Venue Description

Mercat Tours offers multi-sensory history and ghost tours through Edinburgh's Old Town, with exclusive access to the Blair Street Underground Vaults, the deepest and most extensive set of vaults in the city. Our main goal is to give history 'a damn good telling'. Our small-group tours are led by award-winning Master Storytellers and are rooted in the tradition of oral storytelling. The vaults are preserved just as they were when they were abandoned in the mid-19th century, with no set dressings or jump scares in sight. We let the real stories of Edinburgh's past speak for themselves. Whether choosing a history or ghost tour, you will see a side to Scotland's capital that many might miss. As a company, we live by what we call The Mercat Deal: vowing to be Good for You, Good for Edinburgh. Storytelling is good for your wellbeing, walking is good for you and the environment, and our ethical, Living Wage family business is good for our team and community. We strive to be as sustainable, accessible, and inclusive as we can be—and we have the awards to back it up. Mercat Tours believes in making meaningful connections by exploring history through the stories that connect people, places, and the past in a very human way.

Accessibility

We love welcoming visitors to Edinburgh and want to help with exploring and enjoying the city. We also understand that everyone has different needs and expectations - that’s why we have so many tours to choose from. There is something for everyone! All of our Master Storytellers are trained to adapt tours for visitors where needed. Our most readily accessible public tours are Secrets of Edinburgh's Royal Mile, Witches: Trial & Truth, and Ghostly Tales of Edinburgh’s Royal Mile; fully accessible, overground history and ghost tours. All our walking tours start at the Mercat Cross on the Royal Mile. Tours that visit the Blair Street Underground Vaults are situated down three flights of stairs. The vaults are on one level but the ground is uneven in parts, as the original flooring is still in use. There is no lift due to the historic nature of the site. Tours which visit the Underground Vaults also visit our Vaults Museum. The Vaults Museum contains interactive displays and further information boards. Through the Vaults Revealed, a seated, sensory experience also located in our accessible Vaults Museum, we are able to open up one of Edinburgh’s most extraordinary hidden sites to all. The Vaults Revealed is an interactive, audio-visual film — guided by Mercat’s Master Storytellers — and enjoyed from the comfort of a seat, with no stairs required. We can provide transportable stools for those who may wish to sit between stories. Sensory bag options for adults and children are available upon request. Assistance dogs are welcome on tours. We can provide complimentary tickets for carers. Private tours can be arranged with content, route and delivery tailored to your needs. To make it as easy as possible to see what our tours involve, we’ve developed our Mercat Tours Inclusivity Statement, available on our website. You’ll find lots of detailed information about tour routes, buildings visited and facilities available with clear dimensions and pictures to help you decide which is best for you.

Accessibility Guide

Accessibility Guide Link: https://www.mercattours.com/accessibility

Access Statement

Access Statement Link: https://www.mercattours.com/accessibility

Accessible Performances

Our most readily accessible public tours are Secrets of Edinburgh's Royal Mile, Witches: Trial & Truth, and Ghostly Tales of Edinburgh’s Royal Mile. All of these tours are outdoors, and accessible for wheelchair users. Our Ghostly Tales of Edinburgh's Royal Mile is tailored for guests with mobility and sensory needs: entirely above ground, accessible to all. Our Vaults Museum also features a Touch Table with artefacts available to be handled. *Please note: the Blair Street Underground Vaults are accessed via three flights of stairs. Through the Vaults Revealed, a seated, sensory experience also located in our accessible Vaults Museum, we are able to open up one of Edinburgh’s most extraordinary hidden sites to all. The Vaults Revealed is an interactive, audio-visual film — guided by Mercat’s Master Storytellers — and enjoyed from the comfort of a seat, with no stairs required.

Awards List

• Certified B Corporation • Accredited Living Wage & Living Hours Employer • Fair Tax Accredited • Scottish Excellence Awards: Team Engagement and Retention and Team Wellbeing Awards 2025 • Tripadvisor’s Travellers’ Choice Award 2024 • Living Wage Scotland: Local Champion Award 2023 • The Green Tourism Business Scheme Award: GOLD 2023 • VisitScotland: 5* Tour 2023 • Scottish Excellence Awards: Team Wellbeing 2023 • Federation of Small Business Award: Family Business 2023 & Larger Small Business 2023

Toilets

Information about the toilets has not been added for this venue.

Staff

Our team, visitors and locals of Edinburgh's Old Town are the Mercat community we’ve nurtured since 1985. Family values are the core of what the Mercat Deal stands for, so you can trust what we say and do. Choosing Mercat Tours for your tour means supporting a responsible employer rooted in our local community. We choose our Storytellers for their enthusiasm and skill. Unscripted, each one brings their own energy to the stories of Edinburgh's past, whether they’re telling you about Adam Smith, the father of economics on an Edinburgh history tour – or the city’s rioters, rebels, torturers and murderers on our underground ghost tours. All our Storytellers are trained in adapting tours to the audience's needs. All of our tours use TourTalk technology to give you cut out the hustle and bustle of the city and give you the best possible, five-star experience! Our Support Team provide the device and headphones at the start of your tour and our Storytellers will be wearing a mics which your TourTalk will be tuned into. For more information on our private tours, please contact our expert team: groups@mercattours.com.