Been on a tour? Got a view on any manifestation of Trainspotting – the book, the play, the film? Got attitude or questions about my book?
Just fill in your comments below. It would be good to hear from you!
104 entries.
For Trainspotting \"fans\" or adventurous travelers just curious about this cultural phenomenon, I highly recommend booking Tim Bell\'s Leith Walk. Why, some may ask, did a novel about heroin junkies in down-and-out Leith, Scotland in the 1980s, adapted afterward to the stage and then to the screen, become such a classic? The novel is really more a collection of short stories narrated in dense working-class Scots; the play is an immersive excerpt from the book designed to shock and awe; the film is a comic visual masterpiece and druggy soundtrack. What I loved about Tim\'s guided tour is that he incorporates all three into a crucial fourth \"text\": the place, Leith in the 1980s and today. Tim lived there back then and over the years has witnessed all of its ch-ch-ch-changes. (Sorry, had to throw a David Bowie reference in there; you\'ll see why when you take the tour.) Leith—which is not Edinburgh, though annexed by the capital—has a fascinating boom-bust history, and Trainspotting conveys, among many things, a nostalgic and satirical vision of what the city had become in the eighties. One caveat: be sure to give yourself three hours or so for this experience. It will be time well spent!
I recently visited Edinburgh with a group of friends for my Stag party, and had booked a Trainspotting tour with Tim as part of the weekend activities. A few of the lads were a little sceptical of it all, as unlike myself, they weren\'t massive Irvine Welsh/Trainspotting fans.
However I\'m delighted to say that following the Tour, everyone raved about how good it was. Tim, as a guide is simply exceptional, his local knowledge of Leith is tremendous and he gave a brilliant insight to each location/stop off on the tour. We started at the Port O\' Leith pub and finished up about 2 and a half hours later at the Central Bar, every minute of it enjoyable, from the history of certain locations to reading extracts from the book itself.
For any Trainspotting/Irvine Welsh fans out there, this Tour is an absolute must, id highly recommended it.
Gavin
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Your open letter to the SNP MSP is superb. Thank you for restoring my faith in political sanity.
The Trainspotting tour was a fantastic experience, specially for understanding the story of the book/film on its own context, on the industrial Leith of the 70\'s and 80\'s. The socio-political reflections offered by Tim are interesting for foreigners to get to know Edinburgh deeper and see the locations that inspired the story in first-hand. Nevertheless, visitors who are exclusively looking for the film locations would probably not find the tour suitable to their interest.
We had a very entertaining Trainspotting tour with Tim on the weekend of the T2 film-premier accompanied by Forth Radio and Sky News cameras! Tim\'s knowledge of the books is superb and we got to visit the actual locations of many of the scenes from the books and films. A must-do if you\'re visiting Edinburgh!
The tour is very worthy and really exciting! Tim is a good communicator and provides historical data that makes you rethink about the perception of the story. You learn not just about the film, the book and its locations, but about social and cultural aspects of Leith and Edinburgh. You enter into the spirit of Trainspotting!
Just an advice for foreigners: wear warm clothes, it\'s cold at the Dock...
Wonderful tour, informative yet not the typical reading from a script sort of tour.
Reading abstracts from the book was a great way to set the scene and we really learned a lot about the area of Leith. Involvement with other people on the tour was included and a true insight into the book was given, and was opened up for interpretation.
If you are a Trainspotting fan, would thoroughly recommend this tour!
went on one of Tims trainspotting tours last weekend ....... would highly recommend for all fans of trainspotting , brings a fictional story more to life when you see some of the stories landmarks in the flesh ...... Tim is a nice guy and very informative guide , and cheap tour for
only a few pound .
Loved it!
A bit of a dreich day -which suited the subject perfectly. A really informative, enjoyable and enlightening tour. Tim is evidently passionate and highly knowledgeable of the books, the films, the back story, Leith life and the area...
