It was a reprieve of sorts to be able to experience the city so specifically and quietly from the perspectives of each of the poems.
In the context of a festival where you can watch pretty much anything, with titles ranging from Skank Sinatra to My Life As An “Inspirational Porn” Star to Lord of the Zings: A Kiwi Comedy Showcase (maybe next year!), I think it’s safe to say that a poetry walking tour might tend to get lost in the rich mix of this month’s storytelling menu.
And amidst all of the shows that come from all parts of the world to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, it’s also easy to overlook some of the fine work on offer from the locals themselves. So when I came across Edinburgh poet Ken Cockburn’s poetry walking tour, I wanted to make time for it. As someone who does not consider herself a poetry nut, I had no clue what to expect.
Luckily, Ken Cockburn – an Edinburgh resident of over thirty years – has been leading his signature poetry walks since 2007 for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the Scottish Storytelling Festival, the Scottish Poetry Library, the Edinburgh City of Literature Trust, and private groups. A seasoned pro at making even the shakiest poetry fans feel comfortable and engaged, he is the perfect poet-historian to guide you along an intimate amble through the city’s historied Royal Mile.
Perhaps the best part of the walk besides the poetry – deftly and lovingly performed by Cockburn himself (and some of it in its original language of Scots) – was the way the poems literally slowed down our intimate group to their humble metre. Cockran’s sharing was less performance and more meditation. And in the flurried throes of a final festival weekend, it was a reprieve of sorts to be able to experience the city so specifically and quietly from the perspectives of each of the poems.
Beginning at the Scottish Poetry Library, we leisurely made our way over to the field outside Holyrood Palace, taking in views (and poems) about Arthur’s Seat, the Abbey ruins, and the storied green surrounds. Our final stop was the Scottish Parliament building – an architectural spectacle in and of itself, but contextualized beautifully by Scotland’s first National Poet Laureate Edwin Morgan‘s poem “For the Opening of the Scottish Parliament,” which was performed at the building’s opening in 2004.
The poem starts, “Open the doors! Light of the day, shine in; light of the mind, shine out!” In a way that only a poet could, Morgan’s words have nestled themselves at the core of Cockburn’s tour and my first Edinburgh Fringe experience. As I prepare to leave the city after watching upwards of thirty shows, I am grateful to the many ways this city has let the light of the day shine in and the lights of all of its creative guests and locals shine out. I’ll be back for more poetry next year.
Embro: Edinburgh Poetry Tours was a part of the 2025 Edinburgh International Festival but still runs throughout the year. Find more info about Ken’s tours here: https://kencockburn.co.uk/walks/home