Tours & tickets

Edinburgh Vaults

Experience a guided walking tour that takes you beneath the streets of Edinburgh's Old Town into a dimly lit space that many considered to be haunted. Your tour visits the vaults of the South Bridge that date back to the 1700s. These are the same vaults mentioned on Most Haunted Live as one of the scariest places on Earth. Learn how the vaults have been used over the years, the living conditions endured by the poor and homeless residents, and the spirits that are supposed to haunt them. The darker side of Edinburgh's history will unfold as you wander through the candle-lit underground area. From your guide, you'll hear about the Burke and Hare murders and the persecution of witches. Discover the characters who stalked the streets of Edinburgh, and the paranormal stories associated with the vaults. The Haunted Vaults tour option will cover slightly more paranormal and ghost stories. Step into the torture exhibition and explore how and why these items were used.

Join this late-night guided walking tour in English of Edinburgh to discover the city’s darkest and most frightening experience. Hear ghost stories of the city told above and below the ground of the Royal Mile. Walk through the famous wynds and closes of the Royal Mile, learning about the horrific living conditions of the population that once lived in these underground rooms. Listen to stories from your guide about murderers who roamed the streets and snatched bodies to sell to medical schools at the time. Then, hear stories of the scratching hauntress who leaves marks on her victims. Witness torture exhibits and learn how these devices were used in times gone by. Finally, go to the home of “The Watcher” ghost, and see the infamous stone circle vault, still decorated with pentagrams and spiritual symbols.

Join a guided walking tour to Greyfriars Graveyard and learn about one of Edinburgh's most famous canine residents and hear stories about notorious criminals. See Gothic mausoleums and learn about notable burials as you explore the grim history of the cemetery. Continue with a visit to the nearby Edinburgh Vaults, located in the arches of South Bridge. Hear about regular paranormal occurrences and how some of the characters from history have never really left. Discover the former home of the destitute, witches and a hellfire club, and hear how the haunted vault is now possessed by something truly evil.

Experience the world's most haunted city on a ghost tour of Edinburgh and be spooked by the dark side of the Old Town. Discover the hidden wynds (alleys) off the Royal Mile and hear some of Edinburgh’s horrifying secrets. Visit what is considered the world's most haunted graveyards, "Greyfriars Kirkyard." Finally, explore the underground Edinburgh Vaults. Completed in 1788, the series of chambers housed taverns and stored illicit material, including dead bodies killed by serial killers Burke and Hare for their medical experiments. Journey through over 400 years of history and true tales of hangings, torture, murders, and witchcraft. Shiver at the weird noises and unexplained smells that appear after dark! 

Immerse yourself in the history of Edinburgh on a guided city walking tour. Trace the origins of the city as you explore the Royal Mile, the underground vaults, and Old Town, with stories hidden behind every turn. The historical tour begins at the Old Police Box on Edinburgh's Royal Mile, where you will be met by a local historian and proceed straight into the Underground Vaults. Edinburgh's Underground is over 400 years old and is full of fascinating history, all of which the guide will share with you. After visiting the Underground Vaults, your guide will take you all around Edinburgh's Royal Mile and Old Town, visiting some hidden closes and other spots of historical significance. Delve into parts of Edinburgh that you did not know existed, mostly off the tourist trail.  Hear that the first skyscrapers in the world were built in Edinburgh, discover the identity of the local criminal who became the inspiration for Jekyll and Hyde, and learn where the phrase "Black Market" came from. Find out where Ebeneezer Scrooge is buried – yes, really – and how Edinburgh University worked closely with the serial killers, Burke and Hare. Edinburgh’s history is long and fascinating, made even more special when told by your enthusiastic, passionate, and local guide. 

Discover the wicked history of Scotland as you explore Edinburgh’s Old Town, from the streets above to its underground vaults. Join your bewitching guide on this spellbinding walking tour!   Step into Scotland's rich and mysterious past on this captivating walking tour through Edinburgh's Old Town. Led by an engaging character guide, this experience blends history and storytelling for an unforgettable adventure.   Uncover the stories of Scotland’s accused witches, exploring their lives and the accusations they faced. This tour pays respectful homage to those wrongly accused of witchcraft, shedding light on the great injustices they suffered. You may even learn some facts about much-loved characters from Outlander and Harry Potter!   Adding to the intrigue, the final 15 minutes of the tour will involve an exclusive visit to “The Lost Close” — this recently discovered underground site has been cloaked in mystery since the Great Fire of 1824. The ancient vault, where you will enjoy the remaining tales of the tour, dates back to 1742, offering a window into the past, and providing a fitting end to an immersive exploration of history and enchantment.   Don't miss The Edinburgh Witches and Underground Vaults - Old Town Walking Tour, an opportunity to delve into the city's fascinating past, honour those who suffered, and embrace the magic of discovery.

