The Edinburgh Literary Pub Tour: A Dramatic Romp through Old and New Town's Historic Pubs

Join the Edinburgh Literary Pub Tour for a hilarious and engaging romp through the historic pubs of Edinburgh’s Old and New Town. Experience a dramatic script performed by professional actors and discover the lesser-known literary characters that have shaped the city’s tavern life. A must-see cultural attraction since 1996!

Duration: 2 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Edinburgh Old Town - The Edinburgh Literary Pub Tour is is a brilliant and witty dramatic romp through the wynds, courtyards and pubs of Edinburgh’s Old and new Town.
What's Included
  • Professional actors
What's Not Included
  • Alcoholic beverages
Additional Information

Join the adventurous pair, Clart (synonym for dirt!) and our polished-intellectual Mcbrain, as they guide you on an amusing and smart theatrical journey through the back alleys, squares, and pubs of historical and modern Edinburgh. A hilarious battle of brains featuring three centuries of excellent literature and vibrant personalities.
The Edinburgh…

Location
Beehive Inn
Grassmarket
Look out for our Ticketing person wearing bright vest. The tour starts up the stairs at The Beehive on the top floor. Feel free to purchase a drink at the bar beforehand and bring it upstairs with you to enjoy the first scene!
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.6
(481 Ratings)
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Happy-hiker-ireland
Oct 17, 2025
Dougal and Emma - Outstanding ! The tour is exceptional! - The Literary Pub Tour in Edinburgh was an absolute delight! Dougal and Emma were outstanding guides — knowledgeable, engaging, and full of passion for Edinburgh’s rich literary history. Their storytelling and performances brought the city’s famous authors to life in such a fun and memorable way. You can tell they are both talented actors who love what they do. A perfect blend of education, humor, and good company. Thank you, Dougal and Emma, for a truly wonderful evening!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
68mbw
Oct 15, 2025
Fun and Educational Edinburgh Literary Tour - Mike and David gave us a fun, educational and very dramatic literary tour in Edinburgh. We visited several pubs and they shared info and reenacted scenes from some of Edinburgh’s most famous writers. Their interplay back and forth added a lot of humor to what could have been a very dry, academic topic. Well worth the price!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Bruce
Sep 30, 2025
Edinburgh Literary Tour - Delightfull evening which combined both pub visits and literary performances by a pair of talented and knowledgeable actors.
Review provided by Viator
Mary
Sep 22, 2025
A great way to spend an evening. - Entertaining and informative. Emma and Dougal were great! Loved the attention to the female authors as well! It was a bit chilly so a coat is in order for September and we encourage a ‘hot toddy’ to warm the soul!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Pieternella_p
Sep 21, 2025
Engaging and fun literary tour - Great tour, Emma and Doughal don’t just tell you about Scottish literary greats, they recite their work, explain and share fun facts. Not too serious but super interesting. Great for solo travellers.
Review provided by Viator
Cobym288
Sep 16, 2025
Paul and Emma - Paul and Emma were fantastic. Such a fun way to spend an evening. They were very friendly and personable. I enjoyed chatting with them in between pubs.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
759neilh
Sep 11, 2025
Take the tour ! - Excellent - funny and knowledgable guides who knew the back stories and told them well - the jolly judge was a real pub find
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Megan_d
Sep 11, 2025
Great Night Out! - This is a fun experience for people that love literary history. There is some walking as you have to walk to the different pubs, but it is very manageable.
Review provided by Viator
Steve_s
Sep 10, 2025
1st Trip to Edinburgh - We booked this Tour based on recommendations from some friends. We now highly recommend it for you. We had a great time on this tour. Our two tour guides/actors Mike and Blain did a wonderful job in their reciting and acting out Scottish literature. They did a good job keeping it to two hours. There is some walking involved so please e aware of that. We had a great time!!
Review provided by Viator
Thomas
Oct 3, 2025
Literally the worst literary tour - This was to be a pub tour but most of it was outdoors in elements play acting the rule of the writers Little concise history
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $27
up to 15 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).