podtour
The Royal Mile, from the Castle to St Giles
Edinburgh begins on a rock.
Edinburgh audio tours and self-guided walks
There is another city beneath Edinburgh.
A little welcome gift
Your first city,
on Podtour.
Join the waitlist and get one whole city free when Podtour launches. You choose where.
Podtour manages your launch request with your consent. You can withdraw it and exercise your rights as explained in our privacy policy. Privacy details.
One city per person. All its Podtour routes in Spanish and English. Available at launch. Offer details.
iOSAndroidComing soon
Walk through Edinburgh, story by story
The Old Town squeezes into closes while the New Town opens out into avenues. Between them are doctors, writers, graves and grand plans that went awry. Slow down: even a detour has a story here.
Start with “The Royal Mile, from the Castle to St Giles”. Edinburgh begins on a rock. This walk heads down the upper part of the Royal Mile, from the Castle Esplanade to the Mercat Cross.
Then there’s “The Athens of the North: from the North Bridge to Calton Hill”. At the end of the eighteenth century, a small city in the north compared itself to Athens. This walk climbs from the North Bridge to Calton Hill to find out why.
For another side of the city, try “Burke and Hare and Edinburgh Medicine”. In the early nineteenth century, Edinburgh's anatomy schools paid for dead bodies. This walk starts where Burke and Hare lived and tells what they really did: they never robbed graves.
Keep exploring with “Canongate and Holyrood: the other Royal Mile”. As you walk down the Royal Mile, there's a point where, for centuries, you left Edinburgh. This walk starts at that border and goes down the Canongate, the burgh of the canons of Holyrood, all the way to the palace.
Choose by neighbourhood or by the stories that interest you: each route shows its distance, stops and approximate duration before you set off. The audio is written for walking, with a clear distinction between documented events and local legend. Download it in the app, put on your headphones and pause whenever something catches your eye. English and Spanish are included.
Start for free
The Royal Mile, from the Castle to St Giles
Eleven stories downhill along Scotland's most famous street: how an "impregnable" castle fell, a cannon and a stone that went off to London, water that climbed to the top of the town on its own, a merchant who signed his façade, a councillor who robbed houses by night, a prison in the middle of the street, and the cross that recalls where the castle's defender met his end.
Explore the free walkFind your Edinburgh walk
The map shows where each walk starts. Choose a theme below to find the stories you like.
Loading the map…
Open a marker to see its page. Use two fingers to move the map on mobile.
Edinburgh, before you go
A stone city built on hills, with a castle above it and weather that keeps changing. Cobbled streets and narrow stairways reward walking, provided your shoes have grip and your coat has a hood.
Stories for your next walk
Facts and legends
Burke and Hare: the true story of the bodies that fed Edinburgh's medicine
Burke and Hare never robbed a grave: they killed to sell bodies to Edinburgh's anatomists. The true story, their victims, the trial and the myths they left.
Read the story
Facts and legends
Greyfriars Bobby: the true story of the faithful dog, between history and legend
Did Greyfriars Bobby guard his master's grave for fourteen years? What's documented, what's tradition, the novel behind the shepherd and the two-dog theory.
Read the story
Facts and legends
Why people spit on the Heart of Midlothian on Edinburgh's Royal Mile
There's a heart in the cobbles beside St Giles, and people spit on it. The prison it marks, where the name comes from, and what's custom and what's legend.
Read the story
Walk at your own pace
Free self-guided walking tour of Edinburgh: Podtour's free audio route
The Royal Mile as an audio walk: complete, free, with no group, no set time and no tip. Its stops, what Edinburgh's free tours cover and when to pick each.
Read the storyBefore visiting Edinburgh
How many days do I need in Edinburgh?
Our Edinburgh guide has suggestions for one, two and three days. Start with one area rather than trying to fit every walk into a day; leave room for travel between neighbourhoods and any indoor visits.
Can I explore Edinburgh on foot?
Gradient. The Royal Mile descends from the Castle towards Holyrood. Side alleys, called closes, often contain steep slopes or steps. Levels. George IV Bridge and South Bridge pass above the Cowgate. A map can place you beside somewhere when you are actually above it.
Which Edinburgh route is free?
“The Royal Mile, from the Castle to St Giles” is the free route: 11 stops over 0.82 km, with an approximate duration of 42 minutes. You can see its map and stops on the route page.
When is a good time to visit Edinburgh?
For light and relatively fewer crowds, consider May or September. For the longest days, think late spring and early summer. January brings Burns Night suppers with haggis and poetry. February and March bring rugby supporters when Scotland plays at home.
Can I listen without an internet connection?
Download the audio in the app before heading out, then listen offline. Loading the online base map and calculating a new route from your location require a connection.
What languages are included?
Every route includes Spanish and British English. The English version is adapted for English-speaking travellers, rather than translated word for word.
How do I get a whole city for free?
Join the waitlist, choose a city and confirm your email address. When the app launches, we will email you with access details. No card is required. You can also try one free route in every city.
Can I buy for myself or for a group?
Yes. Your own access is included and you can choose 0–5 guests: up to 6 people including you. Each guest saves up to €0.50 on a walk, €1 on a pack or €2 on a whole city compared with buying separately. The counter shows the total before you confirm one payment.
How do I share, and when must guests accept?
After paying, share your purchase’s invitation link. Each guest opens it in Podtour and accepts their place on their own iPhone or Android phone. They must redeem it within 30 days of purchase. Unclaimed places then expire and cannot be recovered or renewed. Access accepted in time is kept. Opening the link does not use a place; one account takes just one place, and no more people can join once all places are taken.
Can I add guests after buying?
No. Choose all your guests before confirming the first purchase. Afterwards you can share the places you paid for, but you cannot increase their number or restart the 30-day deadline.
