The Edinburgh Street Historians is committed to helping people have a great time in Edinburgh regardless of their ability to pay colossal sums. Further to that, we have decided to write extensively on the city. We have a number of articles which can be found here. To add to this, we have decided to answer some frequently asked questions. This seemed the best way to offer an explanation on free walking tours.
So here we are, let’s explore together.
FAQ – which means Frequently Asked Questions
How do these walking tours work?
An excellent starting question. Edinburgh Street Historians offers walking tours on a Pay What You Think It’s Worth basis. Many companies offer tours like this around the world but more generally call themselves free walking tours. A common critique of these companies is “it’s not really free, is it?”
This is a fair criticism as it seems like false advertising which is why we decided to bill things as Pay What You Think It’s Worth. Certain tours of ours occasionally bill themselves as free or have free written in the title because this is an understood term, but we commit ourselves to also explaining what it is to try and make sure everyone understands the relationship.
What is a typical amount to pay on a free walking tour?
This is one of our favourite questions and the truth is it does vary considerably based on your capacity to pay and how good you think the guide has been. As an answer that would be unhelpful however so it is better to give a range.
The most I have ever been paid as an individual on a free walking tour is about £70 per person. It was a very small tour but this was a great payment.
This is not standard. In the current day, the best range tends to be from £20 to £30 per person. This is greatly preferred in pounds sterling for tax purposes as it gets quite complicated to accept foreign currency. To facilitate easy payment, all our guides accept cash, card and PayPal.
Ah, crap! I was on a tour but didn’t have the ability to pay you but now I do, can I have your bank details?
How very generous of you to think of this after the fact! It has happened in the past that guests haven’t been able to pay for a variety of reasons but if you ever need to know how to pay me after the fact, it’s just under here, I’ll add a paypal button.
If you mean to donate to one of the other guides please note it in your comment and I’ll ensure it gets to them.
Do you do these walking tours all year, then, or is it just seasonal?
There is a definite tour season from April to the first week of January, then there’s a few months where things are not great. Currently, our plans are to offer availability throughout the year though availability in the worse months may be limited. If you are planning to visit in the off-season and our availability is not what you’d like, feel free to contact us to book a private tour.
Why’s it called the Street Historians when there’s only one of you?
That was only accurate in the first couple months of operation. After that my dog, Augie, who is adorable, started joining me. We were then joined by a woman named Róisín has been a Street Historian since Easter 2025 where she trialled her Women’s Tour, which has since become a regular event, which can be booked right here!
What’s the most ever paid on a free walking tour of Edinburgh?
The highest individual payment I have ever found in history was given to one of my peers at a different company. For her Harry Potter walking tour she was given $2000 worth of free tickets to visit Universal Studios! This is a high watermark which seems unlikely to be surpassed any time soon, but who knows. This is the beauty of the Pay What You Think It’s Worth tours.
Are you single?
Nope, very happily married.
I was on your tour and didn’t scan your QR code, how do I review you?
I anticipated this, you can find a review link here.
You gave a whole bunch of amazing recommendations on the tour but there was too many to write them all down, do you have a list?
As a matter of fact, I do and it’s on this website. Here’s the recommendations page.
How does one book?
One books by going to this page whence you can endeavour to discover the tour of your dreams.
What side do you walk on the paths in this crazy country?
In Edinburgh there is no set side to walk on because this is the country that invented freedom. You can find out more about that here.
Why do people put cones on statues?
It was mostly a Glasgow thing but has become a Scotland thing thanks to football. More details in this write up I did.
How are you not cold?
I received this question constantly, which makes this a great candidate for a frequently asked questions list such as this. It’s a combination of diet, exercise, and my brain being built differently. I eat a lot of calories but do a lot of walking and throwing children around. In addition, I realised at an early age that discomfort doesn’t mean that much to me as being a bit wet or cold is easily dealt with. This country doesn’t have such bad weather that I require anything special to deal with it. The point is, it isn’t a Scottish thing as I frequently see Scots huddled together for warmth in the cold in warm Winter gear. It’s a me thing. And if you do ask this question on the tour I will repeat this explanation.
Have more questions about our tours?
If you have more questions which are not explained above, feel free to send them directly to us via the email field below.
We’ve got loads of articles which we’ve written. For example, what to wear. Other great examples include this one on women from Scottish history.
Feel free to share everything, and if you have any queries or ideas for the future you can send these to us on Instagram @streethistorians.