The 5 Spookiest Locations for Your Halloween Vacation in Edinburgh
In the mood for a spooky holiday to celebrate this year’s Halloween?
Scotland’s capital Edinburgh is one of the top locations in Europe to give yourself a fright.
With hundreds of years of bloody history, every mysterious alley, gothic building and cemetery seems to have its own resident ghost or bone-chilling folk-tale. And, as you walk across the lively and charming streets, a maze of old passageways and tunnels stretches below you, hiding more legends and stories about Edinburgh’s past.
So, to help you plan your vacation for the spookiest time of the year, we’ve gathered 5 spooky places in Edinburgh that are giving us the goosebumps just writing about them.
Let’s get started.
Edinburgh Castle
From the top of Castle Rock, Edinburgh castle is one of the city’s main sights; it has sat there for close to a millennia, and throughout its history it has served as a fortress, a residence for Britain’s royalty, a prison and a military garrison.
Edinburgh Castle has had a turbulent existence: It has seen the births and passings of many important figures, but has also been the site of some pretty horrific events. The castle also has the unfortunate record of being the most besieged fortress in British history.
It’s no surprise then that, over the centuries, countless terrifying legends and supposed hauntings have been associated with this incredible location:
One such haunting is the mysterious Grey Lady, believed by some to be Janet Douglas, Lady of Glamis, who is said to wander weeping through the corridors. Sadly, she was burned at the stake in 1537 after being falsely accused of having tried to poison King James V, while her young son was forced to watch.
Another spook that is said to haunt Edinburgh castle is a dung-smelling phantom who apparently tries to push visitors from the top of the walls and, according to the tale, belongs to a prisoner who tried to escape in a barrel of waste and was instead flung from the ramparts.
Perhaps the eeriest tale associated with Edinburgh Castle is that of a headless drummer boy. According to the legend, he was last seen in 1650, just before the castle came under attack. Some have said that, at times, a faint sound of drums can be heard coming from somewhere within the castle, and that hearing the little drummer boy could be an omen of war.
With such a long and tragic history, Edinburgh Castle is absolutely worthy of a visit if you wish to learn more about the city’s incredible past. That, or if you fancy a meeting with one of the many ghouls that might be roaming through the old rooms and corridors of this historical castle.
Greyfriars Kirkyard Cemetery
Located in the centre of the Old Town, Greyfriars Kirkyard is an old cemetery surrounding the Greyfriars Kirk Church. This peaceful location provides an surreal and calm escape from the hustle and bustle of the city streets, and is another window into Edinburgh’s often dark past.
Many of its permanent residents have played important roles in Scotland’s history, and not all for the best:
Perhaps the most infamous is George Mackenzie, Lord Advocate to King Charles II. In 1679, he imprisoned over a 1000 Covenanters on the grounds of the church, members of the church of Scotland who would not submit to King James VI; Many were executed, while hundreds more died from the abuse they suffered. His cruelty earned him the nickname “Bloody Mackenzie”, and his mausoleum still stands in Greyfriars Kirkyard.
According to the legend, his spirit is said to violently attack those who come too close by scratching, pushing and biting. Now, we were not attacked by any supernatural entity while there, but we can guarantee you that standing in front of of the mausoleum definitely gave us the goosebumps.
Another, more adorable and less intimidating resident, is the first you’ll come across when you enter the cemetery: Greyfriars Bobby was a small terrier who became famous after spending 14 years guarding the grave of his owner, allegedly a policeman by the name of John Grey, until his death on the 14th of January 1872. His collar is still kept at the National Museum of Scotland, right across from Greyfriars Kirk, while a statue and a headstone have been erected to commemorate this small Scottish hero.
Walking through Greyfriars Kirkyard Cemetery is a beautiful and eerie experience. Whether you’re there to pay homage to Bobby, or to dare peak through the doors of Bloody Mackenzie’s mausoleum, that sense of having walked through history will follow you long after you’ve left.
Mary King’s Close
A close is a Scottish word for alleyway. Along with the Royal Mile, these narrow, steep and often extremely densely populated streets formed the Old City of Edinburgh. One of these is Mary King’s Close, often considered one of the most mysterious and haunted locations in the city.
Mary King’s Close was lively and filled with people, shops and traders until it, along with several neighbouring alleys, was buried in 1753 due to having the Edinburgh City Chambers built on top; This left the majority of the close’s inhabitants completely cut off from daylight, living in cramped and extremely unsanitary conditions.
