Scottish Secrets

What it’s like

A grab-bag of Edinburgh tours and experiences, from Harry Potter trails and whisky bottling to ceilidh dancing and a murder mystery.

This isn't one fixed attraction, it's a whole menu of guided experiences around Edinburgh, and the trick is picking which one suits your crew. There's a Harry Potter fan tour taking in the landmarks that inspired JK Rowling, with a make-your-own-potion bit thrown in, which is the obvious pull if you've got a child who's read the books more times than you have. There's also a proper look at Edinburgh Castle and its history for anyone after something less wand-based.

Older kids and teenagers get more choice again. A murder mystery experience uses forensic techniques and codebreaking, and there's a bespoke treasure trail that mixes an escape game with a trail, which sounds like the sort of thing that needs a team who can actually work together rather than bicker. Bagpipe history and a go at playing one is a nice odd-one-out on the list, and the ceilidh dancing in an Edinburgh church hall, with a live band and professional dancers, is more of a family night out than a daytime activity.

A fair few of these lean adult, or at least older-teen: the craft brewery tour with beer and cheese pairings, the food tour with whisky, gin or beer tasting and fudge-making at the end, the Leith whisky distillery visit where you bottle your own, and the gin distillery tour with tasting and a cocktail-making bit. Worth reading the description of whichever one you're booking closely if you're bringing children, since some of these are clearly built around drink.

Booking is required across the board, and opening hours run 10am to 6pm on weekdays, with shorter Saturday and Sunday hours of 11am to 4pm. Because it's all tour-based rather than a single site with a car park, timings will depend entirely on which experience you go for.

Facilities

Need to know

Best for

Varies by tour: family-friendly Harry Potter trails to adult whisky and gin tastings

• Several tours (whisky, gin, brewery) are built around tastings, so check what's actually included before booking with kids in tow.
• The ceilidh dancing and private piper evenings are more of a night-out format than a daytime family activity.
• Weekend hours are shorter than weekdays, so don't plan a Saturday visit around the same window as a weekday one.
• The treasure trail and murder mystery both lean on codebreaking, so they suit a team that's happy to think rather than run about.

Plan your visit

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