Historical Tours
2 hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this reservation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
from
$26
per adult
Edinburgh Literary Pub Tour
Edinburgh Literary Pub Tour
4.5
9:00 AM - 9:30 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 9:30 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 9:30 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 9:30 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 9:30 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 9:30 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 9:30 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 9:30 PM
Full view
About
The award winning Edinburgh Literary Pub Tour was the first literary tour launched in Edinburgh in 1996! Since then it has carried in excess of 150,000 satisfied customers on a dramatic literary trail across Edinburgh. It is regarded by many as a pioneer in its field, and a "Must-see" cultural attraction in guide books throughout the world. Why does it stand out from all the rest?- It is performed by professional actors, not academics or guides reciting from books, it represents great value for money and a very high entertainment factor! Join the intrepid duo, Clart (as in muck!) and our clean-hankied intellectual McBrain, who will lead you on a brilliant and witty dramatic romp through the wynds, courtyards and pubs of Edinburgh's Old and New Town. A hilarious duel of wits across three hundred years of great writing and colourful chara
Tours and Tickets by Edinburgh Literary Pub Tour
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(13 reviews)
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
510 reviews
Excellent
368
Very good
86
Average
20
Poor
14
Terrible
22
Diarmuid
County Cork, Ireland6 contributions
Oct 2022 • Couples
Had a great tour today with Paul and Riley. The whole thing from start to finish was good fun, and the two lads worked well together. Would even recommend for people who might not be the biggest literature fans, because the storytelling was great throughout.
Written October 28, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ELPTour
Thank you! We are very proud to have Paul and Riley on our team and are glad you enjoyed their performance. Happy travels!
Written April 26, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Mark C
6 contributions
Apr 2023 • Couples
Entertaining way the 2 actors reviewed Scottish literary giants such as Burns and Scott. We traveled to 3 pubs. At each locale the 2 actors engaged in banter of the poet or writer. Relating stories about their life and quoting lines from poems or stories.
Written April 20, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ELPTour
Thank you for the great review! We’re so happy you loved the tour. Best of luck for the rest of your travels!
Written April 26, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
JenD
Raleigh, NC17 contributions
Oct 2023 • Couples
Hazel and Dougal were captivating as McBrain and Clart, volleying insults and keeping us laughing. Both refined actors, it was really an honor to watch them do what they do best, both masters of their craft. The tour was a perfect two hours and reminded me how much I miss live theater, an art that we should make sure never dies. The scenes were well executed and we could always understand them and hear them, even for outdoor scenes. Just a delightful evening, highly recommend!!
Written October 27, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Pennae
Fremantle, Australia467 contributions
Sep 2023 • Solo
From reading the reviews, I had quite different expectations to what actually happened on the night. The tour began well, at the starting pub upstairs at the Beehive Inn, but this ended up being the only time we were inside or sitting down on the tour. The rest was outside, in the cold and the rain, huddled under umbrellas or in laneways. The second ‘pub’ stop involved getting drinks from a downstairs bar and bringing them up outside to stand in the rain (albeit under a tree). We didn’t have a third pub stop.
The actors were great and the skit enjoyable, but it was a bit of a struggle at the end of a day of walking.
The actors were great and the skit enjoyable, but it was a bit of a struggle at the end of a day of walking.
Written September 28, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ELPTour
Thank you very much for the kind review Pennae. We are glad you enjoyed the experience. We will continue to work hard to improve the tour experience. Sorry about the weather, unfortunately Scotland can be a tad rainy.
Hope you enjoyed the rest of your travels!
Written October 25, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Sally W
Carnoustie13 contributions
The tour itself was a really magical experience. There were only seven of us on the tour along with the two actors who kept us entertained all night. The company was wonderful and we were lucky enough to be walking in an Edinburgh lit by moonlight with a canopy of stars.
Unfortunately the website is very misleading. We booked on line for literary suppers at "The Beehive Inn" to find when we arrived that they no longer provide them. This meant that we had to pay for a meal there, which was excellent, but also meant we were out of pocket to the tune of four meals. The freephone number given on the site does not work and I have been sending letters and emails and leaving messages on the land line number for a fortnight now with no reply. Mr Morris Paton who runs the tours needs to get his act together. Bad administration spoils a really good night out.
Unfortunately the website is very misleading. We booked on line for literary suppers at "The Beehive Inn" to find when we arrived that they no longer provide them. This meant that we had to pay for a meal there, which was excellent, but also meant we were out of pocket to the tune of four meals. The freephone number given on the site does not work and I have been sending letters and emails and leaving messages on the land line number for a fortnight now with no reply. Mr Morris Paton who runs the tours needs to get his act together. Bad administration spoils a really good night out.
