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Festive Greetings
Kyle Thomson • Dec 16, 2022
December at Edinburgh Tour Guides
Here at Edinburgh Tour Guides, the winter months are usually the quieter ones. However, that has not been the case this year. December has been full of tours, markets, events and activities for us.
One of our guides, Sam, is very talented not only in tours but also in the creation of hand made artisan soaps, hand creams and more. Sam has been at the Castle Street market every day in December selling her artisan soaps. Through the rain, sun, snow and ice Sam has been selling her hand made products locally and to travellers enjoying the Edinburgh Christmas Markets. There are some lovely markets around Edinburgh, The Christmas markets, Castle Street Market and The Grassmarket Market. These markets are a really fun way to find those special Christmas gifts for all the family while supporting local marketers.
Edinburgh Tour Guides was also lucky enough to be invited by The Lyceum to an early showing of “An Edinburgh Christmas Carol”. This was a great show that the whole team enjoyed and is a great adaption of “A Christmas Carol” to include Edinburgh’s locations and characters (of course we love that being from Edinburgh). A show that the we would highly recommend. Without giving anything away… there is a lovely surprise at the end of the show ❄️
December, although a Christmas month, is also Kyle’s birthday month. Edinburgh Tour Guides were happy to wish Kyle a happy birthday this month. He was lucky enough to spend his birthday partying into old age over the weekend, as well as this it snowed all day on his birthday (Kyle loves the snow).
Edinburgh in the festive period really is a beautiful time, although it is a cold winter month, Edinburgh is a vibrant city full of life. The Christmas markets, outdoor ice rink, Christmas lights and decorations, really bring Edinburgh to life around Christmas time. Now we look forward to bringing in Christmas and the New Year 🥳
We have experienced Scotlands best with horse riding, Highland cow feeding and amazing views. We now have 3 accredited Whisky Ambassadors look out for new tours.
February has been a busy month for us, we purchased a new vehicle, have been sampling Scottish cuisine, experiencing new hotels and planning multi-day itineraries.
Click on the image to go to the booking page for the Edinburgh Castle and Medieval Old Town Live Stream Virtual Tour. It is free to join, no app required and Tips are welcome. This is an introduction tour of 30 minutes duration. Edinburgh Castle is one of Scotland's most iconic buildings. Explore the history of the Castle and of the City that grew around it. Perched on a volcanic plug hear stories of the Castle's past from the Esplanade. Travel down Castlehill into the Lawnmarket seeing stunning architecture, hearing fascinating stories of the characters that shaped this wonderful city's past.
Edinburgh is a beautiful city best explored on foot. However, travel is not possible right now. Why not take one of our Virtual Tours? The duration is around 45 minutes can be tailored to your needs. We have an Old Town Tour focusing on the upper part of the Royal Mile and Edinburgh Castle. We also have a Royal Mile and Place of Holyroodhouse tour which focuses on the lower part of the Old Town. Tours are offered via Zoom (free for you to use) or we can also FaceTime. Time zones can make it difficult to do a Live Virtual Tour, we can also offer a Zoom Tour using videos and photos with the guide talking you through the city and answering questions along the way.
The name Eilean Donan, or island of Donan, probably comes from the 6th century Irish Saint, Bishop Donan who came to Scotland around 580 AD. In the early 13th century the first defensive structure was built on the island. The castle played a part in the Jacobite risings which ultimately resulted in its destruction. It lay in ruins for around 200 years until the island was purchased by Lt Colonel John Macrae-Gilstrap in 1911. Lt Colonel John Macrae-Gilstrap and his Clerk of Works, Farquar Macrae, spent the next 20 years rebuilding the Castle to her former glory. The castle was rebuilt according to surviving ground plans and was completed in the July of 1932. The Castle walls are 14feet thick and the island has its own fresh water supply. Eilean Donan is one of Scotland's most iconic Castles, surrounded by stunning scenery and at the meeting point of three sea lochs. No wonder it has appeared in several movies, Highlander, James Bond and more.
Meet Martin one of our Edinburgh specialists. He loves introducing visitors to the history and stories of Edinburgh's past.