A History of Witchcraft in Edinburgh: A Self-Guided Audio Tour

Witchcraft stories cling to Edinburgh’s oldest streets. This $9.99 self-guided audio tour follows the Royal Mile from Holyrood to Castle Hill, using clear storytelling to connect famous buildings with Scotland’s witchcraft trials. I like the strong route, which gives you a useful walk through the Old Town, and I like the narration by Kat, which keeps the facts lively rather than textbook-dry.

You also get lifetime access, offline maps, and audio through the VoiceMap app, a handy setup if you want to explore at your own pace. The main drawback is that this is an audio walk, not a live tour: you need your own smartphone and headphones, and the experience ends outside the attractions rather than taking you inside.

Key points at a glance

• Starts at the Palace of Holyrood: The tour begins at Edinburgh EH8 8DU, with instructions on using the app before you set off.
• Follows the Royal Mile uphill: You walk from Holyrood House toward Castle Hill, passing the Scottish Parliament, John Knox House, St Giles’ Cathedral, and Victoria Terrace.
• Tells specific witchcraft stories: Major Thomas Weir, known as the Wizard of West Bow, and Scotland’s last witch both feature along the route.
• Uses polished storytelling: Kat’s narration focuses on people, accusations, and events instead of giving you a dry list of dates.
• Works offline: You can download the audio, map, and location data, so you do not need a live connection during the walk.
• Costs $9.99 per person: That is good value if you want a short orientation walk and plan to explore the Royal Mile independently afterward.

A witchcraft walk from Holyrood to Castle Hill

This tour gives you a simple way to meet Edinburgh’s witchcraft past while walking one of the city’s most famous streets. You start outside the Palace of Holyrood and finish at the top of Castlehill, just before the Esplanade.

The route takes about one hour to one hour and thirty minutes. That time includes walking and listening, so your pace will affect the final length. You can pause the tour if you want to look at a building, check the map, or take a short break.

I like the route because it does not isolate witchcraft from the rest of Edinburgh. The stories arrive beside government buildings, old houses, a major cathedral, and the steep approach to the castle. You get a sense of how these events were tied to ordinary streets and familiar parts of the city.

This is not a museum visit or a theatrical performance. You will not enter the Palace of Holyrood, John Knox House, St Giles’ Cathedral, or any other attraction as part of the audio tour. Instead, the app gives you context while you walk past them.

Getting started outside Holyrood Palace

The opening section begins outside the Palace of Holyrood. Before the historical material gets underway, you hear how to use the app and what to expect.

That introduction matters if you have not used VoiceMap before. You will want your phone ready, headphones connected, and the tour downloaded before you begin. The package includes offline audio, maps, and geodata, so you can listen without relying on a live mobile connection.

The start point is in the Holyrood area at Edinburgh EH8 8DU. Since the stated hours run from midnight to midnight every day during the available period, you have broad freedom over when to begin. Still, daylight may make it easier to follow the route and recognize the surrounding buildings.

The tour is offered in English only. That makes it a straightforward choice for English-speaking visitors who want a short, focused walk without arranging a meeting time with a guide.

Passing the Scottish Parliament

The first part of the route follows the Royal Mile from Holyrood House toward Castle Hill. One early stop passes the Scottish Parliament, where the narration adds a little context before continuing.

This is a useful contrast. The parliament represents modern Scotland, while the tour is concerned with an older legal and religious world. The change helps show that the Royal Mile is not just a row of historic facades. It is also a route through different periods of Scottish public life.

Do not expect a long stop here. The Scottish Parliament is part of the walk rather than a separate visit. The audio gives you enough to place the building within the route, then moves you onward toward the older closes and houses of the Old Town.

Bake House Close and the shape of an old story

The tour goes into Bake House Close, where you hear about the close and begin receiving more background on witches and witchcraft.

A close is a narrow passage leading away from Edinburgh’s main street. Here, the setting helps the story. Rather than hearing a general account of witch trials from a distant lecture hall, you are moving through one of the tight urban spaces connected with the Old Town.

