Comedy and history walk the Royal Mile. I like how the Mountebank Comedy Walk uses real Old Town stops to tell stories that land, and I especially like the kilted, Scottish-comedy energy of the guide. It is a laugh-first walking experience, so if you prefer polished, quiet sightseeing, the cheeky humor and age rule (16+) are a serious consideration.
In practice, you get a compact route that fits into an easy afternoon. The group stays small (max 20), and the guide makes it feel interactive, not like a lecture with jokes. The tradeoff is that the comedy can be a bit irreverent and you may get pulled into the bit, so go in with a sense of humor and thick skin.
If you only have a short time in Edinburgh, this is a fast way to get your bearings. You’ll be on foot for about two hours, and the Old Town is not flat, so wear shoes you trust.
In This Review
- Key things to know before you go
- Price and timing: what $36.06 buys you in Edinburgh
- The vibe check at Monkey Barrel Comedy (start here for the right mood)
- Royal Mile in 10 minutes: iconic street, fast story beats
- Mercat Cross: trade, proclamations, and the darker edge
- St Giles Cathedral: Reformation themes and famous resting places
- Writers’ Museum area: literary figures served with cheek
- Edinburgh Castle panorama and the 1314 raid story
- Grassmarket: law and disorder, with public punishment energy
- Greyfriars Kirkyard: bodysnatchers, ghosts, Harry Potter, and Greyfriars Bobby
- Walk comfort: hills, steps, and a two-hour reality check
- The guide experience: Daniel Downie, kilt, crowd work, and Braan the dog
- Who should book this comedy walk (and who might skip it)
- Should you book the Mountebank Comedy Walk of Edinburgh?
- FAQ
- How long is the Mountebank Comedy Walk of Edinburgh?
- Where does the tour start and end?
- What sites do you stop at during the walk?
- Is admission included for the stops?
- Is the tour suitable for children?
- Is the tour in English?
- What if the weather is bad?
Key things to know before you go
- A kilted Scotsman guide named Daniel Downie mixes Scottish stories with stand-up style crowd work
- Up to 20 people keeps the jokes personal and the pace lively
- Old Town power stops in one loop: Royal Mile, St Giles area, and a big Edinburgh Castle view moment
- Greyfriars stories that connect to pop culture including Harry Potter and Greyfriars Bobby
- A dog named Braan adds charm and breaks the tension when the humor gets dark
- Admission for several stops is not included, so you’re mostly learning from the outside as you walk
Price and timing: what $36.06 buys you in Edinburgh
At $36.06 per person for about two hours, you’re paying for a guide who can sell Edinburgh’s past in a way that makes you remember it. This is not a museum ticket package. Most of the fun happens on the street, at major corners and viewpoints, while the guide ties everything together with comedy.
A small duration matters in Edinburgh. The city’s center is compact, but it can take a lot of energy to cover it all. Two hours is long enough to hit key Old Town sites without draining your whole day.
One more value point: timing. The experience is often booked about a month in advance, so if your dates are firm, plan to lock it in early rather than hoping for last-minute availability.
You can also read our reviews of more walking tours in Edinburgh
The vibe check at Monkey Barrel Comedy (start here for the right mood)
Your walk kicks off at Monkey Barrel Comedy, at 9–12 Blair St. The pre-walk time is brief (about 15 minutes), and the vibe is part club, part meet-and-greet. You get the warm-up where you learn a little Scottish vocabulary, and the guide also shares plenty about himself.
This is a smart start. It sets expectations fast: this tour is comedy, and history shows up as the material. You’re also primed to participate a little, whether that means laughing hard, picking up a few words, or letting the guide test jokes on the group.
One practical note: there’s admission at Monkey Barrel Comedy that is not included. So don’t count on this stop as free entry into a show. Think of it as the kickoff and mood-setter.
Royal Mile in 10 minutes: iconic street, fast story beats
Next you head to the Royal Mile, Edinburgh’s best-known Old Town high street. You’ll spend about 10 minutes here, and the goal is not to do a deep shopping crawl. The guide uses the street’s fame as a springboard for quick context and punchy commentary.
This stop is a useful anchor for first-timers. If you’ve ever felt like Edinburgh Old Town is a blur of stone lanes and stairs, the Royal Mile gives your brain a backbone. Even if you only walk a small section, you leave with a clearer mental map of where things sit.
Mercat Cross: trade, proclamations, and the darker edge
At Mercat Cross, you get a medieval snapshot with an edge. This spot is tied to trade in medieval Edinburgh, and it’s also where official proclamations and punishments were linked to public life.
The comedic angle matters here. The tour doesn’t treat history as a tidy school lesson. It frames the street as a place where power was announced loudly and people learned consequences fast.
If you’re sensitive to grim topics, keep expectations realistic. This is still a comedy walk, but it plays around with the era’s brutal stuff, because that is part of Edinburgh’s story.
St Giles Cathedral: Reformation themes and famous resting places
You then move to St Giles’ Cathedral, another Old Town heavyweight. The guide points out its role in the Reformation and also notes it as the resting place of the Great Montrose.
This stop is about two things: scale and symbolism. St Giles dominates the neighborhood visually, and it carries meaning beyond pretty architecture. The humor stays tied to the place rather than drifting into random jokes.
If you want a quick win, this is it. You can admire the setting while still picking up key historical threads without getting bogged down.