Great experience, thanks Tim
Having read what has already been written here I am at a loss as to how to add my tuppence worth: the previous 53 comments all speak volumes about Tim Bell & his terrific Trainspotting Literary & Walking Tour in Leith!
All I can really add is that for fans of author Irvine Welsh in general, & especially for fans of the trilogy: Skagboys (book); Trainspotting (book, play & film); & Porno (on which the soon to be released T2 Trainspotting film is based) this Tour SHOULD NOT BE MISSED!
Tim, thanks for a thoroughly enjoyable Morning. It was great fun to read aloud lines from the Trainspotting Screenplay whilst being at many of the locations mentioned in the three books. You provided an interesting insight into the fictional characters, based on the real lives of people living in Leith during the era the books were set.
I’ll be keeping an eye out for your own book being published in the near future. Keep up the good work!
Iain
It was really nice spending the morning with Tim, he made me understand thoroughly many aspects of Trainspotting I had not yet paid attention to. He is a real expert on Irvine Welsh\'s work, and it was really worth doing the tour around Leath with him. I really recommend it to anyone interested in Welsh\'s novels. We ended up in Leith central station a great place to feel the real spirit of Leith. Thanks again Tim.
We enjoyed the tour thoroughly and Tim is a fantastic host!
Highly recommended for every Trainspotting and Irivne Welsh fan, but also for the general public has it unveil the history of one of the most interesting neighborhoods of Edinburgh
Surprised my boyfriend with the Trainspotting tour for Christmas, Tim was very helpful and knowledgable from the offset. If you have any interest in Trainspotting or the history of Leith Tim is the man to talk to! Thanks for a great tour.
Highly recommended. Before going I didn\'t see how you make 2 hours out of Trainspotting but after 2 and a half I\'d have gladly stuck around for more. The locations are far from the usual tourist trail and each has an interesting story behind it - from Sick Boy\'s house to the dockers\' club. Far from just being a celebration of the books it was also an indepth social history of the area and a people tossed aside. Tim was a very warm and engaging tourguide who promoted discussions and had a lot of fascinating insights into the novels and the area. Note that me and the friend I was with were both seasoned Welsh fans, though I\'d suspect casual readers would also get a lot out of it too. Honestly one of the most enjoyable things I\'ve done in Edinburgh.
Very good tour, can\'t recommend it highly enough. My friend David and I are big fans of Trainspotting so it was great to see the actual places in the book. However what made it really special was our very engaging guide Tim Bell, he mixed insights from the book and film adaption with some fascinating social history. We had a 2 and a half hour with a lot of laughs and countless questions answered. For £6 each, what a bargain!
Excellent tour. Tim is extremely knowledgeable and does a very good job placing the books, film and play into the location of Leith. Tim is very passionate about his subject and passes that passion and knowledge along to the participant(s) .
Tim gave a funny and engaging tour of Leith educating me as to how the Trainspotting novels are so closely linked to the area. He took my fiancée and I to some interesting places well off the beaten track - including the Leith Dockers club and the \"Banana flats\".... Great fun all round!
Amazing. I enjoyed all the locations of the book and the movie. Leith Walk has got a magic atmosphere: the sounds, the smell, people all around. Fishermen, real sea dogs, punks. I could have met Begbie too, somewhere.
Thank you very much.
A Leith, a seaside village a few kilometers from Edinburgh you can participate in a tour in the book places before \"Trainspotting\" Irvine Welsh, from which the eponymous film starring Ewan McGregor . The tour is organized by \" Leith walks\"; we were greeted by Tim who books the hand showed us roads, canals, parks and pubs on the trail of the story. Tim was there, with passion and interest, told anecdotes about town, the shooting and the language of the book.
The Scot, said there is a different language of English and who is going to read the text in the original may have difficulty in understanding the fine.
We give you some advice: Prepare your skills as actors and singers because there are scripts to be recited, songs to sing and banter from loud scan in true Scottish.
This is an experience not to be missed
Linda and Andrea