Free Tour of the Ghosts and Mysteries of the Royal Mile
2 hours
English, Spanish and Italian
Description
On the Edinburgh Ghost Free Tour, we uncover the stories hidden in Edinburgh's Royal Mile; from its narrow and dark alleys to the iconic Old Calton Cemetery.
Don't miss this summary of the dark history of the city of Edinburgh, where we will talk about ghosts, murderers, body snatchers, witches, and even Satan himself as we wander through the alleys of the old town. This overcrowded area after the Industrial Revolution offered a very low quality of life, which heightened the belief in legends, some of them truly cruel and bloody. This, mixed with layers of Celtic culture and popular legends, was the perfect breeding ground to develop a city that hid from the law and created its own micro-universe.
*This tour is not recommended for children under 5 years old due to the themes addressed during the visit.
ViajarPorEscocia is a company created by Spaniards living in Scotland. We started our journey in 2009 and thanks to our carefully designed routes, and our expert and passionate guides, we have established ourselves as a benchmark in Spanish-language tourism in Scotland. We are the only company that provides excursions of one or several days with guaranteed departure in Spanish throughout the year. We also run tours in Italian and English.
Meeting point:Calle principal 190190 High Street. Entrance of the Old Fishmarket Close alleyOpen in Google Maps →
1
Outside visit
St Giles’ CathedralWe start beside St Giles’ Cathedral. Here we introduce the tour and explain why Edinburgh has always been shrouded in mystery: from its Celtic roots to the harsh living conditions in the walled city, marked by plague and crime.
2
Outside visit
Mercat CrossOnce a site of public executions and exemplary punishments. Discover how historical justice in Scotland fueled some of the city’s most chilling tales.
3
Outside visit
The ClosesStep into the historic alleyways of the Old Town, where legends of the 1824 fire, mysterious apparitions, and characters like Johnny “One Arm” still echo.
Meeting point:Calle principal 190190 High Street. Entrance of the Old Fishmarket Close alleyOpen in Google Maps →
1
Outside visit
St Giles’ CathedralWe start beside St Giles’ Cathedral. Here we introduce the tour and explain why Edinburgh has always been shrouded in mystery: from its Celtic roots to the harsh living conditions in the walled city, marked by plague and crime.
2
Outside visit
Mercat CrossOnce a site of public executions and exemplary punishments. Discover how historical justice in Scotland fueled some of the city’s most chilling tales.
3
Outside visit
The ClosesStep into the historic alleyways of the Old Town, where legends of the 1824 fire, mysterious apparitions, and characters like Johnny “One Arm” still echo.
4.66
192 reviews
Professionalism
4.80
Entertainment
4.75
Communication
4.75
Quality
4.77
Route
4.76
Free tours don't have a fixed price. At the end, each person contributes to the guide the amount they consider fair based on their satisfaction. As a guideline, Guruwalk recommends between €15 and €50 per participant.
Accessibility
Not suitable for people with reduced mobility.
Groups
Does not accept large group bookings.
Pets
Not suitable for bringing pets.
Minimum attendees
Requires a minimum of 5 people to conduct the tour.
Additional costs
The tour does not require payment for entries or additional expenses.
Free cancellation
If you cannot attend the tour, please cancel the reservation, otherwise the guide will be waiting for you.
Interessante Geschichten und historische Informationen über Edinburgh erfahren.
I
Imes
1 Review
Booking verified
Nikola
3 Reviews
Booking verified
Hannah
3 Reviews
Booking verified
S
Sonja
2 Reviews
Booking verified
Traveled as couple
5 days ago
Interessante Geschichten und historische Informationen über Edinburgh erfahren.
I
Imes
1 Review
Booking verified
Nikola
3 Reviews
Booking verified
Hannah
3 Reviews
Booking verified
Traveled as couple
2 weeks ago
We really enjoyed the tour with our guide Emilia! She is a wonderful storyteller, and with her historical knowledge, she truly brought Edinburgh’s past to life for us.
We booked the ghost tour, and since it was already dark outside, the stories felt even more immersive and atmospheric. It was such a great experience, and Emilia made the history and spooky stories come alive!
Thank you, Emilia, for such a memorable evening! We had a wonderful time exploring Edinburgh with you and will definitely remember your stories for a long time. We would happily recommend this tour to anyone visiting Edinburgh!
Traveled as couple
2 weeks ago
The tour was really fun and interactive. Even though it’s quite late, Ollie is bringing a lot of energy and enthusiasm to the experience. He also included few photo spots, which we really loved! Would greatly reccomend if you are looking for a bit untraditional tour of the city.
Traveled alone
3 weeks ago
Altogether a great experience, would recommend for anybody who would like to experience Edinburgh during the night!
Olly is a great story teller! He kept us entertained throughout the whole tour and offered to take our pictures and send them to us later.
Some of the places we visited were very exclusive, which made them even more exciting.
I also really appreciated how Olly didn't give us any pricy suggestions of what to tip, which is why I was happy to tip more generously than I usually do for a tour similar in length.
Thanks, Olly!
Booking verified
Traveled as couple
5 days ago
Interessante Geschichten und historische Informationen über Edinburgh erfahren.
