Certified B Corporation

Mercat Tours is the very first and only exclusive visitor attraction in the UK, joining the global movement and over 2,000 Certified B Corporations in the UK, dedicating to benefitting all people, communities and the planet.

Joining this cause, which strives for an inclusive, equitable, and regenerative economy, has been a natural ambition for us since 2020 as part of our mission to prove that  ‘good business does good’.

Founded by local history teacher Des Brogan in 1985, Mercat Tours is an independent family-business driven by the desire to give their team, visitors and community the very best experience of work and the city.     

At the heart of the organisation, now in its second generation of the family, is a promise to making meaningful connections that benefit everyone. For almost 4 decades Mercat Tours’ approach has been rooted in a simple idea with tried success – they connect people, places and the past through the power of storytelling.  Their team always prioritise positive social, environmental and cultural impact as standard, wherever possible, in all business decisions. 

We look forward to sharing the benefits of conducting a business responsibly with tourism partners across Scotland, through their supply chain and, of course, with every visitor on every tour. 

What is B Corp?

B Corp is a global movement (with over 2,000 UK corporations, 70 of which are in Scotland) dedicated to benefitting all people, communities and the planet.

B Corp Certification means that Mercat Tours meets B Lab’s (the charity behind the accreditation) world-renowned high standards for social and environmental performance impact, accountability and transparency.  It has committed to changing the economic system to promote social justice and equity by positively impacting all connected with the company: their team, visitors, communities and the environment.  

Every B Corp is scored using five impact areas outlined in the B Impact Assessment: Workers, Environment, Customers, Community, Governance. Each organisation granted the accreditation must score at least 80 points across these areas and Mercat Tours hit an impressive score of 96.5 which demonstrates its success as outlined in its vision, actions, structures, and policies, including:  

• Prioritising Fair Work as a Real Living Wage and Living Hours Employer, with permanent and secure contracts
• Committing to environmental and economic sustainability evidenced with the Green Tourism GOLD award 
• Reconnecting the disconnected through the ‘Our Stories, Your City’ project and partnership with the Grassmarket Community Project

Mercat Tours is now part of this important movement where the UK is home to the second largest B Corp community in the world, showing how serious we are about making positive social, environmental and cultural impact in everything we do.