10 Most Haunted Places In Edinburgh

This pub gets its name from the grim history of the Grassmarket area of Edinburgh where it stands. The square is where the city's executions once took place, the gallows were believed to be opposite the pub. It's for this reason that the pub is said to be haunted.

The pub's ghosts include that of a young girl in medieval clothing who is believed to have lived in the building before it became a pub. Her mischievous spirit has been blamed for disembodied voices and objects moving on their own. Staff and drinkers have even reported seeing her in the bar and cellar areas.

The historic pub, which is said to be one the oldest in Edinburgh, dated back 1516 and it sells itself as a haunted pub. The pub's name dates back even further to 1128 when King David I encountered a white stag while hunting in the nearby forest. It was voted the Edinburgh's Most Haunted Pub in 2005.

Located south-east of Edinburgh, Borthwick Castle is one of the largest and best-preserved surviving medieval Scottish fortifications. The castle is said to be home to several ghostly residents and the paranormal activity their includes unexplained noises, disembodied voices, a general feeling of unease and even full apparitions.

There have been so many reports of ghostly goings on in the castle, that its owners have had to call in a local priest to exorcise it. The castle's most famous ghost is that of a servant girl who had an illegitimate son with one of the Borthwick family. Both the mother and the baby were murdered to stop disgrace falling on the Borthwick family line.

There's also said to be the ghost of the estate's chancellor, who was burnt to death after the family learnt he had been stealing their money.

Like most old theatres, the Edinburgh Playhouse has its own resident ghost. The reports of paranormal activity date back to at least the 1950s when the police were called to investigated a reported break in. One of the officers claimed to have spoken to a man dressed in grey who identified himself as Albert, but there were no staff by that name.

The ghost of Albert has been spotted in the building ever since, especially on the sixth floor. He is though to be a stage hand who died in an accident at the theatre. Theatre-goers have also reported strange goings on, including the sensation of being touched by unseen hands and hearing unexplained noises around the building.

The West Bow is situated between Victoria Street and the Grassmarket and was where the home of Thomas Weir once stood. He was a well-respected member of the community, until he confessed to various offences including witchcraft and communicating with the dead, and was executed in 1670.

After his death the house was unoccupied for many years due to its dark past, during this time locals reported seeing the windows lit up at night and saw strange shadows moving past the windows. There's also reports of a phantom coach pulled by six horses seen outside the house. Eventually a couple did move into the property, but were driven out one night after witnessing what they described as demonic apparitions.

The house has now been partially demolished but parts of it have been incorporated in the Quaker meeting house on Victoria Terrace. It's said that the paranormal activity that was once associated with Weir's home is now experienced in the Quaker's hall.

Located in Old Town, Greyfriars Krikyard was first designated as a graveyard in 1562, and is the final resting place of many of the city's most notable former residents. Since 1998 there have been hundreds of reports of paranormal activity occurring in the graveyard, most of which revolves around the tomb of Sir George Mackenzie, a barrister who was responsible for the deaths of thousands of Covenanters in the 17th century.

It started after a homeless man broke into Mckenzie's large, black mausoleum in the graveyard one cold night to find shelter. Ever since there has been reports of poltergeist activity by visitors passing by the mausoleum. They claim to have been pushed, scratched and even cut.

The graveyard's other famous resident ghost is that of a dog named Bobby. It's said that the loyal pooch guarded over his owner's grave for several years after his owner's death. When the dog eventually died he was buried in an unconsecrated part of the cemetery. Ever since Bobby has been seen and heard still guarding his master's grave.

The Scottish capital is said to be one of the most haunted cities in the world, and the castle which overlooks it also has its fair share of spooks, many tourists have reported plenty of paranormal activity over the years.

There are several ghosts who are said to haunt this historic fortress, the most commonly sighted are an old man in apron, a piper who mysteriously lost his life after getting lost in the tunnels below the castle and a headless drummer boy.

The Banshee Labyrinth is said to be Scotland's most haunted pub and it sits right above, and in parts opens up into, one of the country's most famous paranormal hotspots, Edinburgh Vaults. The Labyrinth is said to be haunted by the banshee, from whom the venue takes its name. A banshee is a supernatural entity, said to be female, who appears and cries or shrieks to foretell the death of a loved one.

She's sometimes been seen as a pale-faced woman in a grey dress sobbing into her hands. She was most famously reported by a group of workmen refurbishing the venue. They all heard her scream and a few hours later one of them received a phone call informing him that a family member had passed away.

Other spooks spotted by drinkers include the ghost of a little girl known as Molly. She's said to have haunted the pub since a child's shoe with the name written on it was discovered in a bricked-up chimney, there's also the ghost of Ole Jock who lurks in the ladies' toilets, and an apparition in a long black coat known as "The Watcher".

Nestle deep beneath the Royal Mile in Edinburgh there's a hidden a labyrinth of narrow streets and houses. The area of Mary King's Close was originally a number of streets lined with houses, taverns and shops. Buildings were up to seven storeys high and housed hundreds of Edinburgh's inhabitants, but in 1645 the city was hit by the bubonic plague and the confines of the close proved to be a fertile breeding ground for the black death.

In an attempt to stem the spread of this ravaging disease, city officials quarantined Mary King's Close, and although victims of the plague were cared for, many died in their homes.

By the mid 18th century, the council decided to build the Royal Exchange on top of the close. Residents left the area and the street became a subterranean underworld, buried for centuries, but the close was recently reopened, allowing its macabre history to be retold.

The close is said to be the site of dark shadows, strange noises and even apparitions of body parts have been reported here. Chesney's House, is said to be so scary, that some staff member refuse to enter certain areas on their own and the ghost of a man has been seen here before vanishing.

A building known as the "Murder House" is said to be the location of a killing. A woman murdered her son in law here and was executed for her crime. Since then his wounded figure has been seen and heard reenacting the moment of his death.

Annie's Room are said to be the most haunted part of the close, as well as cold spots, phantom voices and dark shadows, the spirit of a little girl has been seen wandering endlessly, trying to find her mother, who apparently left her to die during the plague. She's been seen so many times that guests often leave her toys to play with.

The Edinburgh Vaults are a network of eerie chambers which are formed in the arches of the South Bridge in Edinburgh. Due to the city's growing population, the 120 rooms or 'vaults' beneath the bridge were put to use to house taverns, workshops for cobblers and other tradesmen in 1788.

The vaults were damp with poor air quality and condition were grim, which resulted in businesses leaving. This meant that the dank caverns were overtaken by Edinburgh's poorest citizens, the homeless and criminals, who carried out activities such as illegal gambling, whisky distillery and even bodysnatching.

Eventually the vaults were filled in and forgotten about, until they were rediscovered in the 1980s and eventually opened as a tourist attraction. Thanks to its depressing past, the vaults are now said to be one of the most haunted places in the UK.

Visitors report hearing disembodied voices, including the sound of children crying. The mysterious sound of feet shuffling can also be heard coming from dark corners of the vaults, and people have reported being touched. During 'Most Haunted's' investigation of the location in 2008, one of their team was scratched by an unseen force, to this day it is still one of the team's most violent investigations.