Book Tour

Trainspotting Tour of Edinburgh Locations

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Choose the Trainspotting tour. Choose to walk. Choose a guide that will take you on a journey around Edinburgh that takes in one of the classic and best remembered books and screen adaptations in the past 20 years. Ranked as 10th by the British Film Institute in the list of greatest British films, the 1996 classic Trainspotting starred Ewan McGregor, Ewen Bremner, Jonny Lee Miller and Robert Carlyle.

With the same cast returning to the sequel released 20 years later, the story set in Edinburgh about drug addiction and poverty has created a cult following amongst its fans.

This 3 hour Trainspotting tour is a perfect tour for fans of both the Irvine Welsh novels, Trainspotting and its follow up Porno, as well as both films directed by Danny Boyle. On this location tour, you will see iconic sites from both films that featured many memorable scenes with Renton, Spud, Begbie and Sick Boy.

Starting from the very first location we see in the first Trainspotting movie in central Edinburgh where Renton is being chased by security the tour then weaves its way through sites that include the car park where Renton narrowly escapes from Begbie in T2. The walk will include some of the historic streets in the old town that were used in the chase including the Grassmarket, The Royal Mile and . You will also see the location where the more updated ‘Choose Life’ rant from T2 is said, Dianes law firm and Where Renton hits the car in T1.

The Trainspotting Tour is ideal for fans of the books and films but also a great way to see iconic sites in central Edinburgh including the Old Town, Edinburgh Castle, Princes St Gardens, Calton Hill, the Scott Monument and much more.

As part of the tour, there will be a short 5 minute bus journey (approx £1.70) from Edinburgh to Leith.

Heading north from central Edinburgh to Leith where the original story was set you will see the site of old Leith Station from the novel and which gave birth to the ironic title of ‘Trainspotting’. No tour of Edinburgh is complete without a pub visit and you’ll see where Begbie read Spuds writings in a local pub that used to be a part of the long gone Leith station. You’ll also see one of the places where Trainspotting author Irvine Welsh met fellow aspiring authors when he was coming up with ideas for Trainspotting.

The tour will end near where Renton, Sick Boy and Veronika’s fashionable waterfront hang-out is located in the up and coming Leith dock areas.

Please note that, owing to the adult content of the Trainspotting tour, this tour is not suitable for children. As it is a walking tour, please ensure you have suitable footwear and clothing.

See the location of the chase scene from the opening of the first Trainspotting film
Get behind the scenes information from your guide about how the films were transferred from page to screen
See film locations from T2 including Begbies car park and the bookshop robbed at the start of the first film
Hear quotes from your guide relating to the literary locations from the first novel