Edinburgh Architecture Walking Tours
Scottish Architectural Guides + City Construction. Visiting East of Scotland built environment designs.
post updated 1 November 2026
31 October 2026
Edinburgh Landscape Architecture Tour
e-architect did a professional guided tour on Friday, 30 October for a visiting group from Taiwan.
Visiting Granton Gasholder Park 1:
The main focus of the Taoyuan City Government delegation is garden and park development, landscape planning, public green spaces, and sustainable park design.
Saughton Park courtyard:
Their priority was to gain practical insights into Edinburgh’s experience in garden and park planning, construction, regeneration, and long-term management.
Granton Gasholder Park 1, at the restored framework of a historic 1901 B-listed industrial gas holder:
The tour focused on parks, gardens and urban regeneration:
Saughton Park: restoration of historic gardens and integration of recreation, horticulture and biodiversity.
ForthQuarter Park, Granton: wetland ecology, water management and landscape-led urban regeneration.
Orchard Park Swale, Craigleith: sustainable urban drainage (SuDS), flood prevention and biodiversity.
We started the tour with a kind introduction from the Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society.
Saughton Park cafe building:
+++
Edinburgh Architecture Tours by e-architect – available to groups for pre-booking.
Scottish Parliament building entrance:
The two major recent buildings in Edinburgh to visit are the Scottish Parliament by EMBT/RMJM and the Museum of Scotland (extension) by architects Benson + Forsyth.
Edinburgh Walking Tours
Edinburgh walking tours – Lothian architecture guides
Walking Tour Reference, 23 May 2018
Hi Isabelle,
We had a wonderful architecture trip! After your inspiring tour we went for lunch in The Dome as suggested which was very good. After that we had a nice walk and a little shopping in New Town.
The visiting group on the roof of the Museum of Scotland, looking west towards Edinburgh Castle:
It is indeed special to make trips like this with colleagues who are also good friends.
Best regards!
van Gemert, interieurarchitectuur
+++
Scottish capital buildings
Some recent architecture in the Scottish capital city:
Oriam Building at Heriot-Watt design by Reiach and Hall Architects, located just outside the city to the west:
3-8 St Andrew Square Building design by CDA / Hoskins Architects, in the centre of the capital:
Most of the significant contemporary Scottish buildings have been built in the central belt, but the V&A in Dundee (2018) and the recent Aberdeen Library Building by SHL (2012) are exceptions. However there are also a number of Maggie’s Centres sprinkled around the country – in Edinburgh, Glasgow , Aberdeen, Dundee, Inverness, Kirkcaldy, and Wishaw.
Famous architects with buildings in Scotland include the late Zaha Hadid, Frank Gehry, Norman Foster, Steven Holl and David Chipperfield. Sadly none of these Scotish buildings represent their best architectural design work.
Three major recent buildings in Glasgow are the Riverside Museum by Zaha Hadid Architects, the BBC Scotland offices by David Chipperfield Architects and the Radisson Hotel by gm+ad architects.
Edinburgh architecture walking tour by e-architect on the Museum of Scotland terrace:
Recent Edinburgh walking tours took place for a Dutch architects studio trip and for a London architecture office trip.
+++
Architecture Walking Tours in Edinburgh
Book your Scottish architectural walking guide.
Edinburgh Walking Tours since 2001, in the Scottish Capital city.
Our most popular Edinburgh Walking Tour is the Old Town. We look at contemporary architecture within the context of the historic environment, with information on buildings + architects. The Old Town tour typically takes 3 hours and takes in buildings such as the Scottish Parliament and the Museum of Scotland. Contemporary buildings such as Dance Base and the Scottish Storytelling Centre are also popular with visitors.
photo © Keith Hunter
+++
Scotland architects visit
A recent Edinburgh Walking Tour for a group of Swedish developers + architects, photos:
“Hi Isabelle – and first of all – very much thank you for organizing a wonderful tour for us.
Our days in Edinburgh were just perfect planned – all by you!
I would strongly recommend everyone that’s planning on going to Edinburgh to contact you and hope for that you have got the time to help them.
The start with the capital’s City Architect Riccardo Marini was brilliant. To see your beautiful city after his lesson was perfect. We still talk about how important it is to have living places where people like to spend their time. Our walking tour really showed us places of both kinds.
Just wish you all the luck with e-architect and a very merry Christmas.”
+++
Scottish Parliament Building in the Old Town:
picture © AW
We also do New Town walking tours and occasionally guide in the historic centre of Leith (the port for the city) where there is a range of ancient and contemporary Scottish architecture. In addition, e-architect offer Edinburgh Bus Tours which allow visits to more outlying buildings in the city and Lothian, for example the Forth Rail Bridge.
