podtour
The Royal Mile, from the Castle to St Giles
Edinburgh begins on a rock.
New Town: from St Andrew Square to Stevenson's Street: audio walk in Edinburgh
Eleven stories about who really made the New Town: two Dundases and a lighthouse crane, a philosopher made a saint as a joke, the carpenter who designed the Scott Monument, a street that was going to be called St Giles, a hill of rubble, a royal visit, the Great Unknown's confession and the boy who waited for the lamplighter.
What this walk is about
Edinburgh's New Town was drawn up in 1767 for a king, but many hands made it. This walk starts in St Andrew Square, with two powerful Dundases and a lighthouse engineer's crane, and a street named after a saint as a joke at David Hume's expense. It goes down to Princes Street to meet the self-taught carpenter who won the competition for the Scott Monument, the street the king wouldn't call St Giles, and the hill made from the earth of the foundations. It climbs to George Street to see how a novelist stage-managed George IV's visit in 1822, how he confessed in public a secret half of Scotland already suspected, and how to read the plan from square to square. And it ends on Heriot Row, opposite the house where a sickly boy waited every evening for the lamplighter: Robert Louis Stevenson. Outdoors; includes a garden with opening hours.
- Start
- A square, two Dundases and a lighthouse crane
- Finish
- The lamplighter and the man with two lives
- Who it is for
- A walk for readers and lovers of literature. A walk for anyone curious about architecture and the Georgian city. You don’t need any prior knowledge.
- Languages
- Spanish and British English
The route, stop by stop
An outline of the walk. The full stories are in the app.
Loading the map…
Open a marker to see its page. Use two fingers to move the map on mobile.
- 1
A square, two Dundases and a lighthouse crane
- 2
How David Hume became a street-name saint
- 3
The carpenter behind the spire
- 4
A cathedral for a novelist
- 5
The street that nearly had another name
- 6
The city built on its own rubble
- 7
The king's broken glass
- 8
Guilty, but not proven
- 9
A city drawn for a king
- 10
The garden across the road
- 11
The lamplighter and the man with two lives
Walking directions are based on mapped pedestrian routes. Check local access and signs; the route is not an accessibility guarantee. Times are approximate.
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.
More walks nearby
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.
Ghosts, Witches and Legends of the Old Town
Edinburgh lives off its legends, and here you'll hear them with their date of birth and the name of whoever set them going.
Good to know
What is Podtour?
An app for self-guided audio walks. Choose a city and a route, then listen to the stories behind its streets. You decide when to start and when to stop.
When can I download the app?
Podtour is coming to iOS and Android. There is no confirmed launch date yet. Join the waitlist and we will let you know when it is ready.
Does Podtour include attraction tickets?
No. Street walks and monument audio tours do not include admission tickets, transport or a guide accompanying you.
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.
Your first city,
on Podtour.
Join the waitlist. When we launch, your chosen city is yours to explore.
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Your first city,
on Podtour.
Join the waitlist and get one whole city free when Podtour launches. You choose where.
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One city per person. All its Podtour routes in Spanish and English. Available at launch. Offer details.