Edinburgh's scavenger hunt: how it plays
The Edinburgh scavenger hunt is a self-guided city game you play on your phone: you walk from landmark to landmark, solve a riddle at each one by looking closely at what is in front of you, and unlock the stories and legends behind it. It takes about 3 hours, with around 56 minutes of actual walking over 4.1 km and 10 stops, and you start whenever you like.
Highlights include the Scott Monument on Princes Street, the Castle Esplanade in front of Edinburgh Castle, the Grassmarket, Greyfriars Bobby, St Giles' Cathedral and the view from Calton Hill. The route links the Georgian New Town with the medieval Old Town and the Royal Mile, so expect some slopes and cobbles, but every leg is short and easy to follow on foot.
- Durationabout 3 hours
- Walkingabout 56 min · 4.1 km
- Stops10
- LanguagesEnglish, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Dutch
Riddles between the New Town and the Old
Every stop hides one question
Ten stops, ten riddles, and each is answered by something you can see from the pavement: a statue under a Gothic canopy, a date on a tolbooth clock, an inscription on a memorial. Careful eyes and some reasoning do the work; Scottish history lessons are not required.
Witches, a loyal terrier and a flying stool
After each answer the stop opens its stories: the Witches' Well at the end of the Esplanade, Greyfriars Bobby, said to have guarded his master's grave for 14 years, and Jenny Geddes, who according to tradition threw her stool at the preacher in St Giles' in 1637. You can have the audio narration read them out as you go.
Slopes and steps, 56 minutes of them
Google Maps leads you over the 4.1 km, about 56 minutes of walking, and Edinburgh makes you work for it: up the Mound to the castle, down to the Grassmarket, back up to the Royal Mile, down the Canongate and finally up Calton Hill. The views from the top repay the climbs.
Weather breaks allowed
There is no clock on the game. Duck into a café when a shower blows through, carry on in the afternoon or the next day, and if you are staying in the Old Town, begin at a nearer stop and change the order in the app.
See the route and attractions →
How it works
- Book online Choose the number of players. Your booking reference arrives by email straight away.
- Get the app Download the World City Trail app from the App Store or Google Play and enter your booking reference.
- Play when you like Start whenever you are ready, walk at your own pace and pause any time. No guide, no fixed schedule.
Who will like the Edinburgh hunt
First-timers in Edinburgh
Princes Street, the castle, the Grassmarket, the Royal Mile and Calton Hill give you both halves of the city in one go, the Georgian New Town and the medieval Old Town. With a riddle at every stop, you notice the details most visitors miss.
Families with keen climbers
Children enjoy tracking down Greyfriars Bobby, Scott's dog Maida at his feet and a monument on Calton Hill shaped like an upturned telescope. An adult plays with them, and the slopes suit children who are happy to climb.
Festival friends and work groups
Teams have up to 5 players, each on their own phone, so a group in town for the Festival or a conference can split up and meet again on Calton Hill. The route stays on public streets and hills, with nothing to book.
Good to know
- Bring a charged smartphone with mobile data; a power bank helps.
- No entry tickets needed: everything happens outside the buildings. Going inside is optional and paid separately.
- Family friendly; children must be accompanied by an adult.
- Not suitable for wheelchair users and difficult with strollers.
- Teams of up to 5 work best; bigger groups split into several teams, one ticket per player.
- Every purchase helps support stray cats and dogs in Greece.
The route: from Princes Street up to the castle, through the Old Town and on to Calton Hill
10 stops · about 56 min walking · start: Scott Monument · finish: Calton Hill
The hunt starts at the Scott Monument on Princes Street and climbs the Mound past the Royal Scottish Academy to the Castle Esplanade in front of Edinburgh Castle. From The Hub you go down to the Grassmarket and Greyfriars Kirk, back up to St Giles' Cathedral on the Royal Mile and down the Canongate, then on to the Burns Monument, finishing on Calton Hill. The app lets you open the game at a different stop or rearrange the stops if, say, the Royal Mile is closer to your hotel, and because the riddles are read from the outside, neither the castle nor the cathedral nor any of the monuments asks you for a ticket along the way.
