Edinburgh Gave Me the Heebie Jeebies

Sir George Mackenzie’s grave

If Edinburgh didn’t give you the creeps, I fear you might have done it wrong.

Edinburgh, the capital city of Scotland known for its rich history and aesthetically dirty stone buildings, gave me the proverbial heebie jeebies. So much, in fact, that I went back a couple months later to see if I would still shiver down back alleys or feel eyes from windows above, or if it was just the beginning of a crisp autumn fooling me. With spring stepping on winter’s toes on my second visit, I had even more reason to fear the city that feels lost in time and riddled with ghosts of its past.

Edinburgh is a long four hour train ride from London on the notoriously busy northbound overground trains. The trek is long and grueling and usually hot, but it’s made worth it by the views, especially the ones on the right side of the train. With my head bobbing against the window and my brain drifting off to who knows where, the sea suddenly pops up as a welcome distraction. It follows you the rest of the way, weaving through scenic seaside towns before briefly disappearing behind a mysterious auburn castle, only to return again until you reach Waverley Station.

The second you step off the train to the sound of suitcase wheels clanking on stone and after fighting off possibly the fattest pigeons known to man, you can feel the history. Depending on which exit you leave from will determine your first view, but that won’t matter because eventually you’ll see the divide between Old Town and New Town Edinburgh. Spoiler alert, both sides look old, but when you spot the grand hill that immediately has you reaching for the Uber app to save your glutes, that’s Old Town.

That long patch of grass in the middle, the one with the National Gallery of Scotland, Ross fountain and Scott Monument, was once a body of water, if you could even call it that. It was more sludge, sewage and trash and had become world renowned for its smell. That first view of Edinburgh already comes with a dark past filled with drownings, hidden bodies and witch trials.

You will learn all about it after dropping your belongings at the hotel and rushing over to a pre-booked ghost walking tour. The one I went on, and highly recommend, is the Edinburgh Ghost Tour: Mysteries, Legends and Murders by Scotland City Tours that I booked on TripAdvisor. Walking after sitting on a train for so long feels refreshing and is the perfect way to spend your first night in Edinburgh. A walking tour not only lets you explore the city with guidance, but also helps you understand what you’re looking at for the rest of the trip.

The tour started in front of St. Giles’ Cathedral on High Street and immediately the hair raising history started unraveling. Stories of torturous displays that took place on those very cobblestones under your feet. Every breeze suddenly feels deliberate as you wind through the closes and hear about crimes that took place decades and centuries ago.

Then, just as you think there can’t possibly be anything else for the tour guide to throw into your already overwhelmed thoughts, you make your way to the graveyard that lies at the feet of what once was a prison where the infamous Burke and Hare were questioned. You hear their story and the dreadful tale of where their skin ended up.

After the tour ends, you’ll be parched and desperate for a drink. Maybe give the Scottish Tennent’s a try. The best place to do that and end the horrors from the tour is the mildly horrific Frankenstein Bierkeller. A roaring noise fills the bar and somehow becomes welcoming. The place houses a corpse like Frankenstein that slowly comes to life while old Frankenstein films play on screens around you. You get engulfed in the theatrics and, if you’re lucky, can even get lost in the nooks and crannies of the dungeon displays. Don’t forget to take your picture with the Frankenstein that welcomes you in the doorway.

The Underground Side of Edinburgh

The next day you’ll get up bright and early with a delightful pastry and coffee on your mind from Milkman Cafe or The Elephant House, where J.K. Rowling allegedly wrote some of the Harry Potter books. After you’ve had your fill, prepare yourself for the underground world of Mary King’s Close. You’ll need to book this in advance, but it is completely worth it. Your skin will itch from the horrors of the plague and the ghost stories that echo through those claustrophobia inducing tunnels. By the end of the tour, you’ll be relieved to see daylight again.

For a reprieve from all the death and plague, head over to the Writers’ Museum nearby, or continue spiraling deeper into Edinburgh’s darkness and visit the Edinburgh Vaults instead. This place has its own ghosts, one of which is a young boy who supposedly just wants to play. Take some time to explore High Street and grab souvenirs, look down on Victoria Street, and go into the magical themed stores filled with curiosities.

If all of this hasn’t ruined your appetite, grab a traditional Scottish meal at Makars Mash, which you’ll definitely need a reservation for, and try some famous haggis. After you are well and full, take the long walk to Greyfriars Kirkyard and give that pup a nose rub for good luck. You’ll need it for the graveyard.

You can spot graves that inspired names from Harry Potter, including Tom Riddle. However, the grave to pay the most attention to is Sir George Mackenzie’s. You won’t want to get too close to that one because his ghost has supposedly been known to assault people.

For a nightcap, I recommend The Last Drop in the Grassmarket area, where criminals about to be executed would have their “last drop” of whisky before dying. If that’s not your style, try The Devil’s Advocate instead, where the gothic atmosphere perfectly matches the mood of the day. If you have more days in Edinburgh and want more creepy activities take a Castle tour, and go to the Surgeons Museum.

Obviously, Edinburgh has more to offer than its horrific past. Other things to do include the Islander workshop that I heavily recommend, the Vennel Steps, the Johnny Walker Experience and Dean Village. More importantly, branch out from Edinburgh and see the rest of the beauty Scotland has to offer.

By: Elizabeth Hickman