On Thursday, 28 April, Mercat Tours launched ‘Our Stories, Your City’, a new, unique collaboration of visitor attractions which offers Edinburgh’s visitors an award-winning, five-star walking tour at the same time as supporting some of Edinburgh’s most vulnerable people – a mutual and equal benefit to all.
The Tourism Leadership & Recovery Fund awarded Mercat Tours a grant last year, as part of the £25 million Scottish Tourism Leadership Programme (see notes to editors). The partnership has developed a digital solution for Edinburgh’s visitors to connect with Edinburgh on tour, and also have a positive impact and help the city’s vulnerable community – creating a bond between visitors, Grassmarket Community Project (GCP) members and their city.
2022 is VisitScotland’s Year of Stories and our project uses the power of stories to deepen connections between people, place and the past, now and in the future.
When buying their own tour, visitors can choose fast-track entry and a tour of either/or/all Edinburgh Castle, National Museum of Scotland, Palace of Holyroodhouse, Gladstone’s Land and The Georgian House.
Visitors will be encouraged to donate money towards the GCP members’ to enjoy the same five-star tour, helping them reconnect with their stories and their city. This project makes connections, removes barriers and invites visitors to gift five-star cultural experiences to Edinburgh’s vulnerable community, all through the human craft of storytelling.