The Vigil of Greyfriars — Uncover Bobby's Secret
Decipher the mystery behind Greyfriars Bobby's 14-year vigil. Was his loyalty a cover for a darker secret hidden in the kirkyard's shadows?
📱 1 to 10 phones · 1 team per phone · Independent codes
Edinburgh, 1858
The Vigil of Greyfriars — Uncover Bobby's Secret
You are a budding investigative journalist in Edinburgh, October 1873, tasked with uncovering the true story behind the legend William Brodie is immortalizing.
Your mission, through the historic streets, is
Delve into Edinburgh's cobbled alleys to uncover the legendary loyalty of a small terrier, at the heart of Scottish history.
A game, a guided tour and a heritage guide — all in one
You're not just buying an escape game. You're carrying a living guide — historical anecdotes, forgotten legends, key monuments, hidden architecture — unfolding as you go.
At each stop, places ordinary guides miss — secret façades, sculpted crests, alleys steeped in history.
Every riddle is rooted in a real historical fact or local legend. You leave with dozens of stories to tell.
Learn to read buildings — flamboyant Gothic, Baroque, Art Deco — like a real art historian, while having fun.
Walk through the city like a novel's character — every alley becomes a stage, every square a theatre.
A voice walks with you at every step, tells the story of each place, reads clues, adds a cinematic feel.
Keep access to the guide & game for 1 year. Come back any time, share it with friends.
« You will not leave this city the way you entered it. »
How does it work?
Explore the city on foot solving puzzles based on real historical facts. No locked room — the city is your playground.
No app to download. Play directly from your browser. Guided step by step, at your own pace.
One purchase per phone is enough. Play with family, friends or as a couple — everyone participates.
Point your phone at the façade: a historical character appears and speaks to you in your language. Golden letters magically write themselves on the wall to reveal the puzzle answer.
Stuck? Progressive personalised hints. The character repeats the puzzle on demand — at your own pace.
French, English, German, Spanish, Italian + 27 other languages auto-translated by AI.
Want to go deeper?
Places tied to your adventure — optional entries, totally up to you · per person
« Nisi Dominus frustra — Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain »— Official motto of Edinburgh, adopted in the 16th century, inscribed on the municipal coat of arms
The story that haunts this land
Votre quête débute à la Statue de Greyfriars Bobby, érigée en 1873 à Candlemaker Row. Œuvre de William Brodie, cette effigie commémore le terrier Skye qui veilla pendant 14 ans (1858-1872) sur la tombe de son maître John Gray au Greyfriars Kirkyard. Ce monument historique écossais attire environ 1 million de visiteurs annuels, désireux de comprendre la fidélité du chien dont la mort fut enregistrée le 14 janvier 1872. Les inscriptions gravées sur la statue vous révèlent les premières énigmes, vous plongeant immédiatement dans le patrimoine presbytérien écossais et l'histoire de ce quartier médiéval d'Édimbourg.
À moins de 200 mètres, vous pénétrez dans le Greyfriars Kirkyard, un cimetière fondé en 1562 autour de l'église Greyfriars Kirk, construite en 1620 après la Réforme écossaise. Ce site fut le lieu de rassemblement de 1 687 signataires du Covenant écossais en 1638, document fondateur du presbytérianisme. Parmi les plus de 3 500 tombes datant du XVIe au XXe siècle, dont celle de John Gray, vous cherchez des indices dans ce musée de l'histoire sociale écossaise. Poursuivez votre visite d'Édimbourg vers la Covenanters' Prison, un enclos historique de 1679 situé dans le Kirkyard, où environ 1 200 Covenanters écossais furent emprisonnés à ciel ouvert après la bataille de Bothwell Bridge, un témoignage poignant du martyre presbytérien.
En quittant le cimetière, vous vous dirigez vers George Heriot's School, à environ 400-500 mètres via Forrest Road. Fondée en 1628 par testament de George Heriot, orfèvre du Roi Jacques Ier d'Écosse, cette institution occupe un bâtiment de style Renaissance écossaise construit entre 1628 et 1659. Son architecture distinctive, avec tours et créneaux, aurait inspiré J.K. Rowling pour Poudlard, ajoutant une dimension littéraire à votre exploration. Ce site vous permet de comprendre l'influence des personnalités de l'époque sur le développement culturel et éducatif d'Édimbourg-et-Lothians, bien au-delà de la légende de Bobby.
Votre parcours vous mène ensuite au Grassmarket, une place historique du XVe siècle (mentionnée dès 1477 comme marché aux chevaux royal) devenue un centre public d'Édimbourg. Ce lieu, de 210 mètres de long sur 80 mètres de large, fut le théâtre d'exécutions publiques entre le XVIe et XVIIIe siècles, notamment des Covenanters et de William Burke en 1829. À environ 600-700 mètres de votre point de départ, cette place vous offre un aperçu du passé tumultueux de la ville. De là, empruntez The Vennel, une ruelle médiévale pavée datant du XVe siècle et l'une des plus anciennes voies d'Édimbourg, reliant Grassmarket à Heriot Place, pour une immersion totale dans le quartier médiéval.
