Edinburgh: Double Dead Tour South Bridge Vaults & Greyfriars

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Free cancellationLikely to sell out

1/7

Duration1h 45m

GroupUp to 6

LanguagesEN

Mobile ticketAccepted

Haunted vaults and graveyard chills with Edinburgh’s boldest guides

You’ll step beneath Edinburgh into its infamous South Bridge Vaults before heading by lantern light into Greyfriars Graveyard’s locked Covenanter’s Prison — home to the Mackenzie Poltergeist. With a local guide leading stories (and scares), you’ll hear real legends where they happened. If you’re anything like me, you’ll leave half-laughing, half-looking over your shoulder.

1h 45m

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Edinburgh's haunted sites

Meet local expert guide
Visit South Bridge Vaults
Explore Covenanter’s Prison
Learn about Mackenzie Poltergeist
Complete 1 hour 45 minute tour

The Experience

The first thing I noticed was the way our voices echoed under South Bridge — not a normal echo, but something closer, like the stones were listening. Our guide, Jamie, flicked his torch along the old brickwork and grinned when someone jumped at a sudden drip from above. “That’s just the vaults settling,” he said, but honestly, I didn’t buy it. The air down there is thick, almost damp-sweet, like old whisky barrels left too long.

We’d barely started the Double Dead Tour when someone asked about the Mackenzie Poltergeist. Jamie just nodded towards Greyfriars Graveyard and said we’d see for ourselves soon enough. Walking through those vaults made my skin prickle — it’s not just stories; you feel how close everything is. One woman in our group (I think her name was Ruth?) kept glancing over her shoulder. I caught myself doing it too. When we finally got to Covenanter’s Prison, Jamie pulled out an actual key — only City of the Dead Tours can unlock that gate, apparently — and let us inside while he told us about the prisoners who’d been held there centuries ago. The wind picked up right then, rattling something metal against stone. It was probably nothing but still…

I tried to pronounce “Covenanter” properly and Jamie laughed — “Just say ‘the haunted bit’, everyone does.” There’s a smell in Greyfriars at night that’s hard to describe; kind of earthy with a sharpness from wet grass and old stone. Someone asked if he believed in ghosts and he shrugged: “After a few years here? You stop asking.” I didn’t expect to feel so uneasy even with a group around me. My shoes got muddy but I barely noticed until later.

What’s included

Your evening includes entry into Edinburgh’s South Bridge Vaults and exclusive access to Covenanter’s Prison in Greyfriars Kirkyard, all led by a local expert guide who brings every story (and scare) to life as you walk through these infamous sites together.

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearbyNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsNot for back problems

Operated by City of the Dead Tours