27 Years on the Front Line
I joined Lothian and Borders Police in 1996, beginning my career in East Lothian before moving into the Criminal Investigation Department as a Detective Constable. From there I joined the Drug and Major Crime Team in Edinburgh, working as a surveillance officer — learning to read people, places, and patterns in ways that would define the rest of my career.
When Scotland's eight regional forces merged into Police Scotland in 2013, I was promoted to Sergeant and served across West Lothian and Edinburgh Airport before returning to the covert world I knew best. As a Detective Sergeant in the Organised Crime and Counter Terrorism Unit, I worked as both an investigator and a surveillance officer — targeting the most serious criminal networks operating in Scotland.
I retired having spent nearly three decades inside the Scottish justice system, on streets and in rooms most people never see — many of which you'll walk past on this tour.
A Life in Policing
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1996
Joins Lothian and Borders Police — East Lothian
I began my career in East Lothian, learning the fundamentals of frontline policing in communities across the region.
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Late 1990s
Moves into CID as Detective Constable
I transferred to the Criminal Investigation Department, stepping into plainclothes detective work and developing the investigative skills that would carry me through the rest of my career.
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2000s
Drug & Major Crime Team — Surveillance Officer
I joined the Drug and Major Crime Team in Edinburgh, working as a surveillance officer. This role demanded a different kind of discipline — patience, observation, and the ability to read situations that most people never knew were happening around them.
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2013
Police Scotland formed — Promoted to Sergeant
With the merger of Scotland's eight regional forces into a single national service, I was promoted to Sergeant and served across West Lothian and Edinburgh Airport.
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2020
Detective Sergeant — Organised Crime & Counter Terrorism
I returned to covert policing as a Detective Sergeant in the Organised Crime and Counter Terrorism Unit, working as both an investigator and a surveillance officer targeting the most serious criminal networks in Scotland.
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Now
Tour creator & police advisor
I created the Edinburgh Crime Walking Tour, driven by a passion for sharing the city's darker history and the fascinating stories that don't always make it into the history books. I also worked as a police advisor on Netflix's Scottish crime drama Department Q, writing police radio scripts and helping to ensure procedural accuracy.
Ready to explore Edinburgh?
Download VoiceMap, buy the tour once, and walk the Old Town at your own pace — narrated by a retired Detective Sergeant who worked these streets.
Start Listening — £11.49 About the tour →- ✓ Works offline
- ✓ GPS-guided
- ✓ No booking required
- ✓ Go at your own pace
