Edinburgh’s Old Town Highlights: The Origin of Scottish Design

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Edinburgh’s Old Town Highlights: The Origin of Scottish Design

(101 reviews)
Edinburgh audio tour: Edinburgh’s Old Town Highlights: The Origin of Scottish Design
This is a 2.6mi walking tour
It takes an average of 90 mins to complete.
Edinburgh
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$11.99
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About the Tour

If you’re curious about the origins of Scottish design then join me, an architecture tutor and tour guide, on a walking tour in the atmospheric Old Town. Together we’ll explore the fascinating historical buildings that give the area its character, and admire award-winning contemporary architecture like the famous Scottish Parliament.

On this tour, we’ll meander through narrow closes, beneath stepped gables and turrets, pausing at breathtaking viewpoints. I’ll also show you the easy-to-miss details on the buildings, and share old maps and drawings as we walk Edinburgh’s famous Royal Mile.

Along the way, you’ll see:

  • The oldest tenement on the Royal Mile
  • An unusual, lesser-known side of the National Museum of Scotland
  • The difficult-to-find Riddle’s Court, once a merchant's house
  • The elegant Sugarhouse Close, a beautifully-restored 19th century brewery
  • The sweeping views from Victoria Terrace

Along the way, I’ll also answer questions like:

  • Is the Old Town really that old?
  • Which medieval Scottish castles inspired Victorian buildings in Edinburgh?
  • Why did construction of the Scottish Parliament go ten times over budget?

Discover Edinburgh’s complex history through the lens of its most influential architects, on a 90 minute walk.

Categories
Architecture Museums Medieval History

Tour Producer

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Olga Gogoleva

3 tours

Hello there! My name is Olga. Architecture and teaching work brought me to Edinburgh, and it didn’t take long to fall for the city’s extraordinary stone-built streetscape and layered architectural history. Wanting to share that story, I founded Cobble Tales.

Since 2016, Cobble Tales has offered walking tours led by local architects and architecture students—welcoming curious visitors, locals, and built-environment professionals alike. With many 5-star reviews on Tripadvisor and Google, we’re known for thoughtful, well-researched content and a genuinely fun time exploring the city on foot.

Cobble Tales still offers private, in-person tours. And before I moved away from Edinburgh, I recorded our signature routes for VoiceMap, so you can experience the tours anytime—at your own pace, in a simple and accessible audio format.

Preview Location

Location 5

Cockburn Street

You are walking past the Military Tattoo Gift Shop on your left. You are now on Cockburn street. Yes, this is how it is pronounced.

[3 SECONDS PAUSE]

Edinburgh Old Town has traces of a range of foreign influences. The appearance of buildings would often be influenced by... Read More
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Major Landmarks

  • Princes Street Gardens

  • Edinburgh Castle

  • Princes Street

  • Waverley Bridge

  • Cockburn Street

  • Fleshmarket Close

  • Royal Mile

  • Mercat Cross

  • St Giles' Cathedral

  • Parliament Square

  • Old Fishmarket Close

  • Chambers Street

  • National Museum of Scotland

  • Forrest Road

  • Bobby’s Statue

  • George IV Bridge

  • The Elephant House

  • Victoria Street

  • Victoria Terrace

  • Upper Bow

  • Johnston Terrace

  • Riddles Court

  • Gladstone's Land

  • Lawnmarket

  • John Knox House

  • Scottish Storytelling Centre

  • Canongate

  • Bakehouse Close

  • Sugarhouse Close

  • Tolbooth Tavern

  • Scottish Parliament Building

  • Palace of Holyroodhouse

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Getting There

Route Overview

VoiceMap tours follow a route from a set starting point. It’s how we give turn-by-turn directions and tell a story greater than the sum of its parts.
  1. Start location
    The Mound, Edinburgh EH2 2EL, UK
  2. Total distance
    4km
  3. Final location
    Canongate, Edinburgh EH8, UK
  4. Distance back to start location
    1km

Directions to Starting Point

The tour starts outside the Royal Scottish Academy, The Mound, Edinburgh EH2 2EL, facing Princes Gardens East. It is a large open space next to where Hanover Street meets Princes Street.

Please note that from mid-November until mid-January, this open space and Princes Gardens East are occupied by a Christmas market. This can affect the first three stops. You can still enter and use the route as planned, or walk on Princes street if the park looks too busy.

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Tips

Places to stop along the way

  • National Museum of Scotland (especially the roof terrace and the balcony café).
  • Milkman Café on Cockburn street has great artisan coffee and hot chocolate as well as great window seats for people watching.
  • Thistle chapel of St Giles Cathedral.
  • Afternoon tea at the “Colonnades” in the Signet Library.
  • Inside tour of the Scottish Parliament.

Best time of day

Can be done any time of the day but ideally before dark, as Princes Gardens close at dusk. During working hours you will find more courtyards and closes open.

Precautions

Wear some comfortable footwear and pack a waterproof jacket!

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App Store Review
“Great app. walk around at your own pace, stop where you want, move on or speed up when you want. Read the script before you go or during the commentary, speed it up or replay it. Repeat the tour whenever you like.”
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Questions and Reviews

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