10 Of The Spookiest Edinburgh Ghost Stories
No visit to Scotland’s capital is complete without exploring some spooky Edinburgh ghost stories. It might be a beautiful place, but there’s a dark side lurking just beneath Edinburgh’s surface. It’s a city that’s haunted by its tumultuous past.
You might be one of those sensible people who want to avoid ghosts and ghouls and I don’t blame you. However, if you want to discover the most chilling tales from Edinburgh’s past, this is for you. It’s time to explore the darker corners of one of the most haunted cities in the world.
There are some links below that I may make a small commission from without any extra cost to you.
The Mackenzie Poltergeist – Greyfriars Kirkyard
There’s probably no Edinburgh ghost story more famous than the Mackenzie Poltergeist. While alive, he was George Mackenzie, otherwise known as Bluidy Mackenzie due to his ruthless punishment of religious Covenanters. His worst act was locking hundreds of prisoners in a walled field next to Greyfriars Kirk, many dying from exposure.
Backing onto that same field, the imposing Mackenzie mausoleum was always rumoured to be haunted, with mysterious noises heard inside and a coffin that moved by itself. It seems Mackenzie was unable to rest with the tormented souls of his victims so close by. In the late 1990s, the mausoleum was broken into, with the intruder opening the casket and after that, the real stories began.
Residents in the nearby buildings started to talk of strange goings on. Blackouts, banging noises, items moving around and even toilets flushing on their own. Even worse, people visiting the graveyard were suddenly being attacked.
It wasn’t long before Edinburgh ghost tours began visiting the Covenanters Prison, with reports of scratches and bruises from attacks by the poltergeist. An exorcist tried to take care of the ghost before reporting that there was such a large presence of spirits he thought it might kill him. He died a few weeks later.
If you’re brave enough to face Edinburgh’s most notorious ghost, why don’t you whisper this old Edinburgh children’s rhyme into the Mausoleum: “Bluidy Mackenzie, come oot if ye daur, lift the sneck and draw the bar.” Don’t say I didn’t warn you though…
You can tour the graveyard and hear the story of Mackenzie on a guided tour – Tickets available here!
The Ghost Of Johnny One Arm
Not every Edinburgh ghost story is linked to a specific place. Some are doomed to wander the cobbled streets, lurking in dark corners, just like Johnny One Arm.
In the 17th century, with both arms still attached, John Chiesley was ordered by the courts to pay a huge sum in child maintenance. John wasn’t happy about the decision and spat threats at the judge. This was all part of the job for Sir George Lockhart though, he was well used to it by now.
A few months later, George was attending a service in St Giles Kirk having completely forgotten about the incident. As he walked out of the church and along the road home, he started to feel like somebody was behind him. Picking up the pace, he made it to his door, but while fumbling for his keys, a voice called behind him.
Turning around, George was met with the barrel of a pistol held by a grinning John Chiesley. For murdering such an influential figure, John had his legs broken, the arm that fired the pistol chopped off and finally, he was hanged. After a few days of hanging as a warning, the body vanished.
Soon, ghostly, shuffling footsteps began following people down the streets of Edinburgh. Rumours of a ghostly one-armed man lurking in the dark spread around the city. Eventually, in 1965 during renovations in Dalry, a skeleton with one arm and a rusty pistol hanging around its neck was found. It could be none other than Johnny One Arm.
The skeleton was laid to rest and this Edinburgh ghost promptly disappeared. However, the missing arm has never been found, so there might be one part of John Chiesley still dragging itself around the cobbles of Edinburgh. Watch out for something tugging at your ankles…
Edinburgh Castle’s Ghostly Piper
Legend says that when Edinburgh Castle was being turned into a more modern military barracks a couple hundred years ago, the opening to a small tunnel was found. It’s not unusual to find tunnels dug around castles, but nobody knew where this one went.
With the tunnel being so small and orphan children so numerous, it was decided to send a wee boy down to explore. To make sure the men above could hear where he was heading, the lad was handed a small set of bagpipes.
