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
(465 Ratings)
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Explore49329674473
Jul 26, 2025
An amazing experience filled with laughs and information. - The tour was absolutely amazing from start to finish. The two actors Paul and Dave were friendly, informative and also helpful. They got to know each of us on a personal level and were extremely engaging and personable. The script acted out by the pair was both informative, but also extremely entertaining. They took us through some amazing pubs and also some beautiful parts of the city. This tour is a must if you come to Edinburgh especially if you're a fan of literature and definitely if you're a Harry Potter fan. Seeing the real life inspiration for Diagon Alley was very exciting.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
V3246xrrichardb
Jul 24, 2025
Great tour - Emma and Douglas fantastic actors, delivered great capsule of Scottish literature in tremendous fashion! Three pubs with time to have a pint at each.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Khwaps
Jul 23, 2025
Great fun - A wonderful 2hr tour of Old Town, which included 3 (or 4🤔) stops by pubs, where we were regaled with stories of past Scottish literary greats. Emma and Dougle were very informative, while simultaneously being tremendously entertaining and humorous. Great fun/highly recommended
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kimr91
Jul 21, 2025
A hilarious and informative tour with beer! - Paul and Riley were hilarious. I was in awe of how unflappable and quick they were. They were also so friendly and took excellent care in of us. Well done!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Norbert_n
Jul 20, 2025
Lebendige Literaturtour - Phantastic introduction to famous Scottish writers done very vividly by 2 actors. Burns, Stevenson, Scott and others. Poems are said and even sung.
Review provided by Viator
J35yfedw
Jul 20, 2025
- Paul and Riley were excellent! Wonderful performers and guides. What a fun way to learn about Scottish literature and history! Great pubs too. We highly recommend it.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lakshmi_i
Jul 8, 2025
Fantastic Duo - David and Dougal - We booked this experience on the evening we arrived in Edinburgh. We thoroughly enjoyed learning about Scottish authors and poets while strolling through different pubs that were very interesting. David and Dougal were amazing guides and actors. They made it so much fun. Amazing to hear the poems they recited and played different roles. Surely, recommend it. Bring an umbrella or a little rain jacket in case it starts raining.
Review provided by Viator
Deborah_s
Jul 8, 2025
Do not miss the Edinburgh Literary Pub Tour! - Fantastic! Please clone Mike and Hazel. The historical presentation by both were great. The energy between these two actors was special.
Review provided by Viator
Leonard_s
Jul 20, 2025
It’s okay, and the actors... - It’s okay, and the actors offer a dramatic, humorous and entertaining overview of Scottish literary highlights. But it’s also a bit misleading. The pub side of the tour has nothing to do with the literary side. Essentially you stop at a pub, the guides tell those who want a beer to go in, everyone else waits outside, and then you move on to a neutral space where the actors regale you with a few minutes of literary history. Some may enjoy it, but had we known better we would have avoided it.
Review provided by Viator
Gregyaeg186
Jul 24, 2025
Not as advertised - This isn't so much a pub tour as it is an improv session with some literary history peppered in. We were nearly an hour into the tour before literature really became the main theme. No time was spent in a pub at all and almost all of the time was spent outdoors in courtyards with nowhere to sit. The actors were hard to understand and over acting to the point it was distracting. My group couldn't make it through to the end and left after the 2nd stop.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $26
up to 15 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).