This section is likely to appeal to you if you prefer storytelling to a long sequence of dates and names. Kat’s narration has been praised for being interesting without sounding overly dry or textbook-focused. That balance is important on a subject that can become heavy with legal terms and historical detail.

The app format also lets you take your time. If a particular close catches your eye, you can pause the audio rather than hurrying to keep up with a group.

John Knox House and the Scottish Witchcraft Act

The route then passes John Knox House. The narration introduces John Knox and explains that he strongly supported the Scottish Witchcraft Act.

This stop gives the tour a political and religious angle. Witchcraft accusations did not exist in a vacuum. Laws, religious beliefs, and public fear all shaped how suspected witches were treated. Placing John Knox House on the route allows the audio to connect an individual figure with the legal climate of the period.

You should treat the building as an exterior point on the walk. The tour does not include admission to John Knox House. If you want to go inside, you would need to arrange that separately, and any entrance fee is not part of the $9.99 price.

That separation is worth keeping in mind when planning your day. The audio tour works well as an introduction before you choose which attractions deserve a longer visit.

High Street stories along the Royal Mile

As you continue through parts of High Street, the narration expands on witchcraft in Scotland. This is where the route becomes less about one building and more about the wider pattern of belief, accusation, and punishment.

I like this middle section because it keeps the subject tied to the streets under your feet. You are not simply hearing about witchcraft as a strange side note. The audio explains enough to show how it affected Scottish society and how accusations could become serious legal matters.

The walk also gives you control over the pace. A live group may keep moving even if you want to stop for a photograph or read a sign. Here, you can pause the recording and resume when ready. The tradeoff is that no guide is present to answer a question or adjust the explanation for your interests.

The route follows a busy central part of Edinburgh, so the audio will be most useful if you remain alert to your surroundings. Keep your volume at a level that lets you hear the instructions and still pay attention while walking.

St Giles’ Cathedral and the price of a confession

The tour circles the outside of St Giles’ Cathedral. Here, you hear more about witches and witchcraft, including torture methods used to obtain confessions from suspected witches.

This is one of the more serious parts of the walk. The subject is not presented only as folklore or spooky entertainment. The narration deals with the machinery of accusation and the painful methods used to force statements from people who had been accused.

The cathedral itself gives this section a powerful setting, but the tour remains outside. You do not receive entry to St Giles’ Cathedral, and the audio does not replace a visit if you want to see the interior.

You may want to allow a little extra time here, even though the stated tour length is about an hour to an hour and a half. The subject matter is grim, and pausing can help you take in the context rather than treating the material as a quick ghost story.

Victoria Terrace and Major Thomas Weir

The route passes over Victoria Terrace and introduces Major Thomas Weir, remembered as the Wizard of West Bow.

This is the kind of named story that gives the tour a human focus. Instead of hearing only about laws and general beliefs, you meet a specific figure linked with Edinburgh’s witchcraft traditions. The nickname adds a memorable hook, while the narration places the story within the broader subject of suspicion and supernatural belief.

Victoria Terrace is another point where the audio makes an ordinary walk more meaningful. You are still moving through the city rather than entering a dedicated exhibition. That is the central appeal of this experience: the streets provide the setting, while the app supplies the explanation.

If you enjoy stories about unusual people, this may be one of the strongest parts of the route. If you prefer detailed archival evidence or a scholarly treatment of every claim, the short format may feel limited. The tour is designed for accessible storytelling, not a full academic study.

The final climb and Scotland’s last witch

The tour ends at the top of Castlehill, just before the Esplanade. As you walk uphill, the narration tells the story of Scotland’s last witch.

Ending here gives the experience a clear finish. The route has taken you from Holyrood to the upper end of the Royal Mile, and the final story arrives as you reach the approach to Edinburgh Castle.

