
Edinburgh Darkside Walking Tour: Mysteries, Murder and Legends
2 h
By walk
Instant confirmation
About this activity
Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Royal Mile, Edinburgh EH1 2PB Scotland
Meet your guide on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile, the main thoroughfare of the Old Town, and then set off on foot to begin your walking tour of the city’s shade side. Edinburgh is crawling with odd activity, and there are tales of murderers, vampires, monsters and even cannibals that locals nervously recall to each other.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: North Bridge, Edinburgh Scotland
Follow your guide through dark courtyards and eerie alleys, and hear spine-chilling stories of executions, murders, torture, ghosts and witchcraft. Then, make for the North Bridge, with its own formidable history, before climbing Calton Hill.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Calton Hill, St. Andrews House 2 Regent Road, Edinburgh EH1 3DG Scotland
Feel the hair on the back of your neck stand on end as your guide tells real-life tales of gore and gruesomeness, including stories about the witch trials that once took place here. Discover how the site is still used today for pagan rituals such as the Edinburgh Beltane Fire Festival, and drink in 360-degree views of the city’s skyline.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Old Calton Burial Ground, 29 Waterloo Place, Edinburgh EH1 3BQ Scotland
Then, continue to the Old Calton Burial Ground, one of Edinburgh’s chilling cemeteries. See the imposing mausoleum that marks the final resting place of David Hume, who is said to have made a deal with the devil, and perhaps hear of the infamous body snatchers Burke and Hare.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Canongate Kirk, 153 Canongate, Edinburgh EH8 8BN Scotland
Alternatively, visit the Canongate Kirkyard cemetery, which dates back to the 17th century. Rest assured, there is no staged gimmickry, monster masks or made-up stories on this tour.
Duration: 30 minutes
Pass By: Edinburgh Old Town, Old town, Edinburgh EH1 Scotland
After roughly two hours, your tour concludes at a local pub near the Royal Mile, where you can purchase a pint of beer or a dram of whisky to help cool your nerves after this entertaining and intriguing tour (own expense).
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This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Royal Mile, Edinburgh EH1 2PB Scotland
Meet your guide on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile, the main thoroughfare of the Old Town, and then set off on foot to begin your walking tour of the city’s shade side. Edinburgh is crawling with odd activity, and there are tales of murderers, vampires, monsters and even cannibals that locals nervously recall to each other.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: North Bridge, Edinburgh Scotland
Follow your guide through dark courtyards and eerie alleys, and hear spine-chilling stories of executions, murders, torture, ghosts and witchcraft. Then, make for the North Bridge, with its own formidable history, before climbing Calton Hill.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Calton Hill, St. Andrews House 2 Regent Road, Edinburgh EH1 3DG Scotland
Feel the hair on the back of your neck stand on end as your guide tells real-life tales of gore and gruesomeness, including stories about the witch trials that once took place here. Discover how the site is still used today for pagan rituals such as the Edinburgh Beltane Fire Festival, and drink in 360-degree views of the city’s skyline.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Old Calton Burial Ground, 29 Waterloo Place, Edinburgh EH1 3BQ Scotland
Then, continue to the Old Calton Burial Ground, one of Edinburgh’s chilling cemeteries. See the imposing mausoleum that marks the final resting place of David Hume, who is said to have made a deal with the devil, and perhaps hear of the infamous body snatchers Burke and Hare.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Canongate Kirk, 153 Canongate, Edinburgh EH8 8BN Scotland
Alternatively, visit the Canongate Kirkyard cemetery, which dates back to the 17th century. Rest assured, there is no staged gimmickry, monster masks or made-up stories on this tour.
Duration: 30 minutes
Pass By: Edinburgh Old Town, Old town, Edinburgh EH1 Scotland
After roughly two hours, your tour concludes at a local pub near the Royal Mile, where you can purchase a pint of beer or a dram of whisky to help cool your nerves after this entertaining and intriguing tour (own expense).
