Edinburgh and Scottish Independence: A Walking Tour

Despite a majority vote against leaving the United Kingdom in the 2014 referendum, the issue of independence continues to dominate Scottish politics. With recent polls suggesting that most Scots would currently back separation another vote is possible in the coming years. The tour will consider how we got to this point by exploring important sites of Scottish and British nationhood within Edinburgh’s Old and New Towns, this will allow us to consider some key questions. How did Scotland find itself from 1707 in a political union with its oldest enemy? What factors allowed this unlikely marriage to survive for over 300 years? And finally why did Scottish nationalism reemerge as a political force in the twentieth century?

This tour will be led by Dr. Gains Murdoch, an experienced walking tour guide with a PhD in Scottish history and is a great opportunity for both locals and visitors to Edinburgh to learn more about the issue of Scottish independence. Ultimately the goal is in no way to tell you which side to be on (there are perfectly valid arguments on both sides of this contentious issue) but to provide you with the historical context to come to your own conclusions. Group numbers will be kept to no more than 8 people in order to comply with social distancing recommendations but also to more easily allow questions and nuanced discussions. 

• Locals interested in their city’s recent political history 
• Visitors to Edinburgh looking for something different 
• Anyone interested in learning about Edinburgh’s place in Scotland’s national reawakening. 

This tour is a guided walk with routine stops, however you’ll walk more steps than on an Old Town Walking tour. The first 20mins are slightly uphill, and perhaps not easy for anyone in a manual wheelchair.