The plan seemed to work as the officers followed the tune down the Royal Mile, thinking they might end up down at Holyrood Palace! However, when they got to the Tron Kirk, right where the tunnel might have met the South Bridge, the music suddenly stopped.
They waited and waited but the music didn’t start again and the wee boy didn’t reappear at the tunnel entrance. The only option they could think of to find out what had happened was to send another orphan in, but who knows what would happen to that one!
They couldn’t just leave an opening into the castle, no matter how small, without knowing what was at the other end, so a decision was made. It was bricked up and the poor wee piper’s fate was sealed.
While the sound of bagpipes is a regular one on the Royal Mile throughout the day, it’s said that late at night when the town is quiet, you can sometimes hear them playing. Somewhere beneath the ground, the ghost of the piper boy is still trying to find his way out…
Skip the line and enjoy a guided tour of Edinburgh Castle – Tickets available here!
Victoria Street’s Ghostly Wizard
Before we had the beautiful, sweeping Victoria Street, the Royal Mile was reached from the Grassmarket by the crooked West Bow. The most famous inhabitant of this cramped thoroughfare was Major Thomas Weir and if you believe Edinburgh’s ghost stories, his spirit has never left.
Weir appeared to live a quiet and respectable life but all that changed when he was lying on his sick bed. Suddenly, he confessed to a life of crime, witchcraft and an incestuous relationship with his sister Jean. The people simply assumed his age was affecting his mind until Jean confirmed his tales!
She even explained how her brother had made a pact with the Devil after he appeared in a fiery coach to take him to Dalkeith. The confessions couldn’t be ignored and both were executed separately. Weir was begged to at least ask for forgiveness before he was burned for witchcraft, but he refused, declaring, “I have lived as a beast, I should die as beast!”
As the source of his power, Weir’s walking stick was burned in the fire beside him, turning on its own in the flames. Now known as the Wizard of the West Bow, locals avoided his house like the plague, maybe that’s the real reason the street was demolished and rebuilt. That drastic action made no difference, Weir’s ghost has still been seen walking up and down Victoria Street, the magic cane hopping along in front of him!
Edinburgh’s Haunted South Bridge Vaults
There aren’t many places in Edinburgh as creepy as the South Bridge Vaults. Built in the late 18th century within the arches of a new bridge, these vaults were intended as workshops and stores for the shops. Unfortunately, the bridge hadn’t been waterproofed and no legitimate business wanted a leaky roof.
That left plenty of space for illegitimate businesses to move in. The South Bridge Vaults became home to gambling dens, brothels, illicit stills and a safe haven for murderers and thieves. Rumours of the activities down there were so bad that the vaults were cleared out and filled in by the council.
Eventually, an old entrance was discovered, the vaults cleared out and ghost tour companies moved in. One vault even hosted a modern witches coven. They set the room up with candles to perform scrying rituals, where a mirror would provide a connection with the spirit world. Instead of a freestanding mirror, they re-used a wardrobe door with a mirror already fitted.
The coven started to notice a strange feeling in the room. Then, the wall holding the mirror started to show a wet, foul slime. When the mirror was moved, the damp wall dried up and the new one became affected. Around the same time, tourists in other parts of the Vaults were suffering from unseen attacks.
The leader of the witch coven asked his mentor for advice. He took one look at their setup and gasped in shock. A mirror might offer a window into another world, but they had been using a door. Something had come through to make its home in the South Bridge Vaults. Something very dangerous.
It’s still there if you’re brave enough to enter one of the most haunted places in Edinburgh! Book a tour of the South Bridge vaults here!
Enjoy Some Spirits At Whistlebinkies
With all of these spooky Edinburgh ghost stories, you might need another kind of spirit to get you through the evening. That calls for a trip to Whistlebinkies, said to be one of the most haunted pubs in the city. It also just happens to make use of the South Bridge Vaults!
One of the pub’s resident ghosts is known as the Watcher. He would never interact with any of the patrons, just stand quietly near the bar, dressed in a long dark coat with tails. The Watcher has been seen dozens of times since the pub opened, but most people just assumed he was a dressed-up tour guide. That was until he walked through the bar and adjoining wall.
