Far from “elementary!” our Sherlock Holmes Walking Tour of Edinburgh, designed with teens in mind, retraces the life of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, revealing the secrets behind his inspiration for the world’s most famous detective. Along the way, you’ll be invited to solve a challenging true crime mystery that will test everyone’s powers of observation, deduction and logical reasoning!

Why Edinburgh?

Good question! If you are a Sherlock Holmes fan you will know that Scotland itself plays little part in the Sherlock Holmes mysteries, most of which were set in London. But without Edinburgh there would be no Sherlock Holmes, because this is the birthplace of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who, ironically, is not as well-known as his iconic character!

Born in 1859, it is a statue of his most famous creation and not himself which stands resplendent at Picardy Place Island, once the location of Conan Doyle’s original home.

As he grew up, in the wake of the Industrial revolution of the 19^th-Century, the population of Edinburgh increased enormously and with it, crime! Conan Doyle was fascinated as much by the intricacies of the city’s labyrinthine streets and alleys as by the crimes themselves, and while he studied to be a doctor at Edinburgh Medical School, he dreamt of writing detective stories.

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As a student, Arthur Conan Doyle was tutored by Dr Joseph Bell who was himself famed at the time for his adherence to the principles of observation and logical deduction when making his medical diagnoses. He was also a doctor consulting for the Scottish Police, there were plenty of crimes for Dr Bell to help solve! He is considered as the father of the scientific police,

Along the tour, you will learn how Arthur Conan Doyle wove Dr Bell’s knowledge of medicine and the justice systems into his novels, and how the character and idiosyncrasies of his very own tutor became the foundation of the most-played human character in cinematic history and changed crime investigation in real life!

We visit Greyfriars Cemetery where body snatchers stole bodies from graves; learn how the infamous Burke and Hare, who went on a murderous spree in the early 1800s killing 16 victims before being caught, influenced the young Conan Doyle; then on to the Grassmarket where regular hangings took place. It is said their ghosts fuelled his obsession with mysticism and his unfaltering belief in the afterlife.

So far, so scary!

If you want an authentic 1880s experience (and who wouldn’t?), take our tour in the evening. Come with us as we follow in his footsteps wandering down Edinburgh’s dark and narrow alleyways, mysterious unlit closes and the ‘wynds’ of the Old Town, where the grisly murders and unsolved mysteries fed his young and fertile imagination.

And as for solving those puzzles, take a tip from Sherlock Holmes himself:

“…when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth”. ​

And if you look for a visit more dedicated to younger children at Edinburgh, have a look at our Harry Potter Kids Tour!