So, we now have a successful first tour.
The Heart of the Royal Mile currently has five-star ratings on both TripAdvisor and GetYourGuide. Not only that, but in just two short months we have climbed into the top 150 out of more than 800 tours and activities in Edinburgh, according to TripAdvisor.
That is something we are incredibly proud of.
But the obvious question now is: what’s next?
Well, more experiences, of course.
We are launching two brand-new experiences in September, and I’m really excited about both of them.
First up is Historical Sites with Scottish Bites.
I have a really good feeling about this one. It takes the storytelling and history that people have loved on The Heart of the Royal Mile and adds something completely new.
We'll explore Edinburgh's history while stopping at three of our Merchant Leisure venues: Burgers & Beers, The Piper's Rest and Merchants Tavern. At each stop, guests will get the chance to enjoy a taste of Scotland while hearing more about the stories behind the city and its culture.
So, you're walking through Edinburgh, learning about its history and stopping along the way to enjoy some Scottish food.
Honestly, what’s not to like?
The second new experience is Dark Shadows of Edinburgh.
This one is going to be a lot of fun.
We’re taking guests on a journey through the darker side of Edinburgh’s history, introducing some of the more notorious characters, legends and stories connected with the city.
It’s not really a traditional ghost tour, although there are a couple of ghostly stories hiding in there. Instead, it’s about discovering some of the stranger, darker and more fascinating tales that helped shape Edinburgh and its reputation.
For now, we'll be running Dark Shadows on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings, with an additional Sunday date and, of course, special Halloween dates.
Both of these experiences are ready to go and will be live in September, so get booking!
But, as exciting as those two launches are, we're not stopping there.
We’re already in the process of designing a new dining and storytelling experience.
This one will take place inside Merchants Tavern on the Royal Mile, where guests will sit down and enjoy a three-course meal while listening to three brilliant stories from Edinburgh’s darker and more mysterious past.
This is still in the early stages, but it's something we're all really excited about. It's a chance to combine great food, a fantastic venue and the storytelling that sits at the heart of everything we do.
And that’s probably the most exciting part of starting something like this.
You launch one experience thinking, this is it...
And then you realise it’s actually just the beginning.
There are so many stories Edinburgh still has to tell, so many ideas we want to explore, and so many different ways we can create experiences around them.
For now, though, we're concentrating on getting these new experiences out there, introducing more people to Experience Edinburgh and seeing where this journey takes us.
Two tours are launching in September.
More ideas are already taking shape.
And honestly...
We can't wait to see what's next.