The other Whistlebinkie ghost seems to be a bit more playful. The Imp is responsible for the shuffling noises down in the cellar. A staff member was once stuck down there as she pushed, pulled and punched the door to get back out. Only when she eventually gave up, slumping to the floor with a bottle of vodka to drown her sorrows, did the Imp swing the door back open.
On another evening, after closing, one of the bar staff pulled out an orange for her post-work snack. Before she could get to it, she noticed a couple of used glasses on the window sill so, placing the orange on the bar, she walked over to pick them up. Once she got back, seconds later, her orange was completely peeled and split into segments.
You might not spot the Watcher or the Imp if you do visit Whistlebinkies though. Ever since the witches coven released that mysterious entity into the Vaults, these Edinburgh ghosts have kept a low profile.
Abandoned Annie In Mary King’s Close
While Edinburgh isn’t exactly a “city built on a city” like some people claim, there are a few streets under your feet. Beneath the City Chambers on Royal Mile sits Mary King’s Close, one of three that were part demolished to make way for the new building. The top of the streets were chopped off and the remains of the buildings used as foundations!
People can now tour inside Mary King’s Close, but if you’re easily spooked then I wouldn’t recommend it. You’ll come face to face with one of the saddest Edinburgh ghost stories – Abandoned Annie.
Tours of the close have been running for a long time and while not designed as a ghost hunt, it’s always felt like a spooky spot. Then, in 1992, a psychic called Aiko Gibo met Annie for the first time. She wasn’t threatening or dangerous, but she was so painfully sad that Aiko couldn’t even enter the room! That’s because the ghost of Annie was an abandoned wee girl who had lost her doll hundreds of years before.
The psychic immediately went up to the Royal Mile and bought a doll for the girl. She left it in the room where she had felt that presence and the tradition was born. Every year, people bring presents for wee Annie and add them to her shrine. The ghost might not be dangerous, but the sight of all those toys in a pile might haunt your nightmares instead…
Take a tour of Mary King’s Close if you dare – Tickets available here!
Green Lady of Morningside
It’s no surprise that Edinburgh ghost stories involve castles, graveyards and underground streets, but regular homes can be just as prone to hauntings. Anybody who has seen the Green Lady of Morningside would testify to that!
Elizabeth Pittendale was a bold young woman from a respectable Edinburgh family. Although she had fallen in love with a sailor called Jack Courage, he had been forced back to sea. The whirlwind romance was intense, but she didn’t know if he would ever return. Regardless of what she wanted, her family arranged for Elizabeth to marry the much older Sir Thomas Elphinstone.
Soon, she moved into his beautiful home in Morningside and settled into her life. Then one day, Thomas announced his eldest son from a previous marriage was coming to visit. Imagine the look on Elizabeth’s face when she opened the door and her stepson was none other than Jack!
They did their best not to alert Thomas, but they couldn’t stop themselves from continuing their affair. One night Thomas caught them in the act and in a fit of rage, struck Elizabeth violently enough to kill her. Ashamed, Thomas took his own life soon after. They were buried together as husband and wife.
Poor Jack inherited the house but having lost his love and his father, couldn’t bear to live there. He rented the house out but was soon getting reports of strange sobbing noises, objects moving on their own and sightings of a lady dressed in green. Eventually, somebody was brave enough to confront the Green Lady of Morningside.
Elizabeth’s ghost revealed that her spirit couldn’t rest because she was buried beside her murderer. Jack had her body exhumed and reinterred in a new plot with space for him beside her. Thankfully it worked and the people of Morningside can rest easy today!
Dean Village’s Ghostly Sailor
Dean Village is one of the most in-demand areas of Edinburgh, but would people be so keen to stay here if they knew its ghost story?
In the 19th century, a mother and daughter moved into a flat by the bridge. Mrs Gordon was delighted with the new accommodation, especially because the rooms above her were empty apart from old furniture. It was going to be blissfully quiet! Imagine her surprise when she woke in the middle of the night to shuffling and banging from above her head!
