Ghostly Tales of Edinburgh's Royal Mile

Hear spirits echo through old city streets. 

Imagine the spot where the gallows once stood, a stage in the midst of a baying crowd. A rope slipped over a bagged head, cinched tight. The air falls quiet. Listen as the lever creaks, the trapdoor clatters, the rope snaps taut…  

On this daytime ghost tour, you’ll hear of villains and victims from the city's dark past. There will be stories of those who haunt our shadowed streets — criminals, murderers and unsuspecting innocents — all whilst travelling to the very places they lived… and for some, met their untimely end.   

Starting at the Mercat Cross, a place with mixed history of horror and entertainment, you’ll hear tales of the restless souls set loose in the city, all whilst remaining above ground in Edinburgh’s Old Town. If you listen closely, you might even hear footsteps creeping up behind you or echoes of a horse-drawn carriage fleeing the winding streets. 

Criminal characters to sorrowful spirits 

The Royal Mile may be picturesque, but there is more to its streets than meets the eye. Led by a master, cloaked Storyteller you’ll explore the difficult and grim lives of those living amongst the cobbled closes. 

You’ll hear how the Edinburgh Mob took an execution into their own hands, the truth behind the ghastly apparition of Johnny One Arm and the reason you should be fearful if there is a certain number on the door of your accommodation.  

Be immersed in this dark history as we reveal the sounds and stories of Edinburgh’s past. 

This tour transports you to 1800s Edinburgh: clues hidden in stonework, gruesome spectacles of punishments and deadly consequences and stories of those whose torment continued into the grave.