We can arrange accommodation in contemporary quality hotels, dining in a range of good restaurants and suggested evening entertainment in the Scottish capital, ie the whole package for a fee. We can also provide groups requiring Scottish architecture walking tours architectural information on key building locations and building types.
Quartermile, just south west of the Old Town, by celebrated architects Foster + Partners:
photo : Nigel Young, Foster & Partners
Visitors are usually at the starting point of their walking tour (or bus tour) of the city, though sometimes the guide can meet the group at their hotel. Edinburgh Walking Tours can simply be a guided tour of the capital’s new & historic architecture. The guided tour can be backed up by hand-outs and experts for buildings of special interest, for example a project architect of a certain building.
Hotel Missoni on the Royal Mile, by Matteo Thun, Milan, with Allan Murray Architects, based in the Scottish capital:
photo © AJW
A standard architecture tour proforma allows a tailored service, eg for larger groups a second or third guide may be required on the architectural tour, some groups are not interested in anything other than the new architecture in the capital whereas others like a mix of history and architecture.
Other than Edinburgh, we have done numerous architecture walking tours and bus tours in and around Glasgow since 2001. Many visitors staying in Scotland for two or more days like to combine visits to both cities, typically with a day in each location (though we have had quite a few trips with 2 days in each).
+++
Edinburgh Architecture Tours
Edinburgh Architectural Walking Tours Proforma
Contact us for your Scottish guided tour: info(at)e-architect.com
Please advise if you wish to have a coffee stop halfway through the walking tour!
photograph © AJW
Glasgow Walking Tours – city walks in Scotland’s largest city
+++
Edinburgh Guided Tour – Architectural Walk References
On Monday the 9th September 2013 three members of the e-architect team showed 64 professional people (mostly architects) from Bangkok around the Old Town. The walking tour was, despite the weather, a success.
The three groups enjoyed the healthy mix of historical and contemporary architecture and general cityscape of the Old Town. For this group of visitors e-architect put special emphasis (by request) on the city’s sustainable visions and plans for the future.
The group’s favourite point on the walking tour was the rooftop terrace above the Museum of Scotland building. Their biggest concern was the lack of trees (something many of our Asian visitors on tours have said) in the centre, though they enjoyed the foliage in The Grassmarket! 11 Sep 2013
Photos of another walking tour in the Scottish capital for a Norwegian architectural group – Scottish Parliament Building:
photo © Isabelle Lomholt
+++
Edinburgh Walking Tours – Reference 18 May 2009
Dear Isabelle,
Oh yes, we had a splendid time in Scotland, thanks to you, Colin, and your beautiful country.
Vennlige hilsener fra, Øyvind
Edinburgh Bus + Walking Tour – Reference 24 Oct 2005
Adrian,
Thank you so very much for the spectacular job that you did for NBBJ Architects! They were so impressed with you and enjoyed the afternoon so much.
I think they would like to send you a proper thank you and also keep in touch. I hope we meet next time – I will certainly ask you to lead any groups that I have in Scotland in the future!
Very best regards, SB for NBBJ Architects
Edinburgh Tours – Reference 19 Nov, 2003
Dear Adrian and Isabelle,
Your warm welcome for us in Edinburgh was much appreciated by all. Our post-trip surveys ranked the Scotland tour as one of the very best we have ever offered.
The arrangements you made for Chicago Architecture Foundation were superb. The walking tours with you and Isabelle gave us good insight into the architectural scene, historic and modern. It has been a great pleasure to work with you,
Very best,
Barry Sears, Special Tours Consultant and Tour Leader
Chicago Architecture Foundation
Photo of a recent walking tour in the Scottish capital for a Danish engineering + architectural group – Scottish Parliament Building:
picture © Adrian Welch
+++
Edinburgh Tours
Recent architecture walks in the Scottish capital we’ve organised:
2014-26:
too many to name anymore!
2013:
Thai, Swedish, Danish walking tours
2012:
Chinese, Swiss, Northern Irish, German, Dutch walking tours
2011:
Edinburgh Walking Tours for Swedish, Norwegian and American visitors
2010:
Edinburgh Walking Tours for Norwegian, French and Spanish groups plus a bus + walking tour for an English group
2009:
Edinburgh Walking Tours for Dutch, American, Norwegian and International visitors
2008:
Cologne walking + bus tour, London, Danish, Glasgow, Italian walking tour
2007:
Edinburgh Walking Tours for Bath, London and American groups
2006:
two English walking tours, two Scottish tours, Swedish, Swiss, German bus tour, Spanish, American walking tour
2005:
repeat visit to Scotland from the Architects Association of Catalonia; a group of 73 Swedish architects & engineers from White Architects; a group of architecture students from England; 42 architects from Lyon; German architecture studio, Architects from NBBJ in the USA, Spanish architect office, numerous UK architectural tour groups, Russian architects, 40 Dutch architects.
