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The Royal Mile in Edinburgh is one of Scotland’s biggest tourist attractions. RICK HALE tells you where to find the most haunted places to visit
Scotland’s Royal Mile runs between two of Scotland’s most historically significant sites, Edinburgh Castle and Holyroodhouse.
Before the Royal Mile became a much-loved tourist destination with everything from trendy boutiques to well-attended pubs, it had a very different purpose.
Consisting of a number of different streets, the Royal Mile was the traditional route taken by the kings of this ancient country on their way to becoming Scotland’s most powerful rulers.
And like many places in the United Kingdom, the Royal Mile in the old city of Edinburgh turned red with the blood of the fallen. And those who died in horror from the many plagues that ravaged the city.
Edinburgh and the Royal Mile may be a favorite of the countless tourists who walk its ancient streets, but it is also a favorite of many ghosts.
Let’s take a walk along this road, perhaps stopping at a pub and shop, while we look for the Phantoms of the Royal Mile.
Edinburgh Castle and the Royal Mile
The most obvious place to begin our exploration of the spirit of the Royal Mile is, of course, Edinburgh Castle.
Construction of this gray-walled building began in the 11th century and has continued into modern times.
Edinburgh Castle is considered the most important building in Scottish history.
Edinburgh Castle has been everything from a royal residence, a prison and a military stronghold. In fact, the castle has the reputation of being the most besieged castle in Britain.
So it should come as no surprise that this ancient stronghold is home to many ghosts.
Our first ghost at Edinburgh Castle is perhaps the smelliest
Centuries ago, a local man was thrown into the castle’s dank, dark, rat-infested dungeon for a crime long lost to history.
One day he came up with an ingenious escape plan: he would hide in a wheelbarrow filled with manure and be whisked away to freedom.
Sounds good, right? Well, not so much.
Instead of being wheeled out of the castle, the contents of the battlements were dumped. Shit and all. Needless to say, the not-so-brilliant prisoner died.
It is reported that the spirit of the prisoner moves an overwhelming stench through the castle.
Our next ghost was as unlucky as the stinking ghost of the castle, a young Piper.
When underground tunnels were discovered, a young piper was sent to explore their length and depth.
As he wandered through the dark darkness, he played his pipes as loudly as he could, while the pipes above followed him.
Suddenly the boy stopped playing. When he did not return, a rescue party was sent, as pipers were a valuable commodity.
The search lasted a few hours, but he was never found. It’s like the tunnels just swallowed him up.
Today, people claim to hear the unmistakable sound of a bagpipe playing under both the castle and the Royal Mile.
Finally, you see the ghostly figure of a woman in a gray dress wandering desperately through the castle.
This phantom Lady Glamis is believed to be Janet Douglas, who was falsely accused of witchcraft and burned at the stake. Many say she was the victim of a bitter rivalry between her brother and the king, James V.
Her mind is restless with both despair and revenge.
Read more about the haunted Edinburgh Castle on Spooky Isles.
The house on Victoria Street
Thomas Weir seemed to have it all. In 17th century Edinburgh he was a gentleman who came from a respected family. And he was a veteran who served God and Scotland with distinction. And one day he just seemed to go crazy.
Weir began behaving strangely and confessed to a litany of crimes. Including, but not limited to, bestility, witchcraft, and having a personal relationship with old Splitfoot himself.
Even his own sister confirmed the bizarre and devilish stories her brother spread. She even went so far as to claim that he got his demonic power from the cane he carried.
When word reached the authorities, they said, yes, fine. Nevertheless, Weir’s continued behavior and confessions caused them to take action.
After a brief trial, Thomas Weir was found guilty and executed. And as you might expect, it didn’t stop there.
People who moved into Weir’s home reported encounters with dark, sinister entities that made their lives hell.
One couple spent only one night in the house before fleeing for their sanity and their lives.
The house stood empty for years before it was incorporated into a church. But it is still remembered as Edinburgh’s most haunted.
Greyfriars Bobby
Over the past twenty years, Greyfriar’s Kirkyard has become famous for a sinister entity known to physically attack anyone who steps into the famous Black Mausoleum.
However, it is said that another ghost haunts the streets surrounding the cemetery. Something more friendly, playful and adorably shabby. A little dog named Greyfriar’s Bobby.
According to local story, Bobby, a Skye Terrier, was the faithful companion of John Gray, a night watchman with the Edinburgh Police.
