Mercat Tours

Mercat Tours

@mercattours.bsky.social

Walking you through Edinburgh’s history. True stories, dark tales and voices of the city since 1985. ✨ https://www.mercattours.com

38 Followers 32 Following 75 Posts Joined Apr 2025
1 month ago
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Stefanie’s Thoughts on Storytelling & Edinburgh Walking Tours Mercat Storyteller Stefanie discusses what storytelling means for her, why it’s good for us and how it helps her lead captivating Edinburgh walking tours.

Edinburgh's Master Storytellers get to dive into Scotland's past (both the fun bits and the unsavoury sides) every day 👇

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1 month ago
A Mercat Storyteller in a black cloak in an empty courtyard, surrounded by 4 guests on a ghost tour of Edinburgh.

What stories do these places hold?

National Storytelling Week is a perfect time to spotlight those that tell Edinburgh's stories 📖

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2 months ago
Lights shaped as snowflakes and icicles criss-crossing over Victoria Street in Edinburgh, as seen from the terrace above, while snow dusts the rooftops

Happy Hogmanay! 🎆

Tonight, Edinburgh will be full of lights, ceilidhs and echoes of Auld Lang Syne (and hopefully far less rain than last year...) #NewYears

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3 months ago

Discover the hidden gems and lost corners of Edinburgh with us on a history walk of the city!

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3 months ago
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Welcome to Edinburgh in winter ❄️

You’ll never run out of corners to explore or hidden gems to discover.

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3 months ago

📍Canongate & Bakehouse Close

We love Guillermo del Toro's version of Edinburgh, but sometimes the truth really is stranger than fiction.

You can visit these locations while hearing the real history that took place here (dark deeds and strange happenings) on a walking tour of Edinburgh.

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3 months ago
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The process vs the shot 🎥

Behind the scenes of Frankenstein (2025) filming in Edinburgh last September. #Frankenstein #Edinburgh

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3 months ago
Lights shaped as snowflakes and icicles criss-crossing over Victoria Street in Edinburgh, as seen from the terrace above, while snow dusts the rooftops A German sausage vendor at Edinburgh’s Christmas Market at night, with people milling around

Is it too early for Christmas? 🎅❄️

This weekend marks the opening of the Edinburgh Christmas Market in Princes Street Gardens. Soon, winter lights will be dotted all around the city, like these snowflakes on Victoria Street.

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3 months ago
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LWS Living Hours Flagship Trailer Subs APPROVED YouTube video by Living Wage Scotland

#LivingHours accreditation ensures everyone has the secure working hours they need to thrive, giving employees the security to better plan their lives and budgets and get the hours they need to get by.

youtu.be/w24rIgUX0n8

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4 months ago
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Edinburgh + autumn + rain = the best combination

There's no such things as bad weather in such a beautiful city 🍂

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4 months ago
A Mercat Storyteller in a long black cloak leading 3 visitors through the graves of an Edinburgh graveyard Stone graves in the Canongate Kirkyard A vintage postcard of a skeleton carrying a Jack o’Lantern walking through a graveyard at night.

According to Scottish Samhuinn tradition, Halloween is the time when the veil between the worlds of the living and the dead is thinnest.

Would you dare explore the haunted Canongate Kirkyard during this time?

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4 months ago
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Edinburgh's graveyards are beautiful year-round, but there's something special about autumn.

📍 #Edinburgh, Scotland

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4 months ago

To know that the word 'witch’ was used the way that it was for so long, that so many people lost their lives over it, means that we now need to bear witness to the real stories of history’s so-called ‘witches.’

Join us for a remembrance edition of our Witches: Trial & Truth tour. 🕯️

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4 months ago
A woodcut of the pamphlet Newes from Scotland showing the things accused witches were claimed to have done, like sinking ships, confirring with devils, and meeting in groups.

Likely inspired by the European witch trials, James VI believed that witches had caused the storms.

And so began the North Berwick Witch Trials.

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4 months ago
A portrait of Anne of Denmark

During the journey back to Scotland, they encountered terrible storms which delayed them for weeks.

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4 months ago
A portrait of King James VI of Scotland

436 years ago, King James VI of Scotland set sail to bring his new wife, Anne of Denmark, to Scotland. #history

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4 months ago

All these are accessible locations you can visit with us on a Witches: Trial & Truth tour.

Hear centuries of myths dispelled and uncover the real history behind Scotland’s witch trials.

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4 months ago
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Much of Edinburgh’s history (especially the dark history) is right out in the open, if you know where to look for it.

What should you look out for on a tour about the Scottish Witch Trials? #Edinburgh

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5 months ago

The crown steeple can be seen from much of Edinburgh and is a distinctive landmark across the skyline.

Today marks the anniversary of St Giles’ consecration, back in 1243.

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5 months ago

But we do know that much of the exterior we see today is the product of William Burn’s 19th century restorations.

Inside, you’ll find the awe-inspiring1910s Thistle Chapel, a chapel of the Order of the Thistle.

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5 months ago

This building was originally built in the 14th century and continued to be expanded into the 16th century.

It has suffered damages and restorations and countless changes that can be difficult to date exactly.

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5 months ago

It did hold the title of cathedral from 1633 to 1638 and again 1661 to 1689, but is now called anything from St Giles Cathedral to St Giles Kirk to just simply the High Kirk.

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5 months ago
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Edinburgh’s most beautiful building?

One of the most stunning Gothic buildings along the Royal Mile in Edinburgh is St Giles.

Though it is often referred to as a cathedral, it is actually a High Kirk, meaning it’s a parish church of the Church of Scotland.

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5 months ago
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When we talk about witches today, you might picture a tall pointy hat, a broomstick, even green skin. 🧙

But these fantastical depictions of ‘witches’ are far from the historical truth. #ScottishWitchTrials #WitchTrials

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5 months ago
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13 Haunted Things to Do in Edinburgh This Halloween Looking for Halloween things to do in Edinburgh? We’ve made a list of the best haunted activities in Edinburgh, from ghost walks to dark history tours.

Grab your rowan crosses and rosemary candles, and prepare yourself for a proper, traditional Scottish autumn.

Here are 13 haunted things to do in Edinburgh this autumn. 🎃

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5 months ago
Edinburgh Castle as seen from Princes Street Gardens, positioned above orange, yellow and green trees.

And just like that, it’s officially autumn in Edinburgh 🍂
📍Edinburgh Castle, seen from Princes Street Gardens
#Scotland

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6 months ago
the Blair Street Underground Vaults in Edinburgh, stone rooms and corridors lit by candles and featuring arching doorways and ceilings

👻 Visit the haunted Blair Street Underground Vaults

These are the most haunted Edinburgh vaults, steeped in centuries of history. You can visit them on either a history or ghost tour, depending on your interests

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6 months ago
Edinburgh Castle as seen from Princes Street Gardens, surrounded by red autumn trees

🏰 Take in the history of the city before searching for ghosts at Edinburgh Castle

Do a Secrets of Edinburgh’s Royal Mile tour and then spend the afternoon walking the ancient castle ground. You never know what you might find

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6 months ago
the Canongate Mercat Cross in Canongate Kirkyard, a raven alighting from its pedestal and surrounded by fallen leaves Greyfriars Graveyard in autumn, with fallen leaves and orange trees surrounding the graves

🪦 Visit a haunted graveyard

Our favourite is Canongate Kirkyard, but Greyfriars Kirkyard is a close second. Learn about their dark stories (ehem...body snatchers) on a ghost tour

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6 months ago

And as it's September (and therefore spooky season), here's a list of things to do in Edinburgh this autumn:

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