In previous years we have done Edinburgh Walking Tours for 22 members of the Chicago Architecture Foundation, the Royal Society of Dutch Architects, 18 Ukrainian architects, 52 Dutch architects, 12 members of the Architects Association of Catalonia, Bartlett Architecture students and an architectural walking tour for Dublin planners.
Edinburgh Walking Tour : contact us on to book your architectural tour of Scotland
+++
Architecture in Lothian
Edinburgh Tours : Architecture Guide – key buildings to visit:
+++
UK Architecture Walking Tours
London Architecture Walking Tours
Manchester Architecture Walking Tours
We also do British guided architecture tours in Liverpool, Birmingham, Oxford and Cambridge. We also offer city walks in Dublin and Belfast.
+++
Edinburgh Architectural Tours
Key contemporary Buildings in the Scottish Capital:
Scottish Parliament Building
picture © Keith Hunter
This building is unmissable, whether you like it or not this is a major building designed by one of the key architects of the late 20th Century, Enric Miralles. The interior is warm and complex, whereas the exterior is rather austere being mostly clad in grey Scottish granite and precast concrete.
Museum of Scotland building interior:
photograph © AJW
This is a lovely building to visit, combining new and old, and frequently the favourite on our walking tours of the capital. There are two adjacent buildings, new and old, though the Victorian original has now been completed redeveloped and is a pleasure to walk around.
Edinburgh Castle
This is a classic, world-famous, however from an architecture point-of-view it is not so important (if you do go in make sure you see the beautiful war memorial interior).
Hotel Missoni Edinburgh
This was a controverisal new building, completed in 2009 in the heart of Edinburgh Old Town. The building has a traditionally-proportioned facade on the Royal Mile whereas on the other elevations it uses sandstone with crisp contemporary detailing.
+++
Edinburgh Tours Online
1. All
All featured buildings listed alphabetically with recent years in a cluster at the top of the page:
Scottish Parliament Edinburgh Tours from Holyrood Park, looking northwest:
building photo © Adrian Welch
2. Geographic
Featured buildings in geographic groups:
HISTORIC CORE – unmissable even on a one-day visit:
Edinburgh Old Town – medieval centre: Castle, Royal Mile, Cathedral, Parliament, Palace, University buildings
Edinburgh New Town – Georgian buildings set within original 1760′s plan, city centre
OUTER EDINBURGH & LOTHIAN:
Lothian Road – new business district just west of the city centre, mostly new office buildings
Leith Architecture – booming Dock regeneration area, north-east of the city, good for cafes & bars
Edinburgh Park – also called the Gyle, masterplanned by architect Richard Meier, west edge of the city, business park – mostly office buildings
Edinburgh Buildings – Environs – basically anywhere not listed above, around the capital’s villages, suburbs & the Lothians
Check architecture tour locations at Maps
3. Type
Featured Edinburgh buildings in building typological groups:
++++
Edinburgh Tours – On foot
Contact Isabelle Lomholt via info(at)edinburgharchitecture.co.uk for Edinburgh Walking Tours
Eleven years’ tour experience, guides trained as architects
We can provide advice ahead of trips re accommodation, dining and of course types and areas of buildings for the tour.
We can also provide architecture tours information on geographical areas, building types and chronological types. For example a group of architects interested in innovative social housing could be provided with tailored information allowing a programme to be agreed prior to their visit.
building photograph © Adrian Welch
Our most popular Edinburgh Walking Tour is the Old Town tour. On this tour we look at contemporary architecture within the context of the historic environment, with information on buildings + architects. The tour winds through the mix of medieval to modern buildings. A typical architecture tour lasts three hours long though most walking tours like to have a coffee break so three and a half hours is often best.
We also do walking tours through the New Town that usually take an hour, focusing on Georgian architecture in Charlotte Square, Moray Place and St Andrew Square. The New Town tends to be busier and noisier and with areas of little architectural interest but tour groups that have more than one day in the capital are advised to visit this historic area. Occasionally we also tour in the historic centre of Leith. Leith is the capital’s docks area and requires transport to get there.
Architects for key buildings are often available to meet with the tour group and talk visitors through their designs. We also do Edinburgh Bus Tours which allow visits to more outlying buildings.
We also organise walking tours in Glasgow (Scotland), London and Copenhagen.
+++
Key Edinburgh Buildings
+++
Guided Architectural Walks in Lothian, Scotland – Scottish City Visit
Contact us on +44 7952 149 814 / isabelle(at)e-architect.com
Edinburgh Tours
Edinburgh Architecture Introduction
Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland. The focus of our Edinburgh Walking Tours tends to be the World Heritage Site, ie the Old Town and the (old) New Town in the city centre.
