Curious Tales of the Royal Mile – Private Walking Tour

Edinburgh’s Old Town is full of stories that sound made up: a pet blackbird arrested in 1736, a washerwoman bargaining before rescuing philosopher David Hume, and Robert the Bruce causing trouble for Edinburgh Castle. This private walk with local doctor and guide Moray Grigor turns those odd episodes into the main event.

I like the way the tour leaves the grand royal story behind and slips into closes, back courts, church corners, and local gossip. I also like the private format, since families can move at their own pace and Moray can shape the talk around the group. The main drawback is the length: four to five hours on Edinburgh’s hilly, uneven Old Town streets may feel like a lot if you want a quick introduction.

Key points to know before booking

• The stories are the attraction: Expect strange court cases, rebellious pets, political feuds, fake news, theatre riots, and curious local characters.
• Moray Grigor leads the walk: He is an Edinburgh native, a doctor, and a collector of the city’s unusual tales.
• The route covers the Royal Mile: You begin below Edinburgh Castle and finish at Canongate Kirk in the lower Old Town.
• It is private: Only your group takes part, with room to adjust the pace and focus.
• Plan for four to five hours: The listed stops add up to less than that, leaving time for walking, pauses, and an optional refreshment stop.
• You pay for guiding, not admissions: The tour is outdoors and does not include coffee, tea, food, or other drinks.

Why Edinburgh’s odd stories make a better walk

Many Edinburgh tours follow the familiar route of kings, castles, and grand political events. This one takes a different path. Moray Grigor uses small, strange incidents to show how people actually behaved in the city: arguing, scheming, trading, praying, performing, and sometimes causing complete disorder.

That approach gives the Royal Mile a human scale. You are not just looking at an old building and hearing its construction date. You are hearing why a judge was astonished, how a businessman managed to look two-faced in more than one sense, or why a church prayer-stool became part of a public disturbance.

Moray has collected many of these stories from older Edinburgh sources, including material associated with publisher and author Robert Chambers, whose work gathered local tales in the 19th century. The result should suit you if you enjoy history with a comic twist and prefer memorable characters to long lists of dates.

The private setup matters here. Odd stories work best when you can stop to ask questions, and a small group makes it easier to hear the details in narrow closes and busy parts of the Royal Mile. If you are visiting with children, the flexible pace is also useful. Moray has already shown that he can adjust the timing and presentation for a family group.

Castlehill: escape stories below Edinburgh Castle

The walk begins at Castlehill, just below Edinburgh Castle. This is a practical meeting point because it puts you at the top of the Royal Mile, where the route can gradually work downhill toward Canongate.

The opening section covers tales connected with Bonnie Dundee’s escape from Edinburgh, an appeal involving Allan Ramsay, large gang fights, and the Old Town’s water problems. These subjects quickly establish the tone. You get politics, personalities, street conflict, and everyday hardships rather than a formal castle lecture.

The castle itself is not entered, and admission is not part of the experience. That is important if you hoped to tour the fortress during the same booking. You can visit it separately, but this walk uses the area around Castlehill as a starting point for stories about the city below.

Allow about 20 minutes here, although the full tour takes longer because the group walks between stops and pauses along the route. Wear shoes that can handle cobbled ground and uneven pavement. Edinburgh’s Old Town is compact, but it is not flat or smooth.

The Old Town’s rebellious pets and political quarrels

The second section moves into Edinburgh proper and runs for about 30 minutes. Here the stories turn toward rebellious pets, couples on opposite sides of politics, two-faced businessmen, philosopher-chefs, and fake news.

This is where the tour’s method becomes clear. Instead of treating history as a neat sequence, Moray links small incidents to the wider habits of Old Edinburgh. A pet can become part of a legal problem. A domestic disagreement can reflect a national political fight. A public figure can be remembered for a strange side story rather than an official achievement.

The question of the arrested blackbird is especially useful as a preview of what you are getting. It is the sort of detail that helps you remember a year, a law, or a social custom because the story itself is so unexpected.

This part should work well for families and mixed-age groups. Children may not want a long account of municipal administration, but they can follow a rebellious animal or a public quarrel. Adults get the added context behind the joke. Since the tour is private, you can ask Moray to explain a point further rather than simply moving on with a large crowd.

Advocate’s Close and the city’s sharper edges

Advocate’s Close receives about 10 minutes, making it one of the shortest stops. The stories here concern lame would-be authors involved in gang fighting, startled judges, and mischievous little girls.

Do not judge this section by its short timing. A close is one of the places where the walk feels most distinct from a standard Royal Mile stroll. These narrow passages connect the main street with the layers of Old Town below, and the tight setting suits stories about arguments, surprises, and petty mischief.

You may find this stop less comfortable if you need frequent seating or have difficulty with stairs and uneven surfaces. The tour is described as suitable for most people, and service animals are allowed, but the route remains an outdoor city walk through historic streets rather than an accessible museum circuit.

St Giles’ Cathedral and stories about power

At St Giles’ Cathedral, Moray spends about 30 minutes on stories involving kings in debt, romantic silver spoons, prayer-stools thrown inside the church, and the unusual resting place of Edinburgh’s best-known preacher.

This stop gives the walk a stronger link to religion and royal power. St Giles’ is one of the Royal Mile’s major landmarks, yet the tales focus on behavior that is far less dignified than the building’s appearance. Financial troubles, romantic gestures, public disorder, and an unusual burial detail make the setting easier to remember.

Admission is listed as free for the tour, but the guiding and commentary are the product you are paying for. The walk does not include a formal cathedral admission package or a separate attraction ticket.

The church section may be a highlight for you if you like the contrast between an impressive public place and the unruly people connected with it. It also offers a change of mood after the tighter stories around Advocate’s Close. Keep in mind that the tour’s attention is on anecdotes, not a full architectural or religious explanation of the cathedral.

