The Best Ghost Tours in Edinburgh, Scotland

Not for the faint-hearted, this walking tour takes a look at Edinburgh’s grim side, including tales of witchcraft, plague and torture. Starting at the Witchery by the Castle, you’ll spend just over an hour walking along eerie alleyways and courtyards in the Old Town, visiting spots where horrific tortures, murders and supernatural happenings have taken place. Your guide, apparently deceased, will be just alive enough to entertain you with history, humour and fables, while “jumper-ooters” will provide some surprise appearances – so be on guard.

If being six feet (or more) underground is not your cup of tea, then you might want to skip this tour. However, if you fancy visiting the infamous Niddry Street underground vaults – once home to the destitute, prostitutes, criminals, witches and a hell-fire club – then this one-hour experience will stimulate your senses. You’ll also visit Greyfriars Kirkyard, home of the famous Greyfriars Bobby, where the corpses below will come to life in your imagination. Or is it more than just your imagination?

For those whose feet need a rest, this tour allows you to experience a ghost tour from a seat on a double-decker vintage bus. With a local guide, you’ll visit Edinburgh’s eeriest locations, such as Greyfriars Kirkyard, Edinburgh Castle, Grassmarket and the Royal Mile, and hear accounts of strange occurrences witnessed there – including executions and unimaginable torture and murder. Just don’t be surprised if a ghost hijacks your bus during the ride.

Highly rated by participants, this two-hour tour is gruesomely informative. You’ll meet your guide on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile, the main thoroughfare of the Old Town, and then set off on foot. Along the tour, you’ll climb Calton Hill, the site of witch trials and pagan rituals, and also visit the Old Calton Burial Ground or Canongate Kirkyard, where you’ll learn about body-snatching, vampires and some of the infamous people interred there. If there was any question that Edinburgh is home to unusual activity, this tour confirms it.

If you’re unable to travel to Edinburgh or just prefer to keep a screen between you and the undead, then this hour-long virtual tour is a great way to discover Scotland’s dark side without leaving your sofa. Your guide will take you from Ayrshire to Edinburgh, sharing stories of cannibals, witches and ghosts. Hear all about the local folklore surrounding Alexander “Sawney” Bean, virtually wander through Edinburgh’s Old Town, and check out the haunted Deacon Brodie’s Tavern, named after the man who inspired Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (1886). This online experience is perfect for anyone who loves history and haunted tales – but not for those who scare easily.

If you want frights and people jumping out and scaring you, then this is not the experience for you. However, if you’d like to learn from a knowledgeable guide about Edinburgh’s most peculiar areas and the stories that go with them, then you’ll love this three-hour private tour. You’ll start at Tron Tavern, where your guide will take you to various Edinburgh highlights – from the Old College and Greyfriars Kirkyard (with its harrowing accounts of body-snatching) to Victoria Street, where you’ll learn how it shaped the creation of Diagon Alley in the world of Harry Potter. Story lovers, history buffs and aspiring Hogwarts witches and wizards who want to skip the crowds will enjoy this tour.