This is a historic city centre, where we visit key contemporary buildings – such as the Scottish Parliament, Dance Base, The Scottish Poetry Library, the Storytelling Centre and the Museum of Scotland – within the historical context of the Royal Mile. We look at the most interesting buildings and spaces, from the castle down to the palace.
photo © Paul-Riddle.com
+++
Edinburgh Walking Tours – Traditional, Contemporary or Both
Edinburgh Architecture Tours can focus on traditional buildings, contemporary buildings or both.
We only do Edinburgh Architecture Tours for groups.
Please note that arranging restaurants, buses, etc. for a tour of Edinburgh carries an additional fee.
+++
Key Buildings in the Scottish Capital
Scottish Parliament Building, Old Town:
picture © Keith Hunter
Museum of Scotland, Old Town:
photograph © Adrian Welch
John Hope Gateway, Rotal Botanic Gardens, north of the New Town:
photo : Paul Raftery
Museum of Scotland:
photograph © Adrian Welch
Hotel Missoni:
photo © AW
Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh Palm Houses Restoration
W Edinburgh St James Quarter Hotel
Edinburgh College of Art Refurbishment
Design: Hawkins Brown Architects
Duddingston Kirk
photograph © Adrian Welch
+++
Edinburgh Walking Tours
Contact Isabelle Lomholt to arrange your tour at isabelle(at)e-architect.com
Payments must be made in full prior to the tour.
+++
Architecture Tours
Other than Edinburgh, e-architect organise architecture walking tours in other British cities such as Glasgow, London, Manchester and Liverpool.
Edinburgh Architecture Walking Tours : contact Isabelle Lomholt
+++
Edinburgh Walking Tour References
Edinburgh Walking Tours – Reference 8 Oct 2012
e-architect arranged our visit to Edinburgh in the Summer 2012 where we wanted to study the planning and the architecture of the historical city and surrounding areas.
We did not know Edinburgh before visiting, so e-architect helped us find the relevant subjects for the trip and they made the program for our visit.
During our visit e-architect provided us with a guide who was extremely good and professional. We were informed of both architectural historical facts and entertaining stories to support the picture of the city. The e-architect guide’s knowledge of both Edinburgh’s history and contemporary built environment and planning was detailed. It gave us ground for many good discussions on the conditions in both Scotland and in Denmark.
I can recommend e-architect as a very competent and exciting company when arranging study trips to Edinburgh.
Our group consisted of the leaders at Vejle Council, Technical & Environmental Department in Denmark.
Henrik Stjernholm
Architect maa.
Head of Planning, Building & Environment
Edinburgh Walking Tours: contact Isabelle Lomholt to arrange your Architecture Tour.
+++
Scottish Architecture Walking Tours
+++
UK Architectural City Walks
We also operate tailored city walks in other Scottish cities – Glasgow, Aberdeen and Dundee. We run architectural tours south of the border in the English cities of London, Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham, Sheffield, Leeds and Newcastle. We also offer architectural guided walks in Dublin, Ireland.
+++
Architectural Site Owners
Isabelle and Adrian live and work in Scotland. We both trained as architects, and Adrian worked as an architect until 2021, having worked in his first architects practice back in 1987.
Adrian’s first job working in an architecture office was in Banchory, for two summers. He then worked in Aberdeen for the Summer before going to Manchester School of Architecture in 1989.
Isabelle is keen on architectural design, property, cooking and making clothes. Adrian loves long walks, west coast scenery and playing the piano.
Buildings / photos for the Edinburgh Architecture Walking Tours page welcome
+++
Edinburgh Walking Tours – Scottish Capital Visits
Edinburgh Walking Tours – Recent Scottish capital city visits led by e-architect guides
2013
Swedish architects tour, Chinese planners tour
2012
English / Danish architects / International tours
2011
Dutch architects tour, Norwegian architects tour, Swedish engineers visit
2010
Swedish architects / Dutch architects / AIA UK tour
Visits in Previous Years:
2009:
English / Dutch architects visit, Norwegian / International group visits
2008:
Cologne architects tour, London / Danish architects / Glasgow / Dutch visits
2007:
Bath visitors, London architects tour, American architectural association
2006:
two English architects / two Scottish / Swedish / Swiss architects tour, German tour, Spanish tour, American architects tour
+++
+++
An Old Town hotel for your architectural visit to the Scottish capital – Radisson Blu Hotel Edinburgh
+++
Glasgow Architecture Tours : architectural walks in the west of Scotland
Buildings / photos for the Edinburgh Architecture Tour – Scottish Walking Tours in the capital city of Scotland, UK, page welcome.
