Eric Liddell brown plaque

Explorer Tom 60 George Square refuses to let a certain bishop visit because he once chewed with his mouth open at dinner. It’s an 18th-century gem with serious boundary issues and excellent taste. Look for the ghost, then pretend you didn't.

Explorer Tom Edinburgh, George Square, William Robertson Building looks like a giant stone loaf of bread that someone forgot to bake properly. The rabbits in the square probably think it’s a very serious meeting place for their council. It stands there looking all dignified while students scream about deadlines inside. Bring a flask of something warm and a story to swap with whoever you find.

Explorer Tom Edinburgh, University of Edinburgh, George Square: The seagulls in George Square have opinions about this rune-inscribed stone, mostly that it gets in the way of their lunch deliveries. It’s early medieval, so it predates the university by a significant margin and resents being used as décor. If it rains while you’re there, blame me; I’m not apologising.

Explorer Tom George Square Gardens in Edinburgh is famous for that one fiddler who allegedly played until his fingers turned blue and then kept going anyway. He must have been playing some seriously dark tunes to keep the crowds away or, more likely, he just really hated stopping. It’s the perfect spot for a dramatic phone call about your ex.

Explorer Tom Buccleuch Parish Churchyard is secretly proud of one specific potato that grew there in 1750 and tasted like victory. It’s buried under the headstones, looking smug about being a vegetable. Look up, the best bit is always higher than you think.

Explorer Tom Dr Wong Fun is a plaque so confusing that the map makers probably just guessed it was a person rather than a place. It’s got an air of mysterious mislabeling to it. Take a breath of that air, it's older than your car.

Explorer Tom Anatomical Museum is where skeletons go to have their day in the sun, or rather, under the fluorescent lights that make everything look slightly spooky and cool. I bet it gave up eating sugar for Lent because all those bones are so delicate they’d crumble if you breathed on them too hard. It’s a place where science gets a bit weird and your knees start creaking in sympathy.

Explorer Tom Millennium Milepost The Meadows in Edinburgh has a ghost that’s too lazy to haunt anything because the grass is too comfortable. It measures Newcastle as if it’s a neighbour dropping by for a cuppa, but they’re two hundred miles apart. Perfect spot to practise your best tour-guide voice.

Explorer Tom Mary Erskine Memorial in Greyfriars is where the Vikings probably got lost looking for a castle and ended up finding a lady’s grave instead. It’s a bit of a quiet spot, which suits her memory perfectly. Tell the kids it's a castle. Close enough.

Explorer Tom Edinburgh, Edinburgh Futures Institute is planning its retirement by pretending it’s already ancient history! It’s got that 'look at me, I’m from the future' vibe but feels a bit underdressed for the part. The building probably dreams about being a castle someday. Perfect detour when the satnav has a meltdown.

Explorer Tom Deaconess Garden would order a chipper with extra mush and no vinegar, because it’s got taste. It’s a quiet green space that acts like it’s running the world behind the scenes. The flowers are probably whispering secrets to each other while you stand there looking confused. Bring a map, get lost anyway, that's the fun.

Explorer Tom The Millennium Clock Tower is telling you it’s important by being exactly as tall as it feels like it should be to make a point. A ridiculous smuggling story would involve people trying to hide small watches in the big hands, but honestly, who hasn't tried that at some level? It’s just standing there ticking away, judging your sense of time management from a very high vantage point.