If you’d like to explore the beautiful city of Edinburgh in a fun yet informative way then check out Hidden Trax founded by Donald Taylor and John Maxwell. Their off the beaten track tours use podcasts created by local people and cover everything from music to art, food and drink to history, architecture and shopping. We thoroughly enjoyed our recent tour so wanted to share it with our readers. Find out more below as we chat to Donald about the Hidden Trax.
So how did the idea for Hidden Trax come about?
I’m Donald Taylor and my co-founder, John Maxwell, spotted a gap in the market. We’ve worked internationally for a number of years, and as a result, we travel regularly – often finding ourselves in cities for just a few days. Pushed for time, and keen to see more than just the main tourist attractions, we found that walking tours were expensive and limited. What we wanted was local people to take us off the beaten track: and so Hidden Trax was born. Podcast tours made by local people available from the palm of your hand whenever was convenient to you!
It’s a great concept. Tell us about some of the different walking tours people can listen to?
One of our huge priorities at Hidden Trax is to ensure that we’ve got a wide selection of podcast tours and listen-only Trax on offer. We divide our Trax into eight categories, covering everything from Music to Art, Food & Drink to History, Architecture to Shopping. There really is something for everyone. Some of the Edinburgh Trax available just now include record shops, Arthur’s Seat, independent coffee shops, and live music venues!
Are the tours all in English?
No! We’ve translated three Trax into Spanish and French, and two into Mandarin. This is an area we will be eagerly pursuing: the dream is for every Trax to be available in multiple languages.
Can people suggest different tours?
We really value our relationship with our users, and are always appreciative of any ideas, suggestions and feedback. You can get in touch with us on any of our social media platforms, by emailing us at hello@hiddentrax.co, or using the contact form on our website.
What makes Hidden Trax different to other walking tour apps on the market?
Loads of things! Other apps on the market tend to be open platforms with little or no curation or editorial input. At Hidden Trax, every podcast is made in collaboration with our Head of Content, to ensure it is up to our standards! We essentially see ourselves as a publishing platform, seeking out the best Creators in each area and developing quality Trax together.
At the moment, it is totally free, and when we do switch to our premium model it will still be comparatively cheap compared to paid walking tours, or tours where a tip is expected. All our revenue will be spilt 50/50 between the Creators and the company, providing our Creators with a regular source of income.
Finally, we champion the community, collaboration and local businesses. Hidden Trax is about far more than the must-see tourist attractions: we hope to make a difference to some of the growing pressures of the tourist industry on city centres, and make visitors a benefit to the whole city.
Tell us more about the local creators behind the tours?
Our Creators are the beating heart of Hidden Trax. We’ve worked with a fascinating, diverse group of local people including DJs, baristas, authors, arts festival organisers, musicians, food bloggers…the list goes on. Each Creator has a different passion and expertise, as well as an adoration of the city they live in. This is conveyed in every podcast they make with us.
How can someone become a local creator?
Applying is easy! Just head to our website, www.hiddentrax.co and head to the ‘Make a Trax’ tab. There is a quick form to fill out which will take a matter of minutes.
How can people access Hidden Trax online?
It is TOTALLY free just now and will be for the rest of the summer – so move fast! The app is available to all iOS users, so you can just download it from the App Store here. For everyone else, all our Trax are also available via Spotify and Soundcloud (search Hidden Trax).
Be sure to give us a follow on Instagram for all our news and updates, @hiddentrax_app.
At the moment it is just live in Edinburgh, are there plans to roll out to other cities?
Hidden Trax will be in 50 cities in the next three years. Edinburgh will always be our home though.
Where is your own Hidden Edinburgh?
Going for a cycle on a winter’s evening along the road that wraps around Arthur’s Seat – there is a moment when you come around the corner and the entire city is splayed out underneath you, often with a spectacular pastel, winter sunset lighting up the sky and the ice-covered Crags silhouetted against it…It is real goose bump stuff and makes Edinburgh look like the fairy-tale-land it truly is.
Top tip/s for a first-time visitor to Edinburgh
Calton Hill takes less than 10mins from bottom to top and has just as good views as Arthur’s Seat. It also has the added bonus of being able to look back at the Crags and Arthur’s Seat in all their glory. A must-do, particularly if you’re pushed for time.
A wander along Leith Walk shows you Edinburgh as lived and loved by the locals. Here you will find the absolute best, independent places to eat and drink, as well as a range of local businesses selling everything from vintage Italian clothes (Epoca), second-hand vinyl (Elvis Shakespeare), and beautiful, upcycled furniture (the Edinburgh Remakery).