Booking verified
Traveled as couple
2 weeks ago
We really enjoyed the tour with our guide Emilia! She is a wonderful storyteller, and with her historical knowledge, she truly brought Edinburgh’s past to life for us.
We booked the ghost tour, and since it was already dark outside, the stories felt even more immersive and atmospheric. It was such a great experience, and Emilia made the history and spooky stories come alive!
Thank you, Emilia, for such a memorable evening! We had a wonderful time exploring Edinburgh with you and will definitely remember your stories for a long time. We would happily recommend this tour to anyone visiting Edinburgh!
Booking verified
Traveled as couple
2 weeks ago
The tour was really fun and interactive. Even though it’s quite late, Ollie is bringing a lot of energy and enthusiasm to the experience. He also included few photo spots, which we really loved! Would greatly reccomend if you are looking for a bit untraditional tour of the city.
Booking verified
Traveled alone
3 weeks ago
Altogether a great experience, would recommend for anybody who would like to experience Edinburgh during the night!
Olly is a great story teller! He kept us entertained throughout the whole tour and offered to take our pictures and send them to us later.
Some of the places we visited were very exclusive, which made them even more exciting.
I also really appreciated how Olly didn't give us any pricy suggestions of what to tip, which is why I was happy to tip more generously than I usually do for a tour similar in length.
Thanks, Olly!
Booking verified
Traveled as couple
3 weeks ago
Sehr sehr tolle Tour, unser Tourguide war sehr unterhaltsam, es war interaktiv gestaltet und es wurden viele interessante Facts erzählt. Uns wurden auch viele andere Empfehlungen für unseren Aufenthalt in Edinburgh gegeben und man konnte sich gut unterhalten.
Auf jeden Fall eine Empfehlung, wenn man abends noch was unternehmen möchte. Tour ging ca.2h (auf Englisch) und hat mit einer wunderschönen Aussicht auf dem Calton Hill geendet.
Traveled as couple
2 weeks ago
We really enjoyed the tour with our guide Emilia! She is a wonderful storyteller, and with her historical knowledge, she truly brought Edinburgh’s past to life for us.
We booked the ghost tour, and since it was already dark outside, the stories felt even more immersive and atmospheric. It was such a great experience, and Emilia made the history and spooky stories come alive!
Thank you, Emilia, for such a memorable evening! We had a wonderful time exploring Edinburgh with you and will definitely remember your stories for a long time. We would happily recommend this tour to anyone visiting Edinburgh!
Traveled as couple
2 weeks ago
The tour was really fun and interactive. Even though it’s quite late, Ollie is bringing a lot of energy and enthusiasm to the experience. He also included few photo spots, which we really loved! Would greatly reccomend if you are looking for a bit untraditional tour of the city.
Traveled alone
3 weeks ago
Altogether a great experience, would recommend for anybody who would like to experience Edinburgh during the night!
Olly is a great story teller! He kept us entertained throughout the whole tour and offered to take our pictures and send them to us later.
Some of the places we visited were very exclusive, which made them even more exciting.
I also really appreciated how Olly didn't give us any pricy suggestions of what to tip, which is why I was happy to tip more generously than I usually do for a tour similar in length.
Thanks, Olly!
Booking verified
Traveled as couple
5 days ago
Interessante Geschichten und historische Informationen über Edinburgh erfahren.
Booking verified
Traveled as couple
2 weeks ago
We really enjoyed the tour with our guide Emilia! She is a wonderful storyteller, and with her historical knowledge, she truly brought Edinburgh’s past to life for us.
We booked the ghost tour, and since it was already dark outside, the stories felt even more immersive and atmospheric. It was such a great experience, and Emilia made the history and spooky stories come alive!
Thank you, Emilia, for such a memorable evening! We had a wonderful time exploring Edinburgh with you and will definitely remember your stories for a long time. We would happily recommend this tour to anyone visiting Edinburgh!
Booking verified
Traveled as couple
2 weeks ago
The tour was really fun and interactive. Even though it’s quite late, Ollie is bringing a lot of energy and enthusiasm to the experience. He also included few photo spots, which we really loved! Would greatly reccomend if you are looking for a bit untraditional tour of the city.
Booking verified
Traveled alone
3 weeks ago
Altogether a great experience, would recommend for anybody who would like to experience Edinburgh during the night!
Olly is a great story teller! He kept us entertained throughout the whole tour and offered to take our pictures and send them to us later.
Some of the places we visited were very exclusive, which made them even more exciting.
I also really appreciated how Olly didn't give us any pricy suggestions of what to tip, which is why I was happy to tip more generously than I usually do for a tour similar in length.
Thanks, Olly!
Booking verified
Traveled as couple
3 weeks ago
Sehr sehr tolle Tour, unser Tourguide war sehr unterhaltsam, es war interaktiv gestaltet und es wurden viele interessante Facts erzählt. Uns wurden auch viele andere Empfehlungen für unseren Aufenthalt in Edinburgh gegeben und man konnte sich gut unterhalten.
Auf jeden Fall eine Empfehlung, wenn man abends noch was unternehmen möchte. Tour ging ca.2h (auf Englisch) und hat mit einer wunderschönen Aussicht auf dem Calton Hill geendet.
