Edinburgh Ghost Tour: Burke & Hare, Witch Trials & Graveyards

The Royal Mile's Black Market: Bodies, Killers, and What Edinburgh Hid

You walk the Royal Mile and two historic graveyards while learning about Edinburgh's 17th-century plague victims, the 19th-century body trade run by Burke and Hare, witch burnings, and the doctors who tried to cure the incurable. The guide handles the research and the route. You just show up and listen to what happened in the streets you're standing in.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Edinburgh's dark history and sites

• Learn about 17th century alleys
• Discuss 19th century corpse black market
• Talk about serial killers Burke and Hare
• Visit Old Calton Cemetery
• Visit Canongate Kirkyard

The experience

The Royal Mile is already crowded when your guide starts talking about the corpses. Not the ones buried in Old Calton Cemetery or Canongate Kirkyard: the ones that went missing in the 19th century, stolen by William Burke and William Hare, two men who turned grave-robbing into a business that fed Edinburgh's medical schools. You're standing where it happened, in the narrow alleys where the city's poorest lived in the 1600s, and your guide is explaining how those same streets became a hunting ground for body snatchers and serial killers.

The tour moves through the centuries without warning. One moment you're learning about the Black Death and the doctors who wore bird masks, thinking they could cure plague with herbs and bloodletting. The next, you're standing in front of the stones where witches and warlocks were burned, and your guide asks which of you would have ended up on those bonfires, based on what you've just admitted about yourself. It's the kind of question that lands differently when you're actually standing in the place it happened. Old Calton Cemetery and Canongate Kirkyard aren't just graveyards. They're the physical record of centuries of death, and the guide knows which stones to stop at and why.

The tour includes views across Edinburgh that most visitors miss, framed by stories about the city's mythical side: Scottish faeries, the supernatural reputation that has drawn tourists here for decades wanting to know what really happened. It's not a jump-scare experience or a theatrical performance. It's a walking history of how a city hides its worst chapters in plain sight, and how those chapters are still visible if you know where to look. The whole thing takes you through the Royal Mile and the graveyards on foot, with a guide who knows the names, the dates, and the reason each story still matters.

What’s included

Your tour includes a professional guide who leads you through the Royal Mile, Old Calton Cemetery, and Canongate Kirkyard, covering the history of 17th-century plague victims, 19th-century body-snatching and serial killers, witch burnings, and Scottish mythology. You'll walk the actual streets and graveyards where these events took place, with views across Edinburgh woven into the narrative.

Options for this experience

3 options

Deutsche GruseltourGuide in German · 17:30 and 18:30

English-language ghost tour17:30 and 18:30

Ghost tour in French17:30

You see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates & prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 17:30 and 18:30

Book up toStart time

AgesAdult (15 to 64 years) · Senior (65 and older) · Child (6 to 14 years) · Infant (under 6): free

GroupUp to 35

Live guideEnglish, French and German

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends at a different place from where it starts.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearbyNot for pregnant travelers

Operated by Scotland City Tours - Somos Escocia

Is this one for you?Book this if you want Edinburgh's darker history explained by someone who knows the streets and the stories, without having to research the dates and locations yourself. The guide handles the route and the context, leaving you free to absorb what happened and why it still matters.

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

In English and German, at 17:30 and 18:30. In French, at 17:30.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (6 to 14 years); Infant (under 6): free.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What is included in the tour?

A tour guide. The itinerary covers the Royal Mile, Old Calton Cemetery, and Canongate Kirkyard, with stories about Burke and Hare, plague victims, witch trials, and Scottish mythology.

Do I need to book transport separately?

Public transportation options are available nearby. The tour itself is walking-based through Edinburgh's city center.

What is the Royal Mile?

The Royal Mile is Edinburgh's most famous street, running from Edinburgh Castle to Holyrood Palace. It's the main attraction on this tour and the location of many of the historical events covered.

Who were Burke and Hare?

William Burke and William Hare were 19th-century serial killers who supplied corpses to Edinburgh's medical schools. Their crimes are a major focus of this tour.

Will we visit graveyards?

Yes. The tour includes visits to Old Calton Cemetery and Canongate Kirkyard, two historic burial grounds in Edinburgh.

Is this tour historically accurate?

The tour covers documented historical events: the Black Death in 17th-century Edinburgh, witch trials, the Burke and Hare murders, and the body-snatching trade that supplied medical schools.