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

Edinburgh’s Royal Mile has plenty of grand architecture, but this tour takes you into a darker, less polished part of the city’s past: the fear, accusations, and punishments tied to witchcraft. Starting outside the Palace of Holyrood and ending near the Castle Esplanade, it uses the street itself as the setting, with stories delivered through Kat’s narration as you walk uphill.

I like two things right away: the storytelling is lively rather than textbook-dry, and the route connects major sights with smaller closes that are easy to miss. I also like the practical freedom of offline audio and maps, which means you can keep walking without relying on a live guide or constant phone service.

The main drawback is that this is an audio tour, not a guided walk with someone beside you. You need your own smartphone and headphones, and the non-refundable booking policy makes this a better choice for a firm Edinburgh plan than for a day you may need to change.

Key points along Edinburgh’s witchcraft trail

• Starts at the Palace of Holyrood: You begin at Edinburgh’s lower Royal Mile, where the app explains how the tour works.
• Follows the Royal Mile uphill: The route takes about one to one and a half hours from Holyrood to the top of Castlehill.
• Uses real city landmarks: Bake House Close, John Knox House, St Giles’ Cathedral, and Victoria Terrace each add a different setting to the story.
• Covers difficult subjects: You’ll hear about suspected witches, forced confessions, and torture methods used during witchcraft investigations.
• Features Kat’s narration: The voice delivery focuses on clear storytelling, with interesting facts that do not feel like a dry lecture.
• Costs $9.99 per person: That is a modest price for a private, self-paced tour with lifetime access in English.

Starting at Holyrood with the app

The tour begins outside the Palace of Holyrood at Edinburgh EH8 8DU. This places you at the bottom of the Royal Mile, close to the city’s historic center and at a natural starting point for an uphill walk toward the castle.

Before you set off, the audio explains how to use the app and what to expect. That opening matters because a self-guided walk works best when you understand how the narration responds to your position and how the route is laid out.

You receive access through the VoiceMap app for Android or iOS. Audio, maps, and geodata are available offline, so download what you need before walking. You supply the smartphone and headphones yourself. Food, drinks, transport, and admission to any attractions along the route are not included.

The tour is available in English only. It is also private in the sense that only your group participates. You are not joining a scheduled crowd, and you do not need to keep pace with strangers. At the same time, no live guide is there to answer questions or help if you miss a turn.

Walking the Royal Mile from Holyrood to Castlehill

The route follows a section of the Royal Mile from Holyrood to the top of Castlehill. The distance is not presented as a separate measurement, but the full walk takes about one hour to one and a half hours, depending on your pace and how long you pause.

The direction of travel is useful. You begin lower down, near Holyrood, and gradually make your way uphill through the Old Town. That means the walking itself has a simple shape: start, follow the story, and finish beside the castle approach.

The route is not just a string of historical facts. The narration uses the streets and buildings around you as prompts. You hear about witchcraft while moving through the same old city lanes and closes that give Edinburgh much of its character.

I would allow extra time if you want to look carefully at the surroundings. The audio duration is approximate, and the tour does not include entry to museums or other attractions. You can keep walking as the narration plays, but stopping to examine a close or landmark will make the outing longer.

The Scottish Parliament and the changing city

Early in the walk, the route passes the Scottish Parliament. You hear a short explanation about it while continuing along the Royal Mile.

This is a useful contrast within the tour. The subject is witchcraft and older Scottish beliefs, but the route also points to the modern political life of Edinburgh. You are not visiting the Parliament as part of the tour, and there is no entrance ticket included, but the building provides a reminder that this street has remained important across very different periods.

The stop is brief rather than a full architectural or political tour. That keeps the focus on the witchcraft theme, but it also means you should not book this experience expecting an in-depth visit to the Parliament.

Bake House Close and the city’s older lanes

The audio takes you into Bake House Close, where you hear about the close itself and the history of witches before moving on.