The Royal Mile’s theatre riots and financial schemes

The central Royal Mile section lasts about one hour, making it the longest named stop. Its subjects include theatre riots, dull dances, famous beauties described as raving, unusual financial products, and full-scale rebellion.

This is likely the heart of the walk. The Royal Mile is Edinburgh’s best-known historic street, but it can feel overly familiar if you only follow the main pavement and take photographs. Moray’s stories give you reasons to pause and look beyond the obvious facades.

The range of subjects also shows how varied the tour is. You move from entertainment to social habits, beauty and reputation, money, and open revolt. The phrase novel financial products points to the kind of scheme or business idea that sounds modern until you hear its Old Edinburgh setting. The tales of theatre riots and rebellion add public drama to the more personal stories heard earlier.

Because this portion takes an hour, it is worth treating the walk as a half-day activity rather than a quick sightseeing stop. You will want time to listen, ask questions, and keep up with the group. The streets can be busy, and the guide may need to pause at suitable points so everyone can hear.

Canongate Kirk and the lower end of the Royal Mile

The route finishes at Canongate Kirk, near the lower end of the Royal Mile. The final 25-minute section covers vicious poets, tragic royal favourites, and eccentric economists.

The setting is a fitting end. Canongate has its own identity within the Old Town, and the church provides a clear finish rather than leaving you somewhere in the middle of the street. You end in Canongate, away from the castle end, so plan your next stop from there.

Moray’s connection with this area adds a useful local touch. He has a cafe opposite the kirk and has pointed out that Rizzio’s grave is nearby. That detail may not be part of every scheduled version of the walk, so you should ask Moray about it if you are interested. It is a good example of why a private local guide can offer more than a fixed audio route.

The stories here turn toward poets, royal relationships, and economic thinking. They also bring the walk back to the larger forces that shaped Edinburgh, but in the same personal and unusual style used at the beginning.

How long the walk really takes

The experience is advertised as approximately four to five hours. The six named stops total about two hours and 55 minutes, so the remaining time is likely used for walking, transitions, questions, and pauses.

That makes the schedule believable, but you should not book it immediately before a train, timed attraction, or dinner reservation. An optional coffee or tea stop may also be available, but refreshments are not included. Bring money for your own drink and allow extra time if your group wants to pause.

The route runs from Castlehill to Canongate Kirk. You are walking downhill overall, but that does not mean the route is effortless. Closes, cobbles, steps, and the Old Town’s uneven streets can make a long walk tiring.

The experience requires good weather. If poor conditions force a cancellation, you are offered another date or a full refund. Otherwise, you can cancel for a full refund up to 24 hours before the start time. Changes or cancellations inside that window are not accepted for a refund.

What the private format is worth at $130.75 per person

At $130.75 per person, this is not the cheapest way to see the Royal Mile. You are paying for a private four to five hour service, not for entry to the castle, cathedral, or another ticketed attraction.

The value improves with the size and interests of your group. A family, couple, or group of friends can divide the cost while keeping the guide’s attention to themselves. Group discounts are available, though the amount is not specified, so check the final price for your party.

I would compare this with the cost of a shorter shared walk, but price alone misses the main benefit. You are getting a focused set of unusual stories, a local guide, and the chance to adjust the pace. If you want broad coverage of Edinburgh’s architecture and major monuments, another tour may give you more standard sightseeing for less money.

If you enjoy history, storytelling, or odd local details, the format makes better financial sense. Moray’s medical background and Edinburgh roots also give the tour a personal identity, though the experience is still best judged by its storytelling rather than by credentials alone.

Who will enjoy this unusual Old Town route

I would recommend the walk to you if you have already seen the basic castle and Royal Mile sights, or if you want a more character-driven introduction to Edinburgh. It is also a strong fit for people who remember strange anecdotes better than formal lectures.

Families should consider it seriously. The private format lets you move at your own speed, and Moray has adapted the walk for children. The subject matter includes public misbehavior, crime, politics, money, religion, and rebellion, so parents may want to decide whether those themes suit younger children.

It is less suitable if you want to spend the whole time inside buildings, avoid hills and cobbles, or keep your sightseeing to one hour. Most people can participate, and service animals are allowed, but this remains a long outdoor walk near public transport rather than a seated tour.

Book well ahead if your dates are fixed. The experience is booked an average of 145 days in advance, which signals that availability can matter, especially for a private guide.

Should you book Curious Tales of the Royal Mile?

Book it if you want Edinburgh’s stranger side, a private pace, and a guide who can connect famous places with small stories about ordinary behavior and public scandal. The best reason to choose it is not simply that the Royal Mile is historic. It is that Moray Grigor uses the street as a stage for stories you are unlikely to hear in a standard overview.

Skip it if you want castle admission, a short route, or a full architectural tour. At four to five hours, the walk asks for time and energy, and the price is easier to justify when shared by a group.

For a family or small party that enjoys conversation and unusual history, this is a smart way to see the Old Town without treating it like a checklist. Start with comfortable shoes, leave room in your schedule, and ask about the extra Canongate details before you finish.

FAQ

Where does the walking tour begin?

It begins at Castlehill, Edinburgh EH1, just below Edinburgh Castle.

Where does the tour finish?

The walk ends outside Canongate Kirk in Canongate, at the lower end of the Royal Mile.

How long does the experience last?

The tour lasts approximately four to five hours.

Is this a private tour?

Yes. Only your group participates, and the pace can be adjusted for your party.

Are food and drinks included?

No. Guiding and commentary are included, but coffee, tea, food, and drinks are not. An optional refreshment stop is available.

What happens if bad weather cancels the tour?

If the experience is canceled because of poor weather, you will be offered a different date or a full refund.