What are the opening hours?

Monday 9am - 10pm Tuesday 9am - 10pm Wednesday 9am - 10pm Thursday 9am - 10pm Friday 9am - 10pm Saturday 9am - 10pm Sunday 9am - 10pm

Mercat Tours

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'History is a damn good story, what it needs is a damn good telling' - and Mercat does! Local, indep
(1462)

'𝙃𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮 𝙞𝙨 𝙖 𝙙𝙖𝙢𝙣 𝙜𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮, 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙩 𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙙𝙨 𝙞𝙨 𝙖 𝙙𝙖𝙢𝙣 𝙜𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 '

𝙅𝙤𝙞𝙣 𝙞𝙣! �
Enjoy immersive storytelling experiences as you explore Edinburgh's Old Town.

𝙎𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝘾𝙤𝙣𝙣𝙚𝙘𝙩 �
You'll have a deep connection with the people and places of the past and build remarkable memories of Scotland's ancient and beautiful capital.

𝙂𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙔𝙤𝙪, 𝙂𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙀𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙚 �
Choosing us, a local, independent family business and Living Wage employer, means you support an ethical 'Good to Go' team rooted in our local community since 1985. We respect and support like-minded people to ensure everyone's experience of Edinburgh is the very best it can be.

09/10/2026

Oh look a skull! 💀

[ID: Short skit showing the various skull carvings on tombs stones. End ID]

08/10/2026

Ever wanted to take a piece of the Vaults home? 🕯️

Our candles are recycled and upcycled in-house, melted down and remade into new creations, giving old Vaults candles a new life.

06/10/2026

🎃Halloween Tours🎃
23 October - 31 October
Step into the shadows. Unveil the spirits of Edinburgh's deepest underground and darkest tales this Halloween.

🎃 Halloween Underground
Explore Edinburgh’s haunted underground world and learn about the ancient traditions of Samhuinn. Family-friendly
1 hour: Old Town, Edinburgh Vaults

💀 Raising the Dead
Venture from Old Town through the Blair Street Underground Vaults to Canongate graveyard. 18+
1.75 hours: Old Town, Edinburgh Vaults, Canongate Kirkyard

🕯️ Witches: Trial & Truth
Uncover the true stories of Scotland’s accused witches and light a handcrafted remembrance candle in their memory. 18+
1.5 hours: Old Town, Edinburgh Castle Esplanade

🦇 Spirits of Halloween
End your evening with ghost stories and a witches’ brew in candlelit Megget’s Cellar. Family-friendly
2 hours: Old Town, Edinburgh Vaults, Megget’s Cellar

Venture into the city's depths this Halloween and hear the stories that haunt Edinburgh’s past. Join us for a Halloween ghost tour or history tour of Edinburgh.
👻https://bit.ly/4dtOXuz

05/10/2026

World Architecture Day ⛪

St Giles’ Cathedral is a stunning Gothic landmark in the heart of Edinburgh’s Royal Mile. It’s a beautiful example of Scotland’s architectural heritage.

Dating back to the 14th century, the kirk has been shaped by centuries of religious change, damage and restoration. Much of the building we see today was restored and transformed during major works in the 19th century, helping preserve its remarkable medieval character.

Its most recognisable feature is the spectacular crown steeple, one of only two surviving medieval crown steeples in Scotland.

[ID: Short 50 second video about some of the history and architecture of St Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh. End ID]

04/10/2026

Silver Sunday: Making history accessible to everyone ✨

We were delighted to welcome the lovely Yvonne and her husband Andy on one of our tours!

Yvonne uses a rollator, but that didn’t stop her from exploring the Vaults. Her clever folding rollator meant she could navigate the narrow spaces and enjoy the experience just like everyone else.

A huge shout-out to our visitor experience team, who did a brilliant job helping Yvonne and Andy get booked onto the tour and making sure they could safely get in and out of the Vaults. It’s a great example of how small adaptations can make a big difference when it comes to accessibility.

It’s teamwork like this that helps us make sure our historic spaces can be enjoyed by as many people as possible.

02/10/2026

Haunted things you might miss in Edinburgh 💀

Keep an eye out for:
Advocate’s Close
Parliament Square
Mortsafes in graveyards
Brass cobblestones
The Mercat Cross
Royal Mile closes
Edinburgh Vaults

This Halloween, uncover Edinburgh’s darkest secrets on a ghost or dark history tour. Wander the city’s most haunted corners with a local Storyteller and discover chilling tales you might otherwise miss. Find out more via the link in our bio. 🎃👻

[ID: a 45-second video with brief explanations of why each location mentioned in the caption is considered haunted in Edinburgh, illustrated by animations. End ID]

01/10/2026

National Poetry Day 📖

Today we’re celebrating the timeless words of Scotland’s national bard, Robert Burns!

From Auld Lang Syne to A Man’s a Man for A’ That, Burns captured humour, love, politics and everyday life in words that still resonate more than 200 years later.

His poetry helped shape Scotland’s cultural identity and continues to inspire readers and writers around the world.

29/09/2026

The worst poet ever?

Often called the worst poet in the English language, McGonagall's wonderfully dreadful verses have given him a legacy that many celebrated poets could only dream of. Over a century later, people are still reading, quoting, and laughing at his work.

Not bad for Scotland's most famously bad poet.

[ID: a video showing a memorial plaque for William Topaz McGonagall in Greyfriars Kirkyard in Edinburgh, as well as some historical documents related to the poet. The video is narrated with information about McGonagall and his poetry. End ID.]

28/09/2026

Which spooky spots will you visit this autumn? 🍂

Edinburgh is packed with haunted history, from hidden underground vaults to eerie closes and historic graveyards.

27/09/2026

Happy World Tourism Day! ✨🌍

To mark World Tourism Day, we're delighted to be taking part in Visit Edinburgh Resident Days, helping locals discover and rediscover the stories, history and experiences on their own doorstep.

At Mercat Tours, we’re incredibly proud to be part of Edinburgh’s tourism community, sharing the city’s fascinating history, unforgettable stories and hidden corners with visitors from around the world.

But behind every great tour is a brilliant team. Today, we’re celebrating our, storytellers, support teams and everyone who brings Mercat Tours to life every day.

Happy World Tourism Day from all of us at Mercat Tours!

[ID: 1; A Mercat Visitor Experience Team member welcoming and booking visitors on a tour. 2; A Storyteller explaining historical details to a visitor wearing headphones against a stone wall backdrop. 3; A member of the Visitor Experience Team working at a computer at the main desk. End ID]

Address

28 Blair Street
Edinburgh
EH11QR

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 10pm
Tuesday	9am - 10pm
Wednesday	9am - 10pm
Thursday	9am - 10pm
Friday	9am - 10pm
Saturday	9am - 10pm
Sunday	9am - 10pm

Telephone

+441312255445

Website

http://www.mercattours.com/

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