This is one of the most appealing parts of the route because the story shifts away from the main street. A close can feel more enclosed and personal than the broad Royal Mile, and the change in setting helps the narration feel connected to the place around you.

I like this kind of stop in a walking tour. You are not only listening to a general account of witchcraft in Scotland. You are being directed into a specific part of Edinburgh, then given a reason to look and listen there.

Still, keep your expectations in check. The tour does not include admission to a museum or historic building at Bake House Close. You are hearing the account from outside and along the route, with the audio doing most of the interpretive work.

John Knox House and a sharper religious angle

The next notable landmark is John Knox House. The narration introduces John Knox and explains that he strongly supported the Scottish Witchcraft Act.

This part adds an important political and religious angle to the story. Witchcraft was not treated as an isolated oddity. It was tied to laws, public fears, and influential voices. Hearing about Knox at his former house helps place that subject within the wider history of Edinburgh’s religious and civic life.

You should not expect a full tour of John Knox House itself. The route passes by the building, and the audio supplies the relevant explanation as you continue. If you want to go inside, any ticket would be separate from the $9.99 audio tour.

That separation is worth noting when you plan your day. The audio tour gives you a focused walk through the area, but it is not a replacement for every attraction along the Royal Mile.

High Street and the wider story of witchcraft

As you pass through sections of High Street, the narration continues with more history about witchcraft in Scotland. This is where the tour broadens beyond one close or one person.

The information is presented through storytelling. Kat’s narration has been praised for being professional, clear, and interesting without sounding like a classroom lecture. That tone suits this subject, since a long list of dates and laws could easily make the walk feel heavy.

Instead, you get a moving account that lets the street provide the backdrop. You can keep your eyes on the buildings and lanes while following the audio, rather than stopping at every point for a long spoken lecture.

The tradeoff is that the experience depends on your attention. If you are walking with a group, talking, taking photographs, or listening to other audio, you may miss details. For the best result, use headphones and give the narration your full attention during the more serious sections.

St Giles’ Cathedral and the harshest material

The route goes around the outside of St Giles’ Cathedral. Here, you hear more about witches and witchcraft, including torture methods used to force confessions from suspected witches.

This is likely the most difficult section for some people. The subject is not treated as a spooky novelty alone. The story includes the physical methods used against people accused of witchcraft, so you should expect grim material.

That seriousness is also one of the tour’s strengths. It gives the walk more weight than a simple ghost story. You are asked to consider how suspicion became accusation and how accusations could lead to punishment.

The audio stays outside the cathedral. Entry is not included, and the tour does not promise a visit inside. If you want to see the interior, treat that as a separate stop before or after the walk.

Victoria Terrace and the Wizard of West Bow

The tour then passes over Victoria Terrace and tells the story of Major Thomas Weir, also known as the Wizard of West Bow.

This stop changes the focus from laws and public accusations to a named figure with a striking reputation. A personal story can make a broad subject easier to remember, and the route uses the location to give that account a physical anchor.

You are still walking rather than entering an attraction. The value here comes from the narration and the view of the area around Victoria Terrace. The audio gives you a reason to notice a part of Edinburgh that you might otherwise cross without much thought.

The name itself may sound like something from a folktale, but the tour’s overall approach is more grounded than sensational. The narration has been described as sensible and story-led, which should appeal to you if you want atmosphere without an overdone haunted-house performance.

Castlehill and the last witch of Scotland

The final section takes you up Castlehill. Along the climb, you hear the story of the last witch of Scotland, and the tour ends at the top of Castlehill just before the Esplanade.

This makes a satisfying finish. The walk begins near Holyrood and ends beside Edinburgh Castle, while the final story gives the route a clear closing point. You are not left somewhere vague in the middle of the Old Town.

The end point is listed as Esplanade, Edinburgh EH1. The tour ends before the Esplanade itself, at the top of Castlehill. If you plan to visit the castle, you can use the finish as a convenient point for continuing your day, but castle admission is not part of the audio tour.

