Making tourism a force for good in the Capital

The history walks for tourists that help to bring locals together

Mercat Tours Managing Director Kat Brogan

In the early eighties, history teacher Des Brogan could often be seen traipsing his students out of Holyrood High school for outdoor lessons. His motto was “History is a damn good story, what it needs is a damn good telling.”

With that approach, it’s no surprise that tourists would sometimes tag along with the lessons, mistaking Brogan for a professional tour guide. At the time there were no walking tours of Edinburgh - only volunteer festival guides in August.

Realising the unmet demand, the schoolteacher decided to share his damn-good stories with tourists on an official basis. In 1985 Mercat Tours was born, named after the Mercat Cross, a historic hub of local information and guides.

Fast forward a couple of decades, and the Capital’s tour guide pioneers are now a highly accredited and awarded tourism business, focused on creating community benefits from the work they do - providing everything from outdoor lessons for schoolkids to special tours for isolated individuals and groups. A success story in every success.

“Paying us to do what we love”

At the start, Des Brogan rallied a team of four history teachers, who designed tours of the New and Old Towns, as well as a Ghost Tour. He writes about his first tour, which in those early days had only attracted three attendees- “I remember thinking, “tourists are actually paying us to do what we love doing most – teaching History!”

After 11 years of juggling teaching with tour guiding, Mr Brogan decided to take the plunge, leave his career and focus on Mercat Tours full time. With a full-time director at the helm, Mercat Tours flourished; the next five years saw their team of storytellers double in size, their income triple, and awards flooded in; for quality tourism, community benefit, and environmental stewardship.

In 2019, Mercat Tours was the first UK visitor attraction to be awarded BCorp status; “We've gone through various certifications, but this one really is the gold standard,” says Kat Brogan, who took over from her father in 2015. To earn the prestigious “BCorp” label, companies must enshrine social and environmental benefit in the core aims of their organisation, as well as proving that their business practice is good for workers, clients, the local community, and the environment.

An underground tour in progress. Pic: Mercat Tours

An unplanned family business

Kat, who chose to carry out the lengthy BCorp Self-Assessment process herself, so she could understand the company better, says that very little changed on the operational side during BCorp certification. As a family business in the literal sense (at one point all four of the Brogan family were working for the company), Ms Brogan says that Mercat Tours has always been committed to recruiting high quality tour guides, and treating them well.

Brogan can speak personally for the staff experience at Mercat Tours. The reluctant Managing Director had no intention of joining her father’s business as a child, and only auditioned as a storyteller to earn some cash while she was studying history in Glasgow. But once she was on the Royal Mile, in a cloak, speaking with visitors, she was hooked. “I still did my own thing, but I kept [my work for] Mercat going because of the people, visitors… there’s just some amazing energy and spirit in the team, and the buzz you get from meeting people from all over the world.” she says.

Her journey continues. She recently announced on social media that she plans to “exit stage left” and hand over more control to the company’s leadership team as she fulfils another dream and heads off for a Grand Tour to Istanbul. “There’s no better display of trust in your team than handing over your baby to their care. And when it’s your family business celebrating its 40th year packed with plans that’s a very precious baby. But I have no doubt or hesitation.”