Open the route map ↗
1Scott MonumentStart
This Victorian Gothic spire on Princes Street honours the novelist Sir Walter Scott and was completed in 1844 to a design by the self-taught architect George Meikle Kemp. It is about 61 metres high, and under its canopy sits a white marble statue of Scott with his dog Maida by John Steell.
Read the full story →
2Royal Scottish Academy
William Henry Playfair designed this Greek Doric temple at the foot of the Mound, which opened in the 1820s as the Royal Institution and later became the home of the Royal Scottish Academy. Look up at the end facing Princes Street, where a seated statue of the young Queen Victoria by John Steell crowns the building.
3Castle Esplanade
The Castle Esplanade is the wide parade ground in front of Edinburgh Castle, laid out in the 18th century. Every August since 1950 it has hosted the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, and at its eastern end a small iron fountain, the Witches' Well, recalls the people executed here for witchcraft.
Read the full story →
4The Hub
This former church at the top of the Royal Mile was built in the 1840s to designs by James Gillespie Graham and Augustus Pugin, as a meeting hall for the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. Its Gothic spire is one of the tallest landmarks of the Old Town skyline, and since 1999 the building has been the home of the Edinburgh International Festival.
5Grassmarket
Below the southern cliffs of the castle rock, the Grassmarket served as a market place for horses and cattle from the 15th century. It was also a place of public executions, and a round memorial at its eastern end remembers the Covenanters hanged here in the 17th century. Today the square is lined with pubs, one of them aptly named The Last Drop.
Read the full story →
6Greyfriars Kirkyard
Greyfriars Kirk opened in 1620, and in 1638 the National Covenant, a founding document of Scottish Presbyterianism, was signed here. Many notable people of Edinburgh lie in the surrounding kirkyard. Outside stands the statue of Greyfriars Bobby, the Skye terrier said to have guarded his master's grave for 14 years.
Read the full story →
7St Giles' Cathedral
St Giles' Cathedral, the High Kirk of Edinburgh on the Royal Mile, is topped by a stone spire shaped like a crown, dating from the late 15th century. John Knox, leader of the Scottish Reformation, was its minister, and according to tradition a market woman named Jenny Geddes threw her stool at the preacher here in 1637 in protest against a new prayer book.
8Canongate
The Canongate, the lower part of the Royal Mile, was a separate burgh until it joined Edinburgh in 1856. Its name comes from the canons of Holyrood Abbey, founded by King David I in 1128. Look for the Canongate Tolbooth of 1591 with its clock projecting over the street, and the kirkyard where the economist Adam Smith is buried.
Read the full story →
9Burns Monument
This round Greek temple below Calton Hill honours Robert Burns, Scotland's national poet. It was designed by Thomas Hamilton and built in the 1830s, modelled on the Choragic Monument of Lysicrates in Athens.
10Calton HillFinish
Calton Hill offers wide views over the Old Town, the castle and the Firth of Forth. The National Monument, a copy of the Parthenon honouring the Scots who died in the Napoleonic Wars, was begun in 1826 but left with only twelve columns when the money ran out. Nearby, the Nelson Monument is shaped like an upturned telescope.
Only logged in customers who have purchased this product may leave a review.
Helen T. (verified owner) –
Excellent way to explore Edinburgh, as a family group, or with friends. Information on the app about the area, clues to work out, and able to do at your own pace, rather than on a guided walking tour. Able to pick your own starting point and work your way around. Engages the family.
I look forward to exploring more cities, both home and abroad with this app.
Spain –
Collected on GetYourGuide
La ciudad es muy bonita
Eveline– Austria –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Germany –
Collected on GetYourGuide
bedain– France –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Le parcours est super mais le côté énigme et jeux est vraiment nul
Cassandre– France –
Collected on GetYourGuide
C’était super
Nina– Belgium –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Op een leuke manier leer de je mooiste plekjes van de stad kennen! Zeker een aanrader!
