Mercat tour
Enlightenment Edinburgh
In summary
- Explore Edinburgh’s fascinating role in the history of ideas
- Visit Old & New Town, tracing the tales of how it developed in the history of Europe
- Enjoy a private tour with an expert guide
- Mercat exclusive audio devices - get immersed and lost in the stories...
- Choosing Mercat is 'Good for you, Good for Edinburgh' - our team, community and environment
About this tour
Discover Edinburgh at the moment it transformed the worlds of history, science, literature and philosophy. On this private tour you’ll see a city that was home to an extraordinary concentration of great minds: David Hume, Adam Smith, James Hutton and Walter Scott.
The enlightenment in Edinburgh transformed philosophy, history, science and literature. From this small stage, a few men laid the foundations of modern economics, and inspired great leaps for modern medicine. But how did Scotland’s capital gain its reputation as the Athens of the North? And what was it about the city that inspired so many thinkers?
Excitement and endeavour
On this private tour of Edinburgh’s Old and New Towns, your expert Mercat guide will conjure the excitement and endeavour of the men who met for intense meetings at The Select Society and The Poker Club. We’ll take you to places where it all happened – the university, the Surgeon’s Hall, the observatory. Forget the guide books – this tour brings a city of radical ideas to life.
Enquire about Enlightenment Edinburgh
Tour details
Duration
- 1 hours 45 minutes
Tour location
- Start point: Mercat Cross, High Street
- End point: Calton Hill
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Souvenir Guidebooks
Don't forget to buy a Mercat Tours souvenir guidebook with your ticket.
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