered in Scotland I SC 454482
28/2 Bridge Road, Edinburgh, EH13 0LQ
Copyright Historic Edinburgh Tours Ltd 2020
Registered in Scotland I SC 454482
28/2 Bridge Road, Edinburgh, EH13 0LQ
Copyright Historic Edinburgh Tours Ltd 2020
Registered in Scotland I SC 454482
28/2 Bridge Road, Edinburgh, EH13 0LQ
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT YOUR
GREYFRIARS KIRKYARD TOUR
SOME HIGHLIGHTS OF YOUR
BURIAL GROUND EXPLORATION
“This tour was arranged for us by a friend and I
would have to say it was the best small group
tour we did in Scotland. Robert is very
knowledgable and gave a very in depth tour of
the history surrounding Greyfriars, at the same
time making it interesting and enjoyable without
the usual boring overload of facts that you tend
to”
Clair V TripAdvisor review - 31/8/2018
Meet the Dead of Old Edinburgh on our TripAdvisor five-star
rated guided walk.
Discover the stories behind martyred Covenanters, an
amusing artist, an infamous ghost story, grave robbers, a
tortured spy and, of course, the devoted Skye Terrier,
Greyfriars Bobby!
We love looking at the stories of people. We’re fascinated by
how people lived, acted, what they were involved in and how
they died. We know that these stories all add to the rich
tapestry of the history of Scotland’s capital city.
The burial ground has some truly incredible memorials, but
we’ll reveal the stories of some fascinating people who are
interred here. Their stories are stories of Edinburgh’s history,
and you’ll learn about these characters as you stand only
inches away from where their mortal remains lie buried
today.
Days: Thursday 7pm - 8.45pm (selected dates).
Prices: Adult - £10 Senior - £8 Children - £2
Duration: 1 hour 45 mins (approx).
Meeting place: Just in front of the church
Candlemaker Row, EH1 2QQ
THE RESURRECTIONISTS
Resurrectionists, or 'bodysnatchers,' almost certainly stalked the yard, looking for freshly buried corpses which they could dig up and sell to Edinburgh's anatomists. Their story is one of the most mysterious and misunderstood stories in Edinburgh's history. We'll also look at one of the supposed ways of lifting a corpse as well as stories of the most famous anatomists of the 1820s, an infamous period where some saw murder as a much easier alternative to using a wooden shovel to dig up corpses in the graveyard…
KEY INFORMATION
MEMENTO MORI
Your ‘Dead of Old Edinburgh’ exploration doesn’t just focus on the lives and deaths of people; it explains some of the symbology on the oldest tombs in the graveyard. You’ll even discover how most of the bodies were buried, quite a chilling thought when you remember that they are there, only a few inches under your feet!A CHEEKY CARICATURIST
This caricaturist is one of our favourite ‘Old Edinburgh’ people! He lived at a time when the Scottish Enlightenment was in full swing, a time when some of the most significant Scottish thinkers were in Edinburgh, yet he chose to draw caricatures of some of the strangest and most entertaining people in the city. His stories give us a peek into life in the Old Town during one of its greatest periods.GREYFRIARS BOBBY
For over a hundred years, the most visited grave in the Kirkyard has been that of the loyal wee Skye Terrier, Greyfriars Bobby. We’ll look at his story right at the start of your tour. It IS a fascinating one (and it would be rude to miss out the Kirkyard’s most famous ‘resident’!)THE INFAMOUS GREYFRIARS
KIRKYARD GHOST STORY
We usually don’t tell ghost stories, but we do make an exception for one of Edinburgh’s most historically significant ghostly tales! The story of ‘Bluidy Mackenzie’ really is a classic yarn! You’ll discover why this ghost story was helpful to one young highwayman and what this tomb meant to the local school children!
We can also offer this as a private walk.
FRIENDLY LOCAL GUIDE - Robert was born in
Edinburgh and has lived here all his life.
VERY GOOD ACCESSIBILITY - Only one set of steps
and a possibility of muddy shoes. The perfect ‘walking
tour’ after a long day of walking!
REALLY ATMOSPHERIC - This place is gorgeous in
the spring and autumn months, relatively tranquil in the
summer and eerily atmospheric in the winter!
VERY VISUAL - Your guide uses an A3 book with
images which will help you imagine the stories he’s
discussing.
EXCELLENCE - This graveyard walk has an
average ‘five-star’ rating on Tripadvisor.
Text/Call us :
+44 (0)7590 026 077
BOOK ANY TOUR
WE CAN ONLY TAKE GUESTS WHO HAVE PRE-BOOKED
“Amazing storyteller!
Robert definitely knows to catch the
attention of the audience. My teenage
son that usually looses interest for
anything historical quite quickly was
following from start to finish with
pleasure and was really looking to the
next tour - he told us he though that
barely 30 min were spent into Greyfriars
(tour is 1.5h !). Quite an achievement!”
TripAdvisor review by Marc Deryke
- July2019
FIVE REASONS TO COME ON THIS
HISTORY WALK
LEARN ABOUT EDINBURGH’S PEOPLE
INCHES FROM WHERE THEY LIE TODAY!
Please note that we’re only offering this tour as a private tour at the moment.
Private tours are safer for your guests and you and cost as little as £40, for up to
four guests. We can also run the tour at a time which best suits you.
Please note that we’re only offering this tour as a private tour at the moment.
Private tours are safer for your guests and you and cost as little as £40, for up to
four guests. We can also run the tour at a time which best suits you.