Included
- Professional guide
Not included
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
Additional
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Near public transportation
- Children up to 13 years old are welcome to join this tour for free. We reserve the right to ask for a valid ID for children joining our tours
- The independent guides who employ us to market their tours have your best interests in mind; while the tour usually includes the sites & stories mentioned and lasts about 2 hours, your tour may vary depending on what your guide thinks is best for your group
- We unfortunately do not advise guests in wheelchairs to join the Dark Side Tour, due to the narrow stairways and steep hills. We apologize for any inconvenience or disappointment caused.
- Most travelers can participate
Features
Tourism
75%
Cultural
75%
Original
45%
Sport
20%
Reviews
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Kaitlin was EXCEPTIONALLY knowledged on all things Edinburgh and brutal about its history. She didnt skip a beat and knew everything about Scotlands history. Utterly gruesome and unbelievable however thoroughly fascinating. Kaitlin was brilliant
The tour was great. Besides the fact that it was interesting to listen to stories about Edinburgh, our tour guide, Melanie, took storytelling to another level. Besides her obvious talent in the aforementioned, she also displayed her great singing and acting abilities, all the while showing that she really enjoys what she is doing. All in all, this was a great experience, we got to see and learn many captivating facts about the city and it`s history.
Alan was our tour guide and he is fantastic! Very knowledgeable and engaging. His skills at weaving the story of each place we stopped at allowed you to travel back in time. So very interesting and fun. Great way to learn about Edinburgh history albeit the dark side of it and also see the beauty of the city as you navigate the streets.
We loved this tour! Our tour guide, Alan, did a wonderful job telling us stories of all the creepy, dark history of Edinburgh. I would definitely recommend this tour.
Greg our tour guide was very knowledgeable on Edinburgh history. He provided a fun and informative tour with lots of humorous stories and acting. This is a great way to be guided to Calton Hill which is a bit of a walk from the Royal Mile but well worth the trip
Maybe 8 stops, with silly stories...barely based in facts. Start and end points at different locations, miles apart... would have been nice to know. Save your money....go to the museum.
Eva, our guide was funny and knowledgeable! We enjoyed the stories we were told. The part at the hill was interesting and along the lines of what we expected. Thanks!
My husband, my two boys (ages 18 and 15) went on the tour on Sunday, December 2, 2018. We had a great time. Fun and informative. Melanie, our tour guide was absolutely terrific
We were a group of 4 adults, we joined the larger group after having dinner near by. The guide, Alistair, was energetic and animated, it was fun to listen to his tales. Lots of walking! This would not be a tour for someone who has trouble walking, there are hills up and down as well as steps on this tour. At the end we stopped at a kirk yard for some additional tales. Very fun, great guide!
We took this tour on our first night in Edinburgh - great way to figure out how Edinburgh in laid out. Our guide was Adam Gloser - who had great enthusiasm and was friendly to everyone on the tour.
Adam G was a fantastic tour guide. His stories were varied and engrossing and, we later found out, fully developed by Adam himself. We were told of murder, grave robbing, and vampires and how they related back to the beautiful and storied scenery of Edinburgh and Leith. What stood out the most about this tour was the sombre recounting of King James VI's obsession with the dark arts and Adam's respect for the thousands of people wrongfully accused of witchcraft and executed under the king's rule. Using this as a starting point, Adam weaved an incredibly heartfelt and authentic message of acceptance, which was revisited later on in the tour with equal passion. Between our host and the wonderful scenery, this was the best ghost tour I've ever had the pleasure of attending.
Adam made the tour really funny and informative. This was a great way to get a good lay of the city on my first day, plus learn some really interesting history of the city. Decided to add a few things to see on my trip based on what I learned surgeon's hall and arthur's seat. Would have totally missed out.
Very enthusiastic and entertaining guide. Something sifferent, but not scary, so suitable for all.