Edinburgh Tours

The Cadies & Witchery Tours (tel: (0131) 225 6745; website: www.witcherytours.com) organises walking tours of the Old Town, mixing history with humour and ghosts with gore. The ticket includes a book of witchery tales. The tour leaves from The Witchery restaurant, near the castle, and lasts 90 minutes.

Mercat Walking Tours (tel: (0131) 225 5445; website: www.mercattours.com) operates a ‘Ghosts and Ghouls' tour daily at 1900 and 2000. The tour lasts 90 minutes, with an extended tour lasting an extra 30 minutes also  available. The tour sets off from the Mercat Cross by St Giles' Cathedral and the company also offers a number of other ghoulish tours of the city.

The two-hour Edinburgh Literary Pub Tour (tel: 0800 169 7410; website: www.edinburghliterarypubtour.co.uk) has actors guiding walkers through historic taverns where famous writers used to meet. The evening tour sets off from the Beehive Inn, in the Grassmarket. Tours run daily from June to September (less frequently in winter).

Bus Tours
Several companies run bus tours of the city. Information on all of these is available from an umbrella organisation, Edinburgh Bus Tours (tel: (0131) 220 0770; website: www.edinburghtour.com). Tours depart every 10/15 minutes from Waverley Bridge (every 30 minutes in winter). The city sightseeing circuit takes approximately one hour and covers all the major sites, such as Edinburgh Castle and the Palace of Holyroodhouse. A day ticket is valid for 24 hours. Highland Experience Tours (tel: (0131) 226 1414; website: www.highlandexperience.com) runs regular tours out to Rosslyn Chapel and further afield into the Scottish Highlands.

Helicopter Tours
Lothian Helicopters (tel: (01875) 320 032; website: www.lothianhelicopters.co.uk) runs helicopter tours of the city, as well as more comprehensive tours of the Forth Valley. Most popular is a 20-minute tour of the city and Forth rail and road bridges.