United Kingdom –
Collected on GetYourGuide
The facts were interesting and I really liked them, but there were a lot of places which could be added, such as Edinburgh castle, Elephant cafe, etc. I would decently add more of them to the app.
United Kingdom –
Collected on GetYourGuide
In general it was good. The selection of places to visit was thorough and the activities were fun. There are a couple odd typos and unfinished sentences in the information section which would probably need some review. Also, it is a bit inconvenient that the route cannot be followed in the app and that if you selected one location by mistake you can only either solve it or lose it.
United Kingdom –
Collected on GetYourGuide
A great tour of key sights in Edinburgh, incorporated some Harry Potter stops that I googled along the way!
Sarah– United Kingdom –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Really fun!
Germany –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Die Fragen waren sehr einfach und die Strecke für die Zeitschätzung zu lang.
Germany –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Es war ein spaßiger Weg die Stadt zu erkunden aber leider waren die Wege, zu den jeweiligen Punkten zu ungenau beschrieben, durch Google Maps.
Damien– France –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Très intéressant. On découvre la ville à son rythme pour un prix modique.
Germany –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Die Tour war lustig. Teilweise war die App seltsam, weil uns angezeigt wurde es gäbe zwei Rätsel, dann war es doch nur eins. Und die deutsche Stimme, bzw das Vorlesen ist leider schrecklich. Aber man gewöhnt sich daran und kann schmunzeln. Wenn man auf sowas Lust hat, dann absolut zu empfehlen!
Germany –
Collected on GetYourGuide
It was a good tour around the old town. The stories in between were not at the right locations, though, which led to confusion and redundant explanations, even gave a solution to a riddle away. Riddles were average.
Paula– United Kingdom –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Good and informative
Karin– Germany –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Eine super Art eine Stadt kennenzulernen. Aktiv, in Bewegung und aktiv statt passiv.
Spain –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Sure a wonderful way to see a new city. Will definitely do this in other cities that I visit
Nadja– Switzerland –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Gut Option um im eigenen Tempo einige interessante Dinge anzuschauen. Aufgaben gut lösbar
Denmark –
Collected on GetYourGuide
En god måde at komme omkring i byens forskellige områder og få øje på ting. Har man ikke været i Edinburgh før, giver turen et udmærket overblik.
Netherlands –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Good amount of people with a good few locations
United Kingdom –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Sympathique
Switzerland –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Très sympas pour visiter la ville. Ça permet de se promener sans “réfléchir” à sa destination mais tout en voyant les principales places de la ville.
France –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Une appli qui nous a permis de sillonner Édimbourg différemment, avec des anecdotes et des faits historiques sur la ville. Le fait qu’on puisse reprendre l’activité plus tard est un plus, à l’heure de notre premier passage nous n’avions pas accès à tout. Très bien
Germany –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Sehr coole Idee eine selbstgeführte Schnitzeljagd durch Edinburgh zu veranstalten. Gute Rätsel, klasse Beschreibung und man lernt alle wichtigen Sehenswürdigkeiten kennen. Einziger Nachteil: in Edinburgh wies gerade sehr viel gebaut und am Castle konnte deshalb eine Aufgabe nicht gelöst werden. Aber Spaß hat es gemacht. Kann ich nur empfehlen um die Stadt auf eigene Faust kennenzulernen.
Greece –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Φανταστικό παιχνίδι!!!
Greece –
Collected on GetYourGuide
A great way to visit the most popular sightseeing of the city, having fan and solving puzzles. There is a hint button that helped us to some of the puzzles that were difficult. So everyone can get through the end and not get stuck. Totally recommended for couples or families!!
United Kingdom –
Collected on GetYourGuide
It was absolutely brilliant! I recommend it to everyone!
Germany –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Very nice activity!!!
elvisR –
Calton hill was the best stop we had ! Super photos! Also nice riddles. Would recommend