Dark History Ghost Tour Edinburgh: Grassmarket & St Giles
Jesse King, the last woman executed in Edinburgh, still draws crowds to the Grassmarket.
A 2-hour evening walking tour of Edinburgh's Old Town led by a paranormal investigator and professional storyteller, visiting St Giles' Cathedral, Advocates Close, Victoria Street and the 600-year-old Grassmarket. You'll hear documented accounts of murders, grave-robbing, body-snatching and violent hauntings that shaped the city's darkest centuries, ending at one of Britain's most haunted cemeteries. Minimum age 12.
Step-by-step itinerary
Edinburgh dark history and ghost tour
- Meet tour guide and introduction
- Visit Heart of Midlothian
- Learn 17th Century Edinburgh life
- Explore infamous street stories
- Walk down Advocates Close
- Visit Victoria Street and hear wizard tale
- Discover Grassmarket dark stories
- Final stop: haunted cemetery tales
- St Giles' Cathedral 10m
- Mercat Cross 10m
- Advocate's Close 10m
- Victoria Street 10m
- Grassmarket 15m
- Greyfriars 25m
What’s included
- A 2-hour walking tour led by a professional storyteller who is also a paranormal investigator.
- documented dark tales of murders, executions, body-snatching and hauntings across five stops including St Giles' Cathedral, Advocates Close, Victoria Street and the Grassmarket.
- Friday 18:00
Last departure this season: 20 Nov
Information
Walk Edinburgh's cobbled streets with a paranormal investigator for tales of murders, body-snatching and hauntings at Grassmarket and St Giles' Cathedral.
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The experience
St Giles' Cathedral is where the tour begins, and your guide introduces you to the city's most infamous buildings and the Heart of Midlothian, a real landmark embedded in the street itself. From there, the route moves through centuries of documented crime: the 17th-century entertainments that drew crowds, the streets where people vanished, and the stories that locals still repeat. Advocates Close holds one of Edinburgh's most famous ghost tales. Victoria Street, which inspired Diagon Alley, has its own dark wizard story. Nothing to do with Harry Potter.
The Grassmarket, a 600-year-old marketplace, is where public executions and riots unfolded. Your guide tells you about Jesse King, the last woman executed in Edinburgh, and Maggie Dickson, whose story defied the gallows. These are not invented tales. They are documented events that shaped the city's character. The final stop is a cemetery where you'll hear about poltergeist hauntings, war, murder and people buried alive: accounts that make it one of the world's most haunted burial grounds.
Your guide is a genuine paranormal investigator, not an actor, and the stories shift depending on weather, accessibility and who is on the tour. The tour does not enter the Edinburgh Vaults. It stays on the streets and closes above ground. Wheelchair accessible surfaces mean you can navigate the cobbled streets and closes without barriers, though the route itself is uneven and historic.
Top questions
Can children come?
Yes. Ticket types: Youth (12 to 16 years). Children under 12 can't be included in the booking.
What is the Heart of Midlothian that the guide shows at St Giles' Cathedral?
The Heart of Midlothian is a real landmark set into the street outside St Giles' Cathedral, marking the site of the Old Tolbooth, one of Edinburgh's most infamous buildings. Your guide explains its significance to the city's dark history as part of the opening section of the tour.
Why is Victoria Street included on a ghost tour when it's famous for Harry Potter?
Victoria Street inspired the fictional Diagon Alley, but the tour focuses on a different wizard with a far darker story: a real historical figure whose tale is part of Edinburgh's documented past, not fantasy.
What happened at the Grassmarket that makes it central to this tour?
The Grassmarket was Edinburgh's public execution ground and marketplace for centuries. Your guide recounts the riot that led to a murder and betrayal, and tells you about Jesse King, the last woman executed there, and Maggie Dickson, whose story is one of Edinburgh's most unusual survival tales.
Does this tour go into the Edinburgh Vaults?
No. This tour stays on the streets and closes above ground. It does not enter the vaults, so the route focuses on the outdoor historical sites and the stories tied to them.
How does the guide choose which stories to tell if some may change?
The tour guide adapts the content based on weather, the makeup of the group and accessibility needs, so the core stories remain consistent but the specific tales may shift to suit the conditions on the night you attend.
Operated by Eerie Earth Tours. Explorevia does not run this tour: we compare it with similar options, and you book it with our booking partner.
Prices and times updated 10 days ago
Dark History Ghost Tour Edinburgh: Grassmarket & St Giles
2h · EN
from £ 18 per person
≈ US$ 24 in your currency
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