New Edinburgh Fringe walking tour reveals stories of the lassies of Leith

A​fter the success of Funshine on Leith last August, ​Leith Comedy Festival and Invisible Cities ​have once again ​joined​ forces​ with award-winning tour guide Paul​ to create Lassies​ ​of Leith​,​ a comedy walking tour with a difference.

Mary Moriarty, Queen of Leith

Lassies of Leith​, which is set to run from August 7-29,​​ will see Paul​ ​return ​with another entertaining wander through the Capital’s port, this time regaling his audiences with tales of ​the many ​notable ​women of Leith. From Mary of Guise, the mother of Mary, Queen of Scots to Mary Moriarty, the Queen of Leith, the tour will be p​acked with historical curiosities and uproarious anecdotes that promise to make you gasp with amazement and roar with laughter​. Expect a walking tour like no other.

Zakia Moulaoui, CEO of Invisible Cities sa​ys,​ “Taking part in the Leith Comedy Festival​ ​last year was such a great experience​;​ after months of not being able to provide tours​ due to lockdown​,​ seeing people face to face and seeing their reaction to our comedy​ ​tour in Leith lifted everyone​'​s spirits.​ ​We are honoured to take part in the festival this​ ​year again.”

Tour guide ​Paul, ​who has become a Leith legend in his own right, adds, ​“Last yea​r'​s tours​ ​were a​ ​breath of fresh air​. A​fter the lockdown it was great seeing people face to face and​ ​offering them a brand new tour. That is why I​'​m so excited about this yea​r'​s festival,​ ​coming back with new material and making people discover Leith like never before​.​"

Award-winning tour guide Paul

​Lassies of Leith is an open-air tour during which Scottish Government safety measures will be respected with ticket holders asked not to attend if they experience any Covid symptoms prior to the tour. Places for each tour are limited to 12 people.

Rosalind Romer, Director of Leith Comedy Festival​,​ which was originally planned as a weekend festival in October 2020, says, “We are thrilled to return the​ ​streets of Leith with Paul and Invisible Cities to bring you a brand new comedy tour,​ ​which follows in the footsteps of the women of Leith. Like so many of those women​ ​that came before me I like to think I too am forging something new and bold which​ ​embodies the spirit of Leith.”Th​e ​tour​ will​ ​benefit​ Invisible Cities, a social enterprise that trains people who have​ ​experienced homelessness to become walking tour guides of their own city​, offering ​off the beaten track tours of Edinburgh, Glasgow, York and Manchester.Funshine on Leith​, which was described by respected comedy critic Kate Copstick as ​'​hugely entertaining, packed full of fascinating facts and​ ​gloriously unique​',​ was the​ only​​ ​live comedy show to​ ​perform at the ​2020 ​Fringe and was a complete sell-out,​ so be sure to b​ook​ ​early​ for Lassies of Leith​.

​Tickets for Lassies of Leith, which is also available as a live virtual tour, go on sale on Friday, July 9, at 10am, priced £12 from www.leithcomedyfest.com and www.edfringe.com​. The tour is recommended​ for age 18+​ and contains strong language and adult themes, including sex​ ​and drugs.

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Mary of Guise

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