When John died and was buried at Greyfriar’s, Bobby came to visit and laid on his owner’s grave.
Bobby did this for fourteen years before he himself went to the afterlife.
It seems that even after death, Bobby continues to guard his owner’s grave.
A small dog has been seen and heard running through the cemetery. And faithfully guard John Gray’s grave.
To commemorate Bobby’s love, a statue was erected outside Greyfriar’s in honor of the loyal pet. Visitors pet Bobby for luck before entering the legendary cemetery.
Read more about the Greyfriar’s Kirkyard hauntings on Spooky Isles.
Brodie’s Close
William Brodie was anything but a nice man. He was a liar, a thief, a cheat and was considered one of the bad men in Edinburgh’s history.
Brodie was successful in leading a double life for years. To the public he was a craftsman who made cabinets.
But that came to an end when he copied the keys to a bank and stole hundreds of dollars to support both his family and his many mistresses.
When the jig was finished and the police came looking for him, Brodie fled Scotland and made it to Amsterdam before he was caught.
Brodie was returned to Scotland and executed for his crimes. A bad life comes to an end. Not hardly.
Next to the Royal Market on Lawnmarket you will find Brodie’s Close. The area where his workshop once stood. The workshop where he indulged in his evil deeds.
Legend has it that the ghost of William Brodie appears astride a demonic, fire-breathing horse. Brodie rides the horse through the Close that bears his name before the two ride into hell.
The Schotsman Hotel
Located on North Bridge is the elegant, Schotsman Hotel. Before becoming a hotel, the building was the headquarters of the Scotsman Newspaper. And it is said that this five-star hotel is haunted by the ghosts of former newspaper employees.
We see a printer who died while diligently preparing the paper for printing, wandering the corridors of the hotel, covered in the ink of his beloved profession.
Edinburgh vaults
I’m incredibly claustrophobic and the idea of exploring underground caves absolutely terrifies me.
That said, if you added the promise of ghosts I might change my mind. And the place that could achieve that is the incredibly haunted Edinburgh Vaults.
Completed in 1788, the South Bridge vaults were home to taverns, storage space and shops for merchants.
In recent years, the isolation of the Vaults has been perfect for homeless encampments and criminal activity. As a result, the vaults were closed and almost forgotten.
However, since reopening in the 1980s, the vaults have become one of Edinburgh’s most popular tourist attractions.
And much of that popularity is due to the many reports of encounters with ghostly figures. And I warn you: they are anything but friendly.
Those who have visited the Vaults reported coming face to face with an annoying ghost named Mr. Boots.
Those who have seen Mr. Boots describe him as a tall man, wearing a dirty, worn blue coat and heavy boots that he uses to stomp around the vaults.
Boots have been seen wandering in the shadows and staring menacingly from doorways.
No one knows for sure who was in life, but one thing is clear: he doesn’t want you in his domain.
Mr. Boots isn’t the only one haunting the vaults. Visitors have reported hearing the disembodied voices of children.
While others have reported seeing full apparitions of those who lived and died in the vaults.
Clearly, the Edinburgh Vaults are not for the faint of heart. I warn you: take the tour at your own risk.
Mary King’s Close
And finally, no tour of the Royal Mile’s ghosts would be complete without a visit to its most popular haunted hotspot, Mary King’s Close.
Located beneath the Edinburgh City Chambers, this venue takes its name from Mary King, a merchant who lived on site in the late 17th century.
The ghosts said to haunt the Close were victims of a plague that ravaged the town centuries ago.
Disembodied limbs dripping with blood can be seen across the Close, as well as a grotesque dog that appears, growls at visitors with blood-stained teeth and disappears.
Really terrifying, I know. But perhaps the most famous ghost is a sad little ghost simply named Annie.
In the many rooms of the Close, Annie has witnessed her crying over the loss of her beloved doll.
It is believed that Annie is a little girl who died during the plague of 1645 and will not find her way to the afterlife without her doll.
The belief in this is strong that visitors to Mary King’s Close leave dolls behind in the hope that young Annie will choose one and find the peace her soul needs.
Edinburgh, the jewel of Scotland, is a world-class city full of endless possibilities and is a favorite of tourists from all over the world.
You can wander aimlessly through the streets of the Old Town and the Royal Mile in search of a special gift. Or exploring the many haunted places.
Have you been to any of these places on the Royal Mile and seen something creepy? Tell us about it in the comments below!