En terminant votre circuit thématique d'Édimbourg, vous passez par le National Museum of Scotland à Chambers Street, fondé en 1780. Ses collections permanentes incluent des artefacts liés à l'histoire écossaise et aux Covenanters, offrant un complément à votre visite interactive. Enfin, retournez à Candlemaker Row pour Greyfriars Bobby's Bar, un pub établi en 1897 directement adjacent à la statue. Son intérieur décoré de photographies historiques vous permet de conclure votre exploration en mesurant l'impact de cette histoire sur la culture locale. Votre jeu de piste GPS vous aura révélé l'essence de l'Old Town d'Édimbourg, un site littéraire et un patrimoine presbytérien écossais que vous emporterez avec vous.
The Route
8 stages through the city
The gameplay: AR, camera, hidden clues
At each stop, open your phone camera: an augmented reality character appears on the façade and speaks your language. Hunt the clue — it materializes as golden letters on the real wall or floats in front of you. When you find it, the phone vibrates, an AR chest opens and reveals your answer fragment. 8 stops, 8 clues to find with the camera, 1 final code.
The stops on your route are a surprise. You'll discover them one by one, guided by your phone, starting from the meeting point.
How does it work with a group?
One phone = one team. Pick the number at checkout (1 to 10).
Solo, or a group sharing the screen. One team, one code.
Family, couple, or 2-3 teams competing. Each phone has its own code and its own score.
Friends, bachelor/bachelorette, small office outing — each their own code, each plays at their own pace. Tiered pricing then €6 flat per phone from the 6th.
- ✓All codes are independent — play at the same time OR separately, each team advances at its own pace.
- ✓Leaderboard between your teams + global game leaderboard — each score appears in the public ranking.
- ✓More than 10 phones or need a personalized quest? Discover custom tours.
Ready to live this adventure?
Get my code · 12€No calendar booking. Code sent immediately by email.
🔒 Secure payment · Code in 5 min · Free cancellation
Practical info
Why this route?
Canine Loyalty
Explore the legend of Greyfriars Bobby, the Skye Terrier who captivated the world with his unwavering loyalty to his master.
Victorian Legend
Immerse yourself in 19th-century Edinburgh, an era of myths and heartwarming tales, and discover the cultural impact of this story.
Spirit of Edinburgh
Discover the nooks of the Old Town, where Bobby's story intertwines with the unique and mysterious atmosphere of the Scottish capital.
Loyalty is a universal language.
May Bobby's heart guide you.
9 features nobody else has
OddballTrip combines gamified play, augmented reality and AI. All our competitors deliver 1 or 2 of these angles. We deliver all 5.
AR treasure chest
A golden chest floats in front of the monument. Tap → opening animation → reveals a secret message.
AR narrator character
Point your phone at the façade: a knight, witch, monk, sailor, detective or ghost appears full-screen and speaks to you in your language with their dedicated ElevenLabs voice (each character has their own unique voice) — your living guide.
Magic golden letters
At the puzzle climax, golden letters magically write themselves on the real wall — that's the puzzle answer. An unforgettable visual effect.
Written + audio narration
Every puzzle available as text AND voice-over: read at your own pace or listen eyes-free while walking. Great in groups and for accessibility.
360° radar + vibration
A mini-radar shows the target even behind you, and the phone vibrates when you aim in the right direction.
Heritage storytelling
Every puzzle weaves in real historical facts (architecture, era, anecdotes). You learn by playing — like a gamified audioguide.
Progressive AI hints
3 levels of AI-generated help: vibe → where to look → answer format. You're never stuck.
AR selfie memento
At the end of the game, capture a selfie with OddballTrip banner + mascot, shareable on Instagram, TikTok.
Zero app to install
PWA technology: open the link, it plays in your browser. Same quality as an app, no App Store hassle.
Frequently asked questions
Q01Do I need to download an app?
No, never. You get a link, you click, it plays in your browser. That's the point of a PWA: same as an app, without the hassle.
Q02Does it work offline?
GPS yes (handled by your phone). Maps yes (tiles cached). AI and hints need an intermittent 4G connection.
Q03How long does a game take?
1 h 30 to 2 h 30 depending on your pace. The timer runs but only for the leaderboard — you play at your own tempo.
Q04What happens if I'm stuck?
You get 3 levels of hints per puzzle (increasing penalty). If truly stuck, you can skip the step (45-min penalty but you keep going).
Q05What's the age range?
From 12 without an adult, from 6 with an adult reading puzzles. Works for families, couples, friend groups, companies.
Q06What if my city isn't in the catalogue?
Pre-register or contact us — we'll email you as soon as your city is live.
Q07What is augmented reality exactly?
Point your phone at the façade: a historical character appears full-screen and speaks to you in your language. At the puzzle climax, golden letters magically write themselves on the real wall — that's your answer. After each puzzle solved, a treasure chest floats in front of you. Seeing is believing.
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Your turn to play
Delve into Edinburgh's cobbled alleys to uncover the legendary loyalty of a small terrier, at the heart of Scottish history.
1 purchase = 1 phone. Play several on the same device.
No calendar booking. Code sent immediately by email.
🔒Secure payment · Code in 5 min · Free cancellation
🪙+24 TripCoins granted with your booking
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