A Mercat Tour Guide leading a tour where one of the group is sitting on a stool. All 3 people in the group are wearing headphones.

Mercat Tours Business Spotlight

5 February 2025

Founded by local history teacher Des Brogan, Mercat Tours | Certified B Corp brings the hallowed history of Edinburgh to life through authentic, compelling tales of days past, expertly led by its team of award-winning storytellers.

As the first UK BCorp visitor attraction, Mercat Tours works to preserve Edinburgh’s rich heritage and share its secrets with locals and visitors alike, providing an enthralling glimpse into the city’s past through ghost and history tours.

We caught up with Managing Director Kat Brogan to uncover the magic behind the capital’s foremost storytellers and learn more about how they bring the city to life.

What inspired you to start a business in Edinburgh?

Mercat was born in a local Edinburgh classroom by my dad who believes ‘History is a damn good story. What it needs is a damn good telling!’. He was a history teacher at Holy Rood High School from the 1970s and would take his classes to the Old Town of Edinburgh. As a UNESCO World Heritage site, it’s the best way to see and hear history come alive in the stories of people and the past. It was his passion for history and visitors’ desire to connect with the sites and stories of our beautiful city that led to the founding of Mercat Tours on 1st July 1985.

In what ways has the local community supported your business growth?

As a local independent family business, we have thrived because of the loyalty of our local community. We know that locals recommend Mercat first to their friends and family, possibly because they remember being taught history by dad back in the 1970s/80s/90s! As a Living Wage employer, our locals know that we are an ethical, responsible business and our many awards speak for themselves – we offer high-quality 5-star tours every time! To reward their loyalty, we offer discounts to EH residents and our award-winning ‘Our Stories, Your City’ in partnership with the Grassmarket Community Project in 2022 which uses Mercat’s storytelling to reconnect vulnerable locals and school children who have been cut off from their city and stories.

Have you incorporated Edinburgh into the business in any way whether through products, branding or experiences?

Edinburgh IS our product! Every Mercat tour is a storytelling experience which explores the rich and varied past of Edinburgh, and Scotland. What we love is that every tour is unique and becomes a totally personal experience as our Storytellers adapt for the visitors on tour, every time. Mercat believes in making meaningful connections for our visitors using the very human craft of storytelling. Scots have the natural skill of blending tales of the past, people, facts and places to create a deep and compelling memory and Edinburgh the perfect muse. This inspiration has resulted in Mercat developing tours on literary history, the Enlightenment, Talking Statues and whisky heritage.

A Mercat Tours Storyteller stands next to a table of visitors in an underground cellar, and they all hold up whisky glasses.
What is your favourite part of living and working in Edinburgh?

Scale. Edinburgh is a compact city which lends itself to be explored on foot, which is the most immersive, healthy way to experience any destination. Though whilst small in scale it is large on ambition and impact with world-leading arts festivals and cultural events which keep the city buzzing with things to do.

What does your ideal 24 hours in Edinburgh look like?

Any time in Edinburgh is best shared with friends and family and involve food, fresh air and theatre! Howie’s is a local independent restaurant and Edinburgh institution which serve superb food at great value. Depending on mood (and weather), a walk along the Water of Leith to the visit the Galleries of Modern Art or a scenic hike up Arthur’s Seat to look across historic Leith and the Forth would be on the cards. Then the Old Town would beckon – visiting the independent shops on Cockburn Street or the Cowgate and spending time soaking up the stories of a Mercat Storyteller. The Lyceum has been a favourite for decades with world premieres and local artists being given a beautiful historic stage.

If you could collaborate with any other local business or Edinburgh-based personality, who would it be and what kind of project would you dream up?

We have already developed close partnerships with Edinburgh World Heritage, the Scottish Storytelling Centre and the Edinburgh City of Literature Trust and delivered projects such as the ‘Talking Statues’ tour. Our ideal would be to work even more closely to enhance visitors’ and locals’ experience of this remarkable UNESCO World Heritage site. As the first UK BCorp visitor attraction we have a responsibility to work hard and encourage others to preserve our environment and heritage through BCorp’s principles for ethical growth.

City Scape View from Calton Hill
What is one local hidden gem that you swear by and tell all your clients or friends about?

Calton Hill gives a panoramic view of the city and over the sea to Fife which is breathtaking. From the Scottish Parliament building, to the Palace and Castle you see the spectacular skyline Edinburgh is famous for.

What’s one local event or tradition in Edinburgh that you never miss and why?

Samhuinn! From our foundation Mercat is about giving history a ‘damn good telling’ and preserving the true stories and traditions of the past. Since 2017 we have celebrated the pagan festival of Samhuinn by weaving Celtic traditions and stories into our exclusive tours, operating around 31st October. This includes the origins of the ‘dumb supper’, the ‘neep’ lantern and distributing rowan charms – and myth-busting ‘trick or treating’!

a Fire thrower taking part at the Samhuinn fire Festival
© Dan Mosley
Looking ahead, how do you see your business evolving within Edinburgh’s dynamic cultural and economic landscape?

Edinburgh and Mercat are one in the same. We grow and thrive together. We believe deeply in working with and for our local community, residents and business, to ensure a 5-star experience for all – first-class storytelling for visitors and Living Wage, fulfilling jobs for our team. We volunteer considerable time to local projects such as Co-Chairing the Living Wage Action Group to champion fair work ideals and support local schools to showcase the wonderful careers young people can have in tourism. Our choice of business partner is carefully considered to ensure we support like-minded businesses that do good for our city, visitors and community.

Which Forever Edinburgh initiatives have you been involved with and how have you found it?

We have participated in the Residents Rewards scheme which complements our own EH residents offer. We have also taken part in the annual campaign work, most recently in March 2024 which was their most successful to date.

What would you say to other businesses looking to get involved with Forever Edinburgh?

Don’t hesitate! Forever Edinburgh offer great marketing opportunities to boost the visibility and success of the city and their team is creative, helpful and incredibly professional.

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