After the disastrous defeat of the Scottish army at Flodden Field in 1513, Edinburgh went into a panic, but then focussed on its defences. The result was the Flodden Wall, which surrounded the Old Town of Edinburgh, like so many fortified towns and cities all across Europe.

The presence of the wall shaped the city’s development and history, and in this fascinating and energetic tour we trace the whole route of the wall, from Edinburgh Castle right round to Jeffrey Street and the valley of the old Nor’ or North Loch, which formed the north side of the defences.

As well as seeing the surviving remnants of the wall, we’ll be learning about the fascinating history of the streets the wall passes, hearing about many of the great characters and events that shaped the story of our wonderful capital!

Starting on the Castle Esplanade, we’ll be descending to the Grassmarket, our historic market place, and haunt of the infamous murder duo Burke and Hare. We’ll climb through The Vennel, seeing arguably the finest Castle view in the city, before circuiting the ancient Heriot’s School to Greyfriars, our historic church and home of the world famous terrier, Greyfriars Bobby. Proceeding alongside the University, we’ll hear stories of academic and medical Edinburgh, before turning down the Pleasance on the way back to the Royal Mile. We’ll pass the ‘World’s End’, where Old Edinburgh had its greatest gatehouse, the Netherbow, before finishing our walk on Jeffrey Street, from where we can trace the route of the last stretch of the wall as it crossed the old Nor’Loch outflow and ended at the lochside.