The climb may feel more demanding than the audio length suggests. The route is uphill, and you may stop along the way. Wear shoes you are comfortable walking in, though the supplied information does not specify any special accessibility arrangements.

Why the $9.99 price can make sense

At $9.99 per person, this is an inexpensive way to add a focused historical walk to an Edinburgh visit. You receive lifetime access to the English tour, along with offline audio, maps, and geodata. If you enjoy independent sightseeing, that is a useful package.

The value is strongest if you already plan to walk the Royal Mile. You are not paying for transport or a venue ticket, and the route uses streets and landmarks you might visit anyway. The extra cost buys structure, narration, and context.

It is less useful if you want a live historian, a question-and-answer format, or entry to the buildings mentioned along the way. You also need to bring your own phone and headphones, so the tour is not entirely equipment-free.

For a couple or small group, the price can compare favorably with a private guided walk. Each person pays separately, but your group can move at its own speed and pause when it wishes. The lifetime access also gives you flexibility to listen again, though the booking cannot be refunded or changed after purchase.

Who will get the most from this walk

I would choose this tour if you like history delivered through places rather than through a museum display. The route gives you named streets, closes, buildings, and viewpoints while the audio explains their connection to witchcraft.

It also suits you if your schedule is tight. The walk takes roughly one to one and a half hours, starts and ends in central Edinburgh, and does not require transport between stops.

Families with older children may appreciate the story format, but the material about torture and forced confessions is serious. The tour data does not give a recommended age, so use your own judgment about whether those subjects suit your group.

You may prefer a live walking tour if you want conversation, personal stories from a local guide, or help with directions in real time. The app gives clear directions, but it cannot respond to follow-up questions.

Practical tips before you press play

Download the audio, maps, and geodata before you start. Offline access is one of the tour’s best features, but it is only useful if the material is ready on your phone.

Bring headphones and make sure your phone is charged. Neither is supplied. You may also want to pause the narration when crossing streets or stopping to look at a landmark.

Start outside the Palace of Holyrood, not at the castle. The route runs uphill toward Castlehill, so planning it in the correct direction avoids confusion.

Allow more than the stated one to one and a half hours if you plan to stop for photos, enter an attraction, or take a break. The audio itself may fit within that period, but Edinburgh’s Royal Mile rewards a slower pace.

Because the booking is non-refundable and cannot be amended, book only when your Edinburgh plans are firm. The tour is open every day, with the listed operating period running from September 15, 2021, through February 16, 2027.

Should you book this Edinburgh audio tour?

Book it if you want a low-cost, self-paced walk with a clear theme and a strong sense of place. The combination of Kat’s polished narration, offline maps, and real Old Town locations gives you more than a simple recording to play in the background.

Skip it if you need a live guide, want to enter every landmark, or prefer lighter stories without descriptions of torture and forced confessions. For everyone else, this is a practical way to turn a familiar Royal Mile walk into a focused look at Scotland’s witchcraft past.

FAQ

How long does the audio tour take?

The tour takes approximately one hour to one hour and 30 minutes. Your total time may be longer if you stop along the route or visit attractions separately.

Where does the tour begin?

It begins outside the Palace of Holyrood in Edinburgh, at the listed starting point of Edinburgh EH8 8DU, UK.

Where does the tour finish?

It ends at the top of Castlehill, just before the Esplanade. The listed end point is Esplanade, Edinburgh EH1, UK.

What language is the tour offered in?

The tour is offered in English.

Do I need a smartphone and headphones?

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

Can I use the tour without mobile data?

Yes. The tour includes offline access to the audio, maps, and geodata through the VoiceMap app for Android and iOS.

Are entry tickets included for attractions along the route?

No. The tour does not include tickets or entrance fees for museums or other attractions, and it does not include food, drinks, or transportation.