The witching hour has come — it’s time for a reckoning. Edinburgh’s Master Storytellers, Mercat Tours, are redefining the walking tour, promising to enrich and deepen your connection with Edinburgh’s people and its past far beyond your visit. Take the Story Home: evoke the memories: - Listen to the tour playlist - Light your Remembrance Candle Accused, tried, and tortured. Step into Scotland’s shadowy past on this immersive five-star Edinburgh history tour. Follow in the final tragic footsteps of those condemned as ‘witches’ and bear witness to the devastating truth. History and Hysteria: Their Trials and Truth Told There was no justice in court, nor truth in tribunals for accused ‘witches’. On this tour, our award-winning master Storytellers shine a light on the truth behind the trials and the real reasons behind the witch crazes that swept like a plague for centuries, across Scotland and beyond. The past is calling. Will you bear witness?
Prices change with the date; the lowest is shown.
In demand: 9 of the next 13 departures are already sold out.
From the operator’s live schedule on Viator, checked Oct 14.
You’re invited to listen carefully and perhaps think again... You’ll be transported back to a dark time ruled by a crazed king and his obsession with the dark arts, ‘otherworldly phenomenon’. Join us to walk the cobbled paths of Edinburgh’s Old Town and its centuries-old closes.
Hear stories about the persecution of the weak, the wise and skilled, inflamed by religious zeal.
Our tour ends at the location where Scotland’s witches were once executed, and are now remembered. The Witches' Well is a monument to accused witches burned at the stake in Edinburgh, and is the only one of its kind in the city.
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For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Multi-Sensory Witches Trials & Truth Tour in Edinburgh lasts about 1h 30min. The itinerary has 3 stops.
Prices start at $40 per person for this Edinburgh experience, booked through Viator with the price shown before checkout. There is 1 booking option, so the final price depends on the option you choose.
According to the operator’s current schedule, it runs on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, starting at 4:30 PM and 5:00 PM.
It can: 9 of the next 13 departures are already sold out, so booking ahead is a good idea.
Yes. Cancel at least 1 day before the start for a full refund. Later cancellations are non-refundable.
The meeting point is Look for the 8-sided structure with white Unicorn on top (in between Café Nero and St. Giles Cathedral). Hotel pickup is not part of this experience.
The experience is available in EN.
It is a small-group experience with a maximum of 18 participants.
Wheelchair accessible Transportation options are wheelchair accessible All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
Yes, bookings are confirmed instantly.
Travellers rate it 5.0 out of 5 across 46 reviews on Viator and Tripadvisor; it is run by Mercat Tours.
Reviews collected by Viator and Tripadvisor
An absolutely fantastic tour, our tour guide Linda was extremely knowledgeable and passionate about the subject. We knew little of the history but by the end of the tour we had a good understanding, and also wanted to learn more. The tour was excellent value for money.
This tour was well researched and didn’t pull punches. We walked away with a much greater understanding of this aspect of Scottish history than we could have found anywhere else as it is not widely taught. Very glad we did it!
Thank you for your thoughtful feedback! We’re delighted the tour gave you a deeper understanding of this important and often overlooked part of Scottish history. We’re very glad you chose to join us and found the experience worthwhile. Mercat Tours
I loved this entire experience! Everything our guide Linda talked about was incredibly engaging and relevant to today. I think this history needs to be talked about more so we can understand why it happened and how we can ensure not to continue this harm to communities with less social power.
Fantastic tour that made these women and their stories come alive. Not gimmicky, not fairy tales, but truthful recounting of this dark period. Our guide Linda was engaging, thoughtful, and thought provoking. Would highly recommend this tour
Thank you for your thoughtful feedback and recommendation! We’re delighted the tour offered a meaningful look at the lives and stories of those affected by the witch trials, and that you found the experience engaging and thought provoking. Mercat Tours
Excellent tour, our guide Sophie was an incredible storyteller, cannot recommend highly enough.
Thank you for your wonderful feedback! We’re delighted you enjoyed the Witches Trials & Truth tour with Sophie and had such a great experience. Mercat Tours
This tour was absolutely amazing and educational. Linda was our guide and truly hit it out of the park with her knowledge and passion about this subject. The last part of the walk was extremely powerful and emotional for me. I would do this again and book with you all for other tours as well. 5 stars all around - especially for Linda!
Thank you for your heartfelt feedback! We’re delighted the Witches Trials & Truth tour with Linda gave you such a meaningful experience and that you found the history both educational and powerful. Mercat Tours
This tour was amazing. The depth of stories and detail our guide told us, and respect given to the victims through telling their stories, was incredible and brought me to tears. Our guide did an excellent job of telling the tragic history.
Thank you for your deeply moving feedback. We’re honoured that the stories resonated with you and that you appreciated the care and respect given to those who suffered during the witch trials. We’ll be sure to pass your kind words on to the Storyteller. Mercat Team
This is a thought provoking tour where you learn the stories of women convicted of being witches, whilst flagging the different treatment (if any) of men associated with the case. You end up with a very different perspective of "witches" compared to the group's views at the outset of the tour. Our guide was Linda, who was not just a great story teller but clearly had a strong understanding of and interest about the history. Expect to be fascinated, educated with some light-hearted moments too.
Thank you for your fantastic feedback. We’re delighted you found the Witches Trials & Truth Tour thought-provoking, fascinating and informative, and enjoyed the balance of history and lighter moments. We’ll be sure to pass your kind words on to Linda and are glad her storytelling and knowledge helped bring these stories to life. Mercat Team
It was great! I recommend it! It really allowed us to see history from another angle Linda was great, pleasant, and we connected from the beginning to the end! We did not see the hour and a half go by We recommend it 100%
Merci beaucoup pour votre retour. Nous sommes ravis que vous ayez apprécié de découvrir l'histoire d'Édimbourg sous un angle différent et que Linda ait contribué à rendre la visite si agréable. Nous lui transmettrons vos aimables paroles. Merci pour votre recommandation. L'équipe Mercat
It was a fantastic tour with loads of interesting, yet sad, facts about people accused of witchcraft in Scotland. We learned so much and are very glad to have experienced this tour. Great value for the money as well. Linda was awesome!
Thank you for your feedback. We're delighted you enjoyed learning about the history and stories surrounding the Scottish witch trials with Linda. We appreciate your kind words and are pleased the experience was both informative and meaningful. Mercat Team
| Tour | Duration | Rating | Price | |
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| Multi-Sensory Witches Trials & Truth Tour in Edinburgh | 1h 30min | 5.0 (46) | $40 | |
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