Supernatural Side of Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland. It is the seventh largest city in the United Kingdom and the second largest Scottish city after Glasgow. Owing to its rugged setting and vast collection of Medieval and Georgian architecture, including numerous stone tenements, it is often considered one of the most picturesque cities in Europe. Edinburgh is well known for the annual Edinburgh Festival, a collection of official and independent festivals held annually over about four weeks from early August. The number of visitors attracted to Edinburgh for the Festival is roughly equal to the settled population of the city.
Explore the Supernatural Side of Edinburgh
By Adam Singleton
Edinburgh, the capital city of Scotland, seems to have a life of its own. Walking through the Old Town, you feel an air of mystery as if the city’s history is following you. Tiny laneways, beautiful architecture and quaint cobbled streets – it all feels very mystifying and it makes for a wonderful and intriguing reason to visit the city.
Photo: hotelsofedinburgh.com
Whether you are looking for ghosts or ghouls, spooks or specters; Edinburgh’s has them all. One of the most famous paranormal sights to see in Edinburgh is the Real Mary King’s Close. This buried series of laneways, or closes as they are called in Edinburgh, was formerly open to the air in the heart of the Old Town. The area was always bustling with activity and heavily overcrowded – until the plague ripped through it. Many of the residents perished and the area was left in a ruinous state.
When plans were drawn up for a new market place directly above this area, it was decided to completely enclose it and hopefully keep the plague infections at bay. The remaining residents were moved out and the area forgotten about until 2003, when it was opened again to the public. You can now descend into the depths of Edinburgh’s Old Town and experience the spooky streets for yourself.
Back up and into the light of the Royal Mile, there are a vast number of other frightening sights to visit. The popular tourist attraction of Greyfriar’s church is situated close to the Royal Mile and as it goes, the ghost tours of Greyfriar’s graveyard are not for the faint-hearted. This follows the story of Greyfriar’s Bobby, which is also not for those who are overly sensitive. In 1858, at the grave of a man named John Gray, a little terrier known as Bobby would sit and guard over his owner’s grave for fourteen years, only ever leaving for food; until he perished too.
Photo: disordered.org
If this is of interest then another great place to hunt for ghosts is the Edinburgh Vaults. Whilst the underground tours here don’t touch on quite as much of the city’s history as the Real Mary King’s Close, it definitely makes for a more harrowing experience. In fact, there are even several particular specters that are frequently seen by visitors to the Vaults.
For a more family-friendly way to experience Edinburgh’s eerie side, then visit the Edinburgh Dungeon, which is filled with fun ghost rides and more ghoulish stories. It can be difficult to imagine how this beautiful city is in fact immersed with so much supernatural activity; if this is of interest to you, perhaps take the time to explore these attractions.
It is therefore good to know that you’ll find flights to Edinburgh are frequent and before you know it, you will be having a ghoul of a time.
The information contained within this article is the opinion of the author and is intended purely for information and interest purposes only. It should not be used to make any decisions or take any actions. Any links are included for information purposes only.