The uphill route is worth noting. The walk is not a flat, stationary audio presentation. You will be moving along the Royal Mile and up toward Castle Hill, so comfortable walking shoes are sensible, especially if you plan to continue exploring afterward.

The endpoint is also practical. You finish near the Esplanade, a central place for continuing around the castle area. The tour itself does not include castle admission, transport, food, drink, or tickets for other attractions.

What the $9.99 price gives you

At $9.99 per person, this is an inexpensive way to add structure to a walk through Edinburgh’s Old Town. You receive lifetime access to the English tour, along with the VoiceMap app for Android and iOS and offline access to the audio, map, and location data.

The value is strongest if you already plan to walk the Royal Mile. You are paying for a prepared route and narration rather than a long excursion with transport or admission fees. That keeps the cost low, but it also means you need to supply the phone and headphones yourself.

A live guide can respond to questions and react to the group. This tour cannot. On the other hand, the self-guided format means you do not have to fit into a fixed group schedule, and only your own group participates.

The available feedback is especially positive about the presentation. The narration is described as professional and high quality, with good directions and interesting facts. Kat’s storytelling style is a real strength for anyone who wants history delivered in a natural, easy-to-follow way.

Who will enjoy this audio tour

I would choose this experience if you want a short introduction to Edinburgh’s witchcraft past and like walking tours that leave room for your own pace.

It suits:

• First-time visitors who want a clear route from Holyrood to Castle Hill.
• History fans interested in laws, accusations, torture, and named figures.
• Independent walkers who do not want to join a scheduled group.
• Budget-conscious visitors who want more context without paying for a long guided excursion.
• People with a spare hour before or after visiting attractions along the Royal Mile.

It may not suit you if you want interior visits, a live guide, or a tour in a language other than English. It also may not be the best choice if you dislike listening through headphones or prefer your historical information in a museum setting.

The experience is listed as suitable for most people, and it is a private activity for your group. Specific accessibility details are not provided, so you should consider the uphill route and walking distance when deciding.

Practical advice before you go

Download the tour and check your phone before arriving at the start. Offline access is included, but you still need a functioning smartphone and headphones.

Plan for at least one hour, and allow up to ninety minutes if you pause. The walk begins outside the Palace of Holyrood and finishes at Castlehill, just before the Esplanade, so think about what you want to do at either end.

You do not need to arrange transportation as part of the experience, and none is included. Food and drink are also not included, so handle those separately before or after the walk.

The booking is non-refundable and cannot be changed for any reason. That makes it wise to choose your date carefully, even though the stated operating hours allow the tour to be started at any time of day.

Should you book it?

Book this tour if you want clear directions, polished narration, and a low-cost walk through Edinburgh’s witchcraft stories. The route is well chosen, the stories include memorable figures such as John Knox and Major Thomas Weir, and the offline format gives you freedom to stop and start.

Skip it if you need a live historian, interior access, or extensive scholarly detail. For everyone else, $9.99 is a fair price for a focused hour or so on the Royal Mile, especially if you want your Edinburgh walk to come with more than pretty buildings and castle views.

FAQ

Where does the tour start?

It starts outside the Palace of Holyrood at Edinburgh EH8 8DU, United Kingdom.

Where does the tour end?

The tour ends at the top of Castlehill, just before the Esplanade in Edinburgh EH1.

How long does the audio tour take?

The tour takes approximately one hour to one hour and thirty minutes.

What language is the tour offered in?

The tour is offered in English.

How much does the experience cost?

The price is $9.99 per person.

What does the price include?

The price includes lifetime access to the English tour, the VoiceMap app for Android and iOS, and offline access to the audio, maps, and geodata.

Do I need my own phone and headphones?

Yes. A smartphone and headphones are not included, so you need to bring your own.

Does the tour include entrance tickets?

No. Tickets or entrance fees for museums and other attractions along the route are not included.

Can I take the tour at any time?

The stated operating hours are Monday through Sunday from 12:00 AM to 11:59 PM for the listed availability period, so the tour can be started at any time during those hours.