Private Walking Tour of Edinburgh's Haunted HistoryPrivate Tour
Hear tales of terror, explore local legends, and discover the historic scenes of butchery and bloodshed.
What makes this tour special
Edinburgh has been abuzz with paranormal activity for several centuries, from bizarre hauntings to unexplained spectral sightings. Edinburgh’s history 11th-18th century is punctuated by murder, barbarism, and bloody battles by tyrannical figures and legions of wrath. On this spooky Edinburgh Ghost Tour, seek out the dearly departed on a spirit-lifting adventure with the city’s afterlife under the shadows of Edinburgh Castle - the ultimate fright-seeing delight.
- Begin your private guided tour at the top of the city, at Edinburgh Castle
- Hear gruesome tales of hangings and slaughter in Edinburgh’s macabre history
- Discover ghostly sounds of dragging limbs, children’s cries and beating drums
- Wander down the Royal Mile - built intentionally on top of the Edinburgh Vaults
- Learn about Major Weir, a religious zealot who was burned alive after turning to the dark side
- Learn how Robert Louis Stevenson based Dr Jekyll and My Hyde on Edinburgh’s paranormal activity.
- Hear recent haunted tales - including how more than 30 different phantoms were detected in Edinburgh’s ancient streets in 2019.
Founded by King Malcolm III, who built the castle and watched a small town prosper, Edinburgh guarded against invasion with thick-stone walls, but was a target for onslaught none-the-less. The city was plagued by hellish, squalid conditions due to overcrowding and poor sanitation. Violent crime was rife and punishments swift and harsh with Death by burning at The Castle and the hangman’s gallows at The Grassmarket.
Since then, Edinburgh has been flooded with enigmatic, supernatural energy detected city-wide. Ghouls, spirits and ghostly apparitions make regular appearances in the Royal Mile, in the city's graveyards and ambling streets, and the Castle, part of - experts say - a lingering spiritual residue over Edinburgh’s earthly realm.
Your fascinating Edinburgh ghost tour is an immersive, eerie experience that delves into the city’s most haunted nooks and crannies. Hear tales of terror, explore local legends, and discover the historic scenes of butchery and bloodshed. Your private guide will lead you on a slow-paced stroll through Edinburgh’s ancient streets in Old Town, where hair-raising hauntings are frequent. Restless spirits have been encountered by gravestones, tombs and underground chambers with shivery ghoulish presences in Greyfriars Kirkyard.
Please note, as this is a private tour, your guide will be able to make each story as eerie or as kid-friendly as you request to have the best experience for everyone.