Writers’ Museum area: literary figures served with cheek
Outside the Writers’ Museum, you get a comic take on Edinburgh’s famous literary figures. This is a short stop (about 10 minutes), but it adds an important ingredient: Edinburgh’s creative identity.
It also keeps the walk moving. You’re not stuck in one mood. One moment you’re in the politics and religion zone; the next you’re in a pop-culture-friendly, author-flavored version of Edinburgh.
This stop is ideal if you like your history with a wink, not a textbook voice.
Edinburgh Castle panorama and the 1314 raid story
The tour then reaches a panorama viewpoint connected to Edinburgh Castle. You’ll spend about 10 minutes there, taking in the south side view and hearing about the daring raid in March 1314 involving Sir Thomas Randolph.
Castle views always feel like a big payoff in Edinburgh, and the way this tour handles it is practical. You get the thrill of seeing the stronghold without committing to a full indoor castle visit during the same two hours.
Also, the story element works. When you hear a specific raid date like 1314, the castle stops feeling like just a postcard. It becomes a place tied to action and risk.
If you later want to go inside the castle museum spaces, you’ll already know why the place mattered.
Grassmarket: law and disorder, with public punishment energy
At Grassmarket, the tone shifts again. The guide frames it as a center for law and disorder, a busy market place where justice could be carried out publicly, including executions.
This is one of those Edinburgh corners where you can feel the weight of the past. Even if you don’t want gore, you can still appreciate why the neighborhood gained that reputation.
The comedy here is not random. It is used to make the uncomfortable parts discussable, which is a big reason people love this tour style.
Greyfriars Kirkyard: bodysnatchers, ghosts, Harry Potter, and Greyfriars Bobby
Your final stop is Greyfriars Kirkyard in the Old Town, about 15 minutes. This is where the tour leans into the spooky side of Edinburgh’s folklore: bodysnatchers stories, ghosts, and the cultural connection that lots of people associate with Harry Potter.
And yes, the guide brings in the most famous dog in town: Greyfriars Bobby. It is a clever closer, because it softens the darker thread while still landing in a place that feels like it has secrets.
If you want a clean ending that sticks, this is it. You finish with a cluster of stories that match Edinburgh’s spooky reputation, but you also leave with names and landmarks tied together in your head.
Walk comfort: hills, steps, and a two-hour reality check
This walk is short, but it is not a flat, gentle stroll. Expect hills and steps as you move between Old Town sights. That matters more than people think, especially if you’re visiting on a busy travel schedule or have mobility limits.
The upside: because it’s only about two hours, you can pace yourself. I’d plan your day so you are not doing another long, stair-heavy activity right after.
Warm layers help too. The walk runs outdoors, and Edinburgh weather can turn quickly.
The guide experience: Daniel Downie, kilt, crowd work, and Braan the dog
What makes this tour work is the guide’s delivery. The guide is Daniel Downie, an actual Scotsman who wears a kilt, and he mixes history with fast jokes aimed at the group. A big theme in the feedback is how he can connect with people, learn names, and make the jokes feel personal without turning into cruelty.
Then there is Braan, the dog. Braan shows up as more than a cute add-on. The presence of the dog changes the mood in a good way. When the stories lean grim, Braan gives you a reset.
This combo is why the tour is so memorable. It’s not just about facts. It’s about attention—Daniel keeps it moving, and Braan keeps it human.
Who should book this comedy walk (and who might skip it)
This is a great fit if you:
- want a fun first-time Old Town intro
- like history that includes criminals, punishments, and gossip (not just kings and dates)
- enjoy adult-style humor and don’t mind being part of the group energy
- want a small group format with strong personality
You might skip it if you:
- want a quiet, respectful, zero-roast sightseeing tour
- are easily offended by irreverent jokes
- need a strictly non-interactive experience (because crowd work is part of the format)
- do not do well with hills and steps during a short walking window
Should you book the Mountebank Comedy Walk of Edinburgh?
Yes, if you want your Edinburgh start to be memorable, not just scenic. At $36.06, for about two hours, you get a compact tour of major Old Town touchpoints—Royal Mile, St Giles area, a Castle panorama, Grassmarket, and Greyfriars—delivered by Daniel Downie with cheeky, adult humor and the bonus presence of Braan.
I’d book it on a day when you still have energy to walk stairs, and when you’re in the mood to laugh at the city’s messy past. If you prefer strict, serious historical tours, you may find the humor style too direct. But if you’re open to laughs and street-level storytelling, this is a smart way to spend an afternoon in Edinburgh.
FAQ
How long is the Mountebank Comedy Walk of Edinburgh?
It lasts about 2 hours.
Where does the tour start and end?
It starts at Monkey Barrel Comedy, 9–12 Blair St, Edinburgh EH1 1QR and ends at Greyfriars Kirkyard Cemetery, Greyfriars Place, Edinburgh EH1 2QQ. The finishing point can change, but it will always be in the Old Town.
What sites do you stop at during the walk?
You’ll make stops around Monkey Barrel Comedy, Royal Mile, Mercat Cross, St Giles’ Cathedral, the Writers’ Museum area, Edinburgh Castle (panorama), Grassmarket, and Greyfriars Kirkyard.
Is admission included for the stops?
The tour lists admission tickets as not included for multiple stops. Some locations are free to view from outside, but you should assume entry fees are not part of the price.
Is the tour suitable for children?
No. It is strictly for ages 16 and over.
Is the tour in English?
Yes, it is offered in English, and you’ll receive a mobile ticket.
What if the weather is bad?
The experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
