Invisible Cities tour: Uncover Stories of Crime and Punishment

Invisible Cities are running a walking tour of Edinburgh's crime and punishment history from the Grassmarket on Thursday 29 October, from 5:30pm to 7pm. It's a private tour, so you'll be out with a small group rather than a big crowd, and it's led by one of their guides who'll take you through the city's darker side.

What makes this different from your usual walking tour is who's leading it. Invisible Cities is an award-winning social enterprise founded by Edinburgh Napier alumna Zakia Moulaoui Guery, and its tours are led by people with lived experience of homelessness. They don't just stick to the usual tourist trails; they share the city's hidden stories and point out social projects that most people walk right past. The first guide, Sonny, has been taking visitors around since 2016 and has worked with charities and social enterprises like Social Bite. Another guide, Gayle, shows off local gems like Dunbar Garden and tells the story of figures like the suffragette Doctor Elsie Ingles. The whole operation runs with a commitment to responsible tourism and meaningful social impact, and it's picked up a couple of awards along the way: an ARIVAL Spotlight Award 2024 for Social Purpose / Community Engagement and a Lonely Planet Best in Travel 2021 Community Award.

This particular tour focuses on crime and punishment, starting from the Grassmarket, which is a fitting spot given the area's history. You'll spend an hour and a half on your feet, following the guide through the streets and hearing the stories they've pulled from the city's archives and their own knowledge. It's a good way to see a side of Edinburgh that doesn't always make it into the brochures, and you'll be doing it with someone who knows the city from the inside.

It runs from 5:30pm to 7pm on Thursday 29 October, starting at the Grassmarket, and tickets are from £17.