Edinburgh, Empire and Slavery Walking Tour

Tour Rates

£14 per person

Currently only available on a private tour basis

Meeting Point Outside Castle Coffee at the West End of Princes Street, Edinburgh.

Tour Duration

2 hours

About Edinburgh, Empire and Slavery Walking Tour

Unfortunately this tour is not currently available on a regular basis. If you are interested in doing the tour please contact us directly.

It is a truth rarely acknowledged that many Scots were active participants in the expansion and maintenance of Britain’s empire. The legacy of Scotland’s involvement in the workings of the British Empire and the institution of African slavery can still be clearly seen on the streets of our capital city. Profits generated through imperial trade and conquest helped fund the construction of Edinburgh’s majestic New Town and, controversially, monuments which glorify individuals who supported and profited from the exploitative practices of the British Empire still stand today. But there’s more to the story than that. Many Edinburgh locals were vociferously opposed to multiple aspects of empire including slavery, indeed, some fought against it. On this tour we’ll scratch beneath the surface. How did Scots view empire? How did events in Edinburgh help and hinder the abolition of Slavery in the United Kingdom? We answer these questions and many more.

Your guide will be Dr. Gains Murdoch, an experienced walking tour guide and local historian whose primary area of research has been assessing Scottish attitudes to the British Empire in the eighteenth century. This tour is an excellent opportunity to find out more about Edinburgh’s historic connections to empire and slavery, which will provide individuals the context to consider how we should relate to this troubling legacy today in the wake of renewed interest in this topic. Group numbers will be kept to no more than 8 people in order to comply with social distancing recommendations but also to more easily allow questions and nuanced discussions.