Edinburgh Bus Tours

MacTours City Tour

Edinburgh's MacTours are best known for offering 50s vintage bus tours. The tour buses are distinctive, painted half red and half yellow and their character is reflected in the tour itinerary. This is different from the more popular City Sightseeing Tour.

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Highlights of the City Sightseeing Edinburgh tour

The MacTours City Tour aims to uncover some of Edinburgh's hidden gems ranging from historic attractions away from the city centre to stories linked to Edinburgh's literary and medical past.

The tour starts from Waverley Bridge and unlike other bus tours, avoids Princes Street, Edinburgh's main street. The MacTours bus takes you straight to the New Town via St. Andrew's Square, across the Water of Leith, to the former village of Stockbridge, now one of the city's most desirable areas.

The bus tour then takes you past Dean Village and St. Mary's Cathedral. You can get off the bus for a short stroll along the Water of Leith Walkway or for a quick visit to the Dean Gallery of Modern Art.

The tour continues into Edinburgh Old Town at last. Unlike other Edinburgh bus tours, the MacTours City Tour doesn't take in the Royal Mile or Holyrood Palace but does include the Royal College of Surgeons in its itinerary.

Tour details

The MacTours City tour is an all-year round bus tour and departs Waverly Bridge every 30 minutes. Tickets are valid for 24 hours so you can hop-on and off to explore attractions at your leisure. The tour ticket also offers discounts to various attractions in Edinburgh, including its most famous one -- Edinburgh Castle.

See the links below for more information on Edinburgh's MacTours bus tour and other tours in Edinburgh.

>> Back to Edinburgh Bus Tour guide index

All Edinburgh Bus Tour articles:

City Sightseeing Tour Details on the most popular of the four local bus tours.

Edinburgh Tour Also known as Guide Friday, this bus tour is famous for its live guide commentary.

MacTours Complete information on touring Edinburgh on vintage buses.

Majestic Tour Description on Edinburgh's only bus tour to visit the Royal Yacht Britannia.

Bus Tour Comparison Decide which Edinburgh bus tour to take by visiting our comparison page.

Tour Edinburgh by public bus The cheapest and most flexible way to tour Edinburgh is by combining its excellent public transport with walking.

Tour Edinburgh by coach Easy way to tour around Edinburgh on a budget.

Tour Details - Bus Tours Essential tourist information including tour times, ticket prices, directions and contact details for all Edinburgh city tours.

Edinburgh bus touring on the web Links to other web pages related to Edinburgh tours by bus.

Also see:

Edinburgh Tour and Trip guide Guide to all tours available in Edinburgh as well as trips and tours to and from Scotland's Capital City.

Edinburgh Bus Travel Guide to public buses in Edinburgh.

Plan the Best Edinburgh Holiday:

Edinburgh Travel Essentials

Day Trips from Edinburgh to see Loch Ness, the Highlands and more. Guided 5-star tour by luxury mini-coach, from £26. Day Tours & Trips

Beautiful Photos from Edinburgh

Georgian townhouses, Moray Place, New Town of EdinburghPhoto of a townhouse in the exclusive Moray Place area of the New Town of Edinburgh. Photo #G6083

Floral Clock, Princes Street Gardens, EdinburghPhoto of the Floral Clock at the entrance in West Princes Street Gardens, Edinburgh. Photo #G3692

Scottish Parliament building in Holyrood, EdinburghPicture of the Scottish Parliament building in Holyrood, seen from Salisbury Crags. Photo #G3483

Origin of 'Edinburgh'

Tourists have problems with the name of Edinburgh. There are hundreds of ways people write it and the most common writings include 'edinburg', 'edinborough', 'edimburgh', 'edinbourgh', 'ediburgh', 'edinbugh', 'edinboro', 'edingburgh', 'edinbrugh', 'edimburg', 'edinburugh', 'edingurgh', 'edinbrough', etc.

According to the Scottish Place Names dictionary, the name Edinburgh means 'Fort of the Rock Face'. The 'edin' part comes from Scottish Gaelic and means 'rock face', while 'burgh' comes from Old English meaning stronghold.

Some more obscure (and quite funny) ways of writing Edinburgh include: edinburough, edingburg, edinbourg, edinburh, edinurgh, edenburg, edinbough, edinbourough, edinbrgh, edingborough, edenburgh, edinberg, edinborgh, edinborugh, edinburge, edinburhg, edingbourgh, etc.

Edinburgh is spelt Edimburgo in Spanish and Italian and Édimbourg in French.

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