Join an early afternoon ghost tour in Edinburgh and enjoy a walk with a professional local guide dressed in full period costume. See historic landmarks in the old town on this 1-hour tour as your guide tells you about Edinburgh’s dark past. Head down into the city’s underground vaults, located below the historic South Bridge, just off Edinburgh’s famous Royal Mile. The vaults are known to be some of the most haunted in the world and many a ghost has been spotted lurking around by visitors and guides. Experience an afternoon filled with ghosts, torture, death, and horror in Scotland’s historic capital.

Stories of blood, guts & gore in the Old Town of Edinburgh, then a whisky or soft drink in a candlelit cellar to warm the heart. Lose yourself in the cries and taunts of a once-roaring crowd of thousands, baying for the blood of two men. Take your place as a member of the “Edinburgh mob”, which once surged in riot past the Mercat Cross (our meeting point for the evening). Listen to grisly tales of witchcraft, torture and restless spirits as you venture down medieval closes and descend into the haunted Blair Street Underground Vaults of Edinburgh on this ghost tour. Hear the distant clatter of workmen and whispers of criminals as you’re immersed in the atmosphere of the past. Your cloaked Storyteller will lead you through the dimly lit caverns, recounting stories that you would swear are too horrific to be true — and yet, they all are. As night thickens, we’ll gather together in Megget’s Cellar for a whisky — or if you’re not fond of a dram, a glass of locally-made beer or soft drink. In the warmth of candlelight, your Storyteller will conjure more tales of Edinburgh’s ghoulish past, and the tortured souls that stalk the city’s streets.

This is easily our goriest, most graphic and spine-chilling Edinburgh ghost tour, where we take you on a dark and eerie journey through Old Town’s sinister wynds and closes before descending into the haunted Blair Street Underground Vaults. Hear of tales not fit for the glare of daylight — or for those under the age of 18. Descend into the sights, smells and sounds of auld Edinburgh. Perhaps what’s spookiest of all is that these twisted tales of history at its worst are all true stories. Your ghost tour begins above ground at the Mercat Cross, before making your way through the city’s narrow cobblestone streets where murders, misdeeds and mischief took place. You’ll learn about bloody plots that led to treason and torture, as well as secret lives that led to horrific deaths and tormented souls. Pay attention to the shadows around you. Do you hear the creaking of the gallows, the shuffle of a foot, the ghostly echoes of a children’s haunting song? Is it your imagination, or did it just get a little colder? There’s an unsettling feel to our Blair Street Underground Vaults, like sinking into real history: the scent of leather, the flicker of a candle, the echo of a drip — or a footstep. Your master Storyteller will reveal troubled tales as you continue this underground Edinburgh walking tour. Expect true stories of murder and hangings, all in the atmosphere of the vaults. Pick out evidence of life in the distant past — and perhaps more — lurking just beyond the faint glow of your Storyteller’s candlelight.

Venture beneath Edinburgh’s streets and discover the city’s most haunted underground vaults — a chilling world of shadows and secrets, the Blair Street Underground Vaults, exclusively accessible with Mercat Tours. This immersive ghost tour offers a spine-tingling glimpse into true tales of Edinburgh’s dark past. Abandon thoughts of manufactured frights and make-believe scares. In the Blair Street Underground Vaults, it’s the true history that haunts. The skill is in the enhanced storytelling. These vaults witnessed the deeds of mischief-makers and murderers, vagrants, and torturers. It’s said to be one of Edinburgh’s most haunted sites, where restless spirits still tread to this day. Your cloaked Mercat Tours master storyteller will lead you through the shadowy closes of Edinburgh’s Old Town. These dark and dreary streets are untouched by daylight, filled with a strange silence – their damp walls carrying only the faintest echo of the crowds on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile. With the scene set, you’ll descend into the depths of the city – and listen in horror to the dark and sinister events which took place over the years. Torture. Murder. Hangings. From body snatchers to the city's real-life characters, you’ll be gripped by the true tales lurking beneath Edinburgh’s streets in the underground vaults, where centuries of sorrow echo and restless spirits are said to linger. Perhaps you’ll experience a cold breath on the back of your neck, or a whisper – then silence. It’s all the more chilling for being absolutely real: there are no spooks, tricks or jump scares on our Edinburgh ghost tours. This is no ordinary haunted tour — it’s an unforgettable descent into Edinburgh’s unsettling past. Feel it. Hear it. The Haunted Underground awaits.