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Getting Into the SpiritJourney through the eerie streets and dark passageways of Edinburgh’s haunted Old Town.by Louise Farquhar
During daylight hours this is a vibrant, cosmopolitan city and has been a magnet to visitors since it achieved capital status in the 15th Century. Good prospects attracted merchants and craftsmen who flooded into the City with dreams of becoming rich. This was a time of opportunity for some but for others there was treachery and treason, frenzied witch-hunts, devastating plague and bloody murder. Many poor souls came to tragic and gruesome ends and their misfortune has led to a new type of attraction for the modern day visitor. Ghosts. Famous for it’s history of ghosts and witches Edinburgh now boasts an impressive array of professional tours for those who want to learn all about the spooky past. The Old Town, set in the Royal Mile, is the oldest part of the City and the location of the most haunted spots. In the 1700’s messenger boys called caddies would help visitors through the maze of narrow cobbled streets and towering tenements that still stand today. Now, tourists wanting to hear all about the ghastly torture, murder and supernatural happenings follow modern day caddies around the same streets and listen to stories expertly performed by their costumed guides. The rivalry between tour companies is intense – each keen to stress its authenticity and historical accuracy. A broad spectrum of styles and approaches are available ranging from light-hearted and humorous presentations to the genuinely fear inducing encounters which include being locked in a graveyard at midnight with an active poltergeist. The Ghost and Ghoul Tour run by Mercat Tours is a popular choice and caters for all ages. On this particular dark night thirteen brave souls have congregated beside the famous Mercat Cross - scene of many grisly and horrid tortures. Out of the shadows a figure cloaked in black emerges. Shock breaks out fuelled by the belief that this is already a ghostly figure appearing before the outing has even started. However, relief quickly ensues as they discover it’s only their escort, Lindsay. Like all the guides for this tour Lindsay is a university- trained historian interpreting Edinburgh’s supernatural facts with storytelling and theatre. The thirteen ‘friends’ in the group have already formed close bonds with their companions, instinct telling them they may need a little assistance from someone else during their adventure. They are going to some scary places after all.
Outside the City Chambers the devastating effects of the 1645 outbreak of the Plague are depicted to the group in graphic detail and in particular the heart-breaking story of the residents of Mary King’s Close is told. Hundreds of citizens from this tiny street, many infected by The Plague, died as the rest of the City imprisoned them in their homes. Denied water and food they wasted away in fear and squalor. This street is reputedly the most haunted place in Britain. A collective gasp interrupts the unfolding tale and is followed by some uneasy foot shuffling as Lindsay reveals that the remains of the alleyway are actually directly underneath the pavement they are all standing on.
Standing silently in the candlelit chamber, heads twitching left and right checking for movements in the dark nooks and crannies, the group listen as Lindsay recounts the apparitions seen by recent guests on the exact spot they are standing. One girl, they are told, felt a cold chill pass over her right ear before the voice of the violent spirit, known as Mr B, screamed “Get Out! GetOut! Get Out!” The girl ran out, scared for her life. These happenings are not rare – many have been reported all bearing strange similarities. Investigation by scientists and psychics has found evidence of the paranormal time and time again. It’s an accepted fact that battery operated devices such as camera flashes and torches often don’t work in these gloomy vaults
After the terror of the vaults a dram of whisky in an old Edinburgh tavern seems the perfect way to calm down. The White Horse Tavern, built in 1742, is one of the city’s oldest drinking dens and plays host to guests of Mercat Tours every night. The private room is musty and lit only with candles. Of course it’s haunted, but only by a friendly spirit who enjoys the company of the tourists. The consensus amongst all who have had the Ghost and Ghoul experience is positive. There are definite signs of relief that the outing is finished but feelings of camaraderie abound and excited chatter breaks out about the emotional roller coaster they have all ridden together. So the next time you visit Edinburgh why not try one of these tours and if you hear something going bump in the night it might just be that wee dram of whisky causing trouble but watch out - it could be Mr B. FOR MORE INFORMATIONhttp://www.clan.com/edinburgh/witchery http://www.auldreekietours.co.uk/ Images by J Cozens and Mercat Tours Ltd. |
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Huddled together they
follow their shrouded escort around the winding closes and ancient buildings
listening to stories of public execution and macabre torture which were all
designed to entertain the blood thirsty Edinburgh mob of the day. In these
ancient times Edinburgh was a bustling, chaotic and noisy place and in many
respects this is still true today. A little imagination is required to
become truly lost in the stories as they are narrated amongst the noise of
modern day life. Businessmen heading home eavesdrop on Lindsay’s performance
of Scotland’s longest hanging, rubbing shoulders with her ‘prisoners’ in
Parliament Square and bemused tourists rattle suitcases down the steep and
slimy cobbles of Advocates Close as the putrid practice of gardey loo
(corrupted from the French gardez l’eau) is described in all its
revolting glory.
All these creepy
tales of phantoms and spectres leave the group wide-eyed and chilled to the
bone but the best is yet to come - the Underground Vaults. Ignorant to their
fate the unsuspecting crowd trail behind the black hooded figure to an
innocent looking door underneath Edinburgh’s South Bridge. This dark and
quiet place had been forgotten about for over 200 years until recently when
the passageways and cellars were rediscovered. Originally the vaults were
used as workshops, stores and houses by those who had businesses on the
bridge but insufficient waterproofing soon rendered them uninhabitable
leaving them to be used by body snatchers and murderers instead.
As the tales of
terror continue the cluster of jittery guests seem increasingly
uncomfortable. One well-dressed lady searches around looking for another
more scared than herself. There’s a lot of comfort in that. When the yarns
are finally spun they start to make their way out, holding hands as they
climb the narrow staircase that winds through the darkness up to street
level. The liberation from fear is manifested by excited laughter and
frivolous but settling comments about the murky weather.