Free City of Literature Podcast Tour

We have joined forces with Edinburgh World Heritage to create a series of free podcasts celebrating the literary and built heritage of Scotland’s capital city.

Using quotes from writers, poets and some of the classic stories inspired by the built environment of the city, the ten podcasts are designed to provide a guided tour of Edinburgh, revealing some of the hidden gems and history of the city.

10 themed Podcasts

Written by Edinburgh poet and author Stewart Conn, the podcast present unique views of the city, explore some of our most famous city landmarks, their architectural history and curiosities and their literary links – from Calton Hill to Princes Street Gardens, The Netherbow to The Canongate, from Robert Louis Stevenson to Daniel Defoe, Ian Rankin to Quintin Jardine.

Watch, Read, or Audio Download

All ten podcasts can be found on the Visit Scotland website and each part features a particular area of literary interest. There are several ways to enjoy them - just pick the one that suits you best:

The most atmospheric way to hop onto this virtual tour is through watching the video on the Visit Scotland webpage (select the "Edinburgh - Stories in Stone" podcast). Once the video starts playing you can jump to any of the 10 chapters by selecting the chapter number at the bottom of the video.

To download an audio podcast, right-click one of the following links and then select the option that saves the mp3-file to your computer.

1. Calton Hill
2. The Mound
3. Hanover Street
4. Heriot Row
5. Lawnmarket
6. The Netherbow
7. Canongate
8. The University & The Enlightenment
9. Victoria Street & The Grassmarket
10. Charlotte Square

If you prefer to read the information at your leisure, the Visit Scotland pages also have full transcripts of the podcasts.

Let Us Know What You Think

Drop us a line if you have any comments or suggestions, or if there are other Edinburgh stones whose literary story you would love to hear more about.