Things started to get worse. Mrs Gordon started to get a feeling of dread every time she was in her bedroom. Again waking in the night, it wasn’t noises that had disturbed her. It was the presence of something in the room.
Lying frozen in her bed, she heard the footsteps creep up the stairs followed by the shuffling again. Then came a night Mrs Gordon’s daughter decided to sleep in her mum’s bed. When she reached the door, something barged past her towards the stairs. Full of youthful bravery, she set off after the ghost.
At the top of the landing, she peeked inside the door. Crouching by a grandfather clock was a dark figure that suddenly turned and looked at her. The girl raced downstairs, hiding under the covers until her mum came home. Soon, the figure started appearing every night, holding a bundle of rags in his hands.
The Gordons moved out immediately before researching the building’s history. It turned out that a drunken, old sea captain had once lived there. One night, with a baby crying above his room, the captain stormed upstairs in a drunken rage. Before he knew it, he had shaken the child to death and in a panic, hid the body in the grandfather clock.
Clearly, his ghost is forced to constantly relive his terrible crime.
Craigmillar – Edinburgh’s Other Haunted Castle
Craigmillar rarely gets the attention it deserves, it feels like Edinburgh Castle’s forgotten younger sibling. There’s a bonus to being one of Scotland’s less-visited castles though, fewer crowds mean more chance of spotting a ghost. This historic home, a favourite of Mary Queen of Scots, has a few secrets to share.
In 1813, a human skeleton was discovered inside Craigmillar Castle. That doesn’t sound too unusual, but this body wasn’t buried in the ground, it had been walled up in a vault. Who the skeleton belonged to and whether they were dead or alive when they were put there remains a mystery.
Maybe those remains are connected with one of Craigmillar’s many ghosts. A supernatural smell of lavender floats around the great hall, possibly connected with the castle’s Green Lady. Others seem to think the skeleton is linked with the ghost that sparked a mania less than 100 years ago.
In 1934, locals spotted an unusual figure in the fields around Craigmillar. Calling out, but receiving no reply, they soon realised that something wasn’t right. This figure wasn’t walking or running – he was gliding along the ground. Organised groups of locals were soon out hunting for the spectre, “in an effort to lay the uneasy spirit.”
Those who got close described the ghost as wearing a long, dark cloak and heavy riding boots with spurs. He was far from friendly, not physically attacking any of the ghost hunters, but glaring at them with fiery, evil eyes. Maybe they were lucky that they lost the ghost with the spurs when it disappeared through the walls of Craigmillar Castle!
Where To Stay In Edinburgh
If you plan to explore some of the spookiest Edinburgh ghost stories yourself, then you’ll need somewhere to spend the night. The following accommodation may not be haunted itself, but that might be for the best!
With so many things to see and do, you might not want to limit yourself to just one day. Stay overnight with this selection of dog friendly Edinburgh Hotels:
The Balmoral – There are few places in Edinburgh more comfortable to stay than the Balmoral! From there you can look over to the haunted Old Town from safety!
House of Gods – Take your chances with the ghosts in close proximity to South Bridge while staying in the lavish surroundings of House of Gods!
Apex Grassmarket Hotel – If you need to relax after hunting ghosts around the streets, check into the Grassmarket Apex and relax in its spa!
Eden Locke – Back in the more modern New Town, Eden Locke on George Street is a popular and reasonably priced hotel.
Cheval Old Town Chambers – If you need an apartment, then stay almost directly above Mary King’s Close at the Cheval Old Town. Just keep an eye out for Abandoned Annie…
The Witchery – Stay in some of Edinburgh’s spookiest surroundings at one of its fanciest hotels!
Motel One – For somewhere right in the heart of Edinburgh’s Old Town, try the affordable Motel One.
If you enjoyed these stories then you would love the Scotland’s Stories book! Discover incredible tales behind real places from every region in Scotland.
0 Comments