Written March 8, 2008
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
EmVOriginal
Quezon City, Philippines18 contributions
Mar 2015 • Friends
A friend of mine talked me into going on this tour because it's something of a pub crawl, walking tour, and a great activity for fans of literature. It kicks off at the Beehive Inn at the Grassmarket at 7:30. My tip is to arrive early, book a spot on the tour, and have dinner at the Inn (which serves excellent food and so far my favorite cider in the United Kingdom). Our guides were Paul and Sharon, who were both highly informative and excellent actors so that even someone like me (who knows next to nothing about Scots literature) was both entertained throughout and better-educated by the time it ended. The tour stops at about four pubs, so pace yourself if you've decided to drink. Also, depending on what time of year you go and where you're from (i.e. how well you can stand cold temperatures and genuinely gusty wind), my advice is to bundle up as best as you can. It's altogether a great way to spend two and a half hours. Even if you take nothing away from the tour itself, you'll at least enjoy yourself because the guides are great fun.
Written March 30, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
DrCart
12 contributions
Three of us waited at Beehive Inn until 8pm (told to be there before 7.30) on a beautiful clear Thursday evening and no guides showed up. We weren't only people disappointed - there were 12 other people waiting for the tour.
Written June 30, 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Robert Petrocelli
Los Angeles, CA34 contributions
Aug 2019
First of all, this was my wife's idea to go on this tour. I went along simply because (1) the tour involved alchohol, and (2) my wife generally gets what she wants.
This is an excellent way to spend a summer evening. We got great weather, great drinks, and the two performers were hilarious. I learned about Scottish literature, got to hear Gaelic being spoken, and got drunk.
HIGHLY recommended!
This is an excellent way to spend a summer evening. We got great weather, great drinks, and the two performers were hilarious. I learned about Scottish literature, got to hear Gaelic being spoken, and got drunk.
HIGHLY recommended!
Written December 5, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
gloliver3579
Olathe, KS29 contributions
Sep 2018 • Couples
I did not enjoy this at all. Way too long and the performers had such thick Scottish accents I could not understand what they were staying throughout the performance. Also since our tickets were on a Saturday night the pubs were full and we had to be outside rather than in a separate reserved room inside the pubs. The back and forth acting between the two speakers was a little too cute and I could not understand much of what was being said. It certainly would help your enjoyment of this if you already were up on famous Scottish literary greats but even so I did not come away with an increased knowledge of them. I can't recommend this otherwise.
Written September 22, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sanket D
Mumbai, India63 contributions
Jun 2014 • Solo
Last summer I set off on a 5-year goal to celebrate my next 5 birthdays in 5 different countries. The very first year, I found myself in Edinburgh on the eve of my 23rd birthday. While leafing through a LP book, I stumbled upon The Edinburgh Literary Pub Tour and decided I had to try this out.
For me this is one of the best walking tours I've ever participated in. Extremely entertaining, informative (if literature, in particular Scotts is your interest). Even if it isn't, the walk begins at a 300 year old traditional Scottish pub in Grassmarket and traverses through the Old and New Town of Edinburgh. If you don't have much time, this is one of the best ways to see the city while at the same time sampling the atmosphere at some of the best traditional Scottish pubs and tasting their many beers, ciders and *ahem* Scotch!
I've a more detailed review here on my website - http://nomadiclives.com/travel/europe/scotland/edinburgh-literary-pub-tour/ but for me this is a must see in Edinburgh. Was definitely the best birthday gift I've ever given myself yet :)
For me this is one of the best walking tours I've ever participated in. Extremely entertaining, informative (if literature, in particular Scotts is your interest). Even if it isn't, the walk begins at a 300 year old traditional Scottish pub in Grassmarket and traverses through the Old and New Town of Edinburgh. If you don't have much time, this is one of the best ways to see the city while at the same time sampling the atmosphere at some of the best traditional Scottish pubs and tasting their many beers, ciders and *ahem* Scotch!
I've a more detailed review here on my website - http://nomadiclives.com/travel/europe/scotland/edinburgh-literary-pub-tour/ but for me this is a must see in Edinburgh. Was definitely the best birthday gift I've ever given myself yet :)
Written April 4, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Linda D
Peabody, MA50 contributions
How long is the tour - time duration? Thank you
The Edinburgh Literary Pub Tour
Edinburgh, UK
The tour is 2 hours long
jordiepoo
Tennessee386 contributions
Are there certain authors of focus on the tour? Burns and Stevenson are musts, I assume. Who else? I'm a British literature instructor hoping to gain some stories to share! I'll be in Edinburgh in June.
Dewi J
Edinburgh, UK25 contributions
Mainly Burns, Scott and Stevenson with a few others mentioned briefly.
Blondechick2013
Berkshire, UK88 contributions
I have written to the Edinburgh Literary Pub Tour staff twice with a request for refund. They have not had the courtesy to reply..We purchased in early September for my daughter, a cancer survivor whose only request was the tour when she booked her trip to Scotland. I want to know when and how to expect the refund which is now ten days past the cancelled tour date.
570carync
16 contributions
Estimated total walking distance?
ELPT_Management
Edinburgh, UK1 contribution
Less than 1 mile with a few stops covering 2 hours.
Edinburgh Literary Pub Tour - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)
Edinburgh Literary Pub Tour Information
Excellent Reviews | 91 |
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Very Good Reviews | 29 |
Edinburgh Literary Pub Tour Photos | 43 |