To make things worse, in 1645 Edinburgh was struck by the plague: The disease’s rapid spread due to the dense population resulted in an evacuation of Mary King’s Close, while the sick and those unable to move were sealed in their homes to limit the contagion.
This dark maze of corridors and rooms remained inhabited until 1902, when its last resident was forced to leave. Mary King’s Close was used as a shelter during the Second World War, but remained otherwise deserted until 2003, when it was finally reopened to the public.
Throughout this time, the darkness and misery of its living conditions sparked endless terrifying tales of hauntings and un-aliving. From disembodied scratching noises, to a little girl with a fondness for dolls and various body parts floating through the air, Mary King’s Close has no shortage of creepy tales and resident spooks.
Nowadays, you can visit Mary King’s Close with a tour. It lasts for about an hour, and you will be led by a costumed guide who will explain in detail the true history of the place as you walk through the underground maze of alleys and rooms. It’s a little pricy and some might find the costumes and character interpretations a little over the top, but a visit is well worth it to see the real old Edinburgh through this eerie preserved time-capsule.
Cramond Island
If you fancy going on a little day trip just outside of Edinburgh, you might want to check out Cramond Island. While at first glance you might think that it doesn’t seem like anything special, only a small land mass with a few decrepit and overgrown buildings scattered around, the low tide reveals the island’s most striking feature: a mile (1.6 km) long path lined by series of concrete pylons that allows you to reach it on foot from the mainland.
These pylons, along with with bunkers and fortifications that can still be seen on the island to this day, were built at the onset of the Second World War to protect boats anchored in the harbour against attacks from the sea. In the end these attacks never came, and Edinburgh was fortunately spared from the worst of the bombings, but the pylons remain as a reminder of one of Britain’s darkest times.
While eerily beautiful, Cramond Island needs to be approached carefully: While the low tide reveals the path, the high tide can come surprisingly fast, quickly submerging the path under several feet of water. While a tide timetable is available online and on a board located at the beginning of the path, it is common for visitors to get trapped for several hours while waiting for the tide to lower again, or for the coast guard to come and shuttle people back to the mainland.
Even though we couldn’t find any legends associated with Cramond Island, there is definitely something creepy about the place. Nature has reclaimed almost everything, covering buildings and trails in overgrown vegetation and, throughout the island, we couldn’t shake this odd feeling of being watched. Maybe it was just our imagination playing tricks on us, but we’ll leave it up to you to discover what spooky secrets Cramond Island is hiding.
One thing is for sure, you won’t see us spending the night there!
The Banshee Labyrinth
For some scares and a really good time, there is nothing better than an evening at The Banshee Labyrinth, Scotland’s most haunted pub!
This awesome establishment is located on top of, and occupies, parts of the old Edinburgh Vaults. Built in 1788, this series of underground chambers were used for a while to house taverns, markets and traders but, after living conditions within deteriorated due to water infiltrations and poor air quality, the vaults became a hotspot for homelessness, un-alivings and criminal activity ranging from illegal gambling to, allegedly, bodysnatching.
With such a colourful history, it’s no wonder that both The Banshee Labyrinth and the Edinburgh Vaults have consistently ranked among the most haunted locations in Scotland.
Perhaps the most famous of the many spooks said to roam the place is the titular Banshee, a ghost from Irish folklore who is said to inhabit the Vaults, and whose blood-chilling screams are considered an omen of death. There are many stories revolving around this particular ghost, one of which involves an unfortunate workman who happened to glimpse a sobbing and screaming woman during the renovation of the pub, only to receive a call moments later to inform him that a family member had passed away.
Legend also has it that Lord Nichol Edwards, whose house still stands right next to where the pub is now, would take women accused of witchcraft into his basement and do unspeakable things to them, and that one of their angry spirits might be the Banshee herself.
Other ghostly encounters include glasses flying off the tables, a little girl named Molly and a particularly creepy figure in a long black coat dubbed “The Watcher”, who, with a name like that, we hope to never cross paths with.
Supernatural patrons aside, the Banshee Labyrinth has 7 different rooms and 3 different bars with a great selection of spirits (not of the ghostly kind), along with a pool table. What’s more, the venue also offers live entertainment ranging from music to Dj’s and stand up comedy, and there is even a free cinema that plays horror, alternative and B movie classics.
What more can we say, The Banshee Labyrinth is just a really fun, viby place to chill and have a drink, and we can’t recommend it more!
And there you have, these are 5 spooky and fascinating locations in Edinburgh that are bound to chill you to the bone this Halloween!
Have you ever experienced any paranormal events during your travels, and what is the scariest place you’ve visited?
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