Edinburgh Walking Guides

Historic Walking Guides: Edinburgh
(2009, Destinworld Publishing)

A new travel book on Edinburgh featuring many walking routes through the city, each taking in the historic sights and attractions along the way.

Historic Walking Guides: Edinburgh is written by local author Andy Hayes, who consulted with local historians and spent many hours walking the streets to uncover the city’s history and hidden gems. For those visiting Edinburgh for the first time, this book takes you to and explains the relevance of all of the main historic attractions and sights in the city. Alternatively, if you’re already familiar with Edinburgh, this book takes you further into the past with detailed historical information which other guidebooks fail to delve into.

This book is the perfect companion for any visit to Edinburgh for those with any interest in history. With carefully crafted walks through many parts of the city, no corner is left undiscovered. Andy is a master of description, and his enthusiasm for Edinburgh shines through with every sight he takes us to.

For more information on the book, and to order a copy, please visit this link.
Alternatively, you can find it on Amazon.

Karen Bryan, who is editor of the wildly popular Europe A La Carte blog, has recently reviewed and recommends the Historic Walking Guide to Edinburgh.

She mentions that the book covers some of her favourite walks, and goes on to say:

Andy’s book enables you to explore the real Edinburgh at your own pace. It took me years to discover all these Edinburgh walks, so you can start your Edinburgh trip with detailed insider knowledge. It’s best to purchase the book before you arrive in Edinburgh, so you can decide in advance which walks are of most interest to you.

We’re glad Karen enjoyed the book and we’re sure you will too.  Be sure to get your copy today.

“This is the main dock. When that’s opened up all you see are fridges where they slide the bodies in. And there’s a separate room for the Decomposing Room, where they keep the really bad ones, which have been sitting for a while.”

This is just one quote from an interesting walk around Edinburgh based on its famous novelist son Ian Rankin’s favourite haunts posted recently by The Times newspaper.

You can read the full article at this link

The Edinburgh Historic Walking Guide release is coming very soon, and we’re all busy but excited here at Destinworld getting the final touches ready on the product.

Here’s a little sneak preview of one of the walks on the guide - a wander along the Royal Mile.  Here’s the map:

As you’ll see from the map, this section of the book is *packed* with interesting stops along theh Royal Mile, including:

• Edinburgh Castle - the most visited tourist attraction in Scotland
• Moubray House - the oldest inhabited building in the city of Edinburgh
• Gladstone’s Land - see what life was like in medieval Edinburgh
• Palace of Holyroodhouse - Her Majesty the Queen’s official residence in Scotland

The guide includes details on all the best attractions, including opening times, website informtion, and of course the historical angle.

The Royal Mile is a pretty easy walk - it’s just one street, as you can see - but the number of attractions competing for your attention is crazy.  The Edinburgh Historic Walking Guide can help - we even include places to eat and little secrets about some of the medieval architecture that is still visible today.

See you in Edinburgh!

If you’ve checked out our About page, you’ll know why I love Edinburgh and why it’s one of the best destinations to head to this summer. But why choose the Edinburgh Historic Walking Guide to help you along during your stay? As Shakespeare said, “let me count the ways“:

Get a Local’s Perspective

I’m based here in Edinburgh and while I’ve not lived here my entire life, I’ve come to love the city as my home. I’ve included local secrets and tidbits that you won’t find in the other guides. From hidden gardens open to the public to railway tunnels and other walks often missed by many tours, I want to make sure you have the opportunity to experience Edinburgh just like you would if you lived here.

Learn the City’s History

To help set the stage, I started the guide with a run-down of the city history. You’ll learn about the original fort that stood on castle hill; the Roman invasion and subsequent abandonment; and the continued power struggles between the growing nations of England and Scotland. You’ll also learn about more modern events, such as the re-establishment of the Scottish Parliament.

Find Everything by Foot

The walks I have put together cover nearly the entire city. The are designed to be mix-and-match, so I can guide you to nearly any of the attractions you want to see. The walks also note lengths and fitness levels required, so you can gauge how much will fit in a day. Don’t worry - almost all the walks are fairly easygoing and you can always jump on a local, inexpensive bus along the route.

Fill up on Local Grub

I have included some of my favourite restaurants from across the city. Instead of fretting about where to go, let me recommend! I’ve included suggestions for all cuisine types - British, vegetarian, and Indian, and several others.

See the Best Attractions

Just to save you the hassle, I mention opening times, prices, and websites for all of the major historic attractions in the city. This will help you plan your day and ensure you don’t miss anything. You’ll be able to match up the attractions with each walk, so you can easily identify you top spots for the duration of your trip.

Be sure to signup for our mailing list to be notified when the guide is available in shops. Just send an email to info@destinworld.com and let the friendly folk there know you’d like to be on the Edinburgh list. Looking forward to hearing about your trip to Edinburgh!

In the meantime, stay tuned to the website for more tips, information, and suggestions for the best of Edinburgh.