Edinburgh Haunted Underground Vaults and Graveyard Tour

Edinburgh

A guided walking tour through Greyfriars Kirkyard and the underground Edinburgh Vaults, tracing the city's darkest true stories.

  • Walk through Greyfriars Kirkyard and see its Gothic mausoleums up close
  • Hear the true story of Burke and Hare, Edinburgh's most notorious criminals
  • Learn the legend of Greyfriars Bobby, one of the city's best-known tales
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Vaults and Graveyard Tour

A guided walking tour of Edinburgh's Greyfriars Kirkyard and the haunted underground vaults.

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September 2026

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About this experience

Beneath Edinburgh's Old Town lies a network of hidden chambers with a reputation for the paranormal. This walking tour combines two of the city's most talked-about haunted sites: Greyfriars Kirkyard and the Edinburgh Vaults, tucked into the arches of South Bridge. It's a guided introduction to the darker chapters of Edinburgh's history, told on the streets and in the spaces where they happened.

The tour opens at Greyfriars Kirkyard, where you'll walk among Gothic mausoleums and hear about notorious burials, including the tale of Greyfriars Bobby and the crimes of Burke and Hare. From there, the route continues underground into the Edinburgh Vaults, once home to the city's poorest residents, alleged witches, and reportedly a hellfire club. Guides share accounts of paranormal occurrences reported in the vaults over the years, layering local legend with the site's grim past.

Expect a walking tour with a storyteller's pace, moving between outdoor graveyard and enclosed underground spaces. It's a atmospheric way to see a side of Edinburgh that guidebooks rarely cover in depth.

What to expect

The tour begins above ground at Greyfriars Kirkyard, where a guide leads you past Gothic mausoleums and gravestones while recounting some of Edinburgh's most infamous stories, from the loyalty of Greyfriars Bobby to the killings carried out by Burke and Hare. You'll cover the cemetery on foot, stopping at key graves and monuments as the history unfolds around you.

From the graveyard, the tour moves underground into the Edinburgh Vaults, hidden within the arches of South Bridge. Once used as storage and shelter for the city's poorest residents, the vaults have built a reputation for paranormal activity over the years. Your guide shares stories of the people who lived there and the accounts of strange occurrences reported since, closing out a tour that moves from open-air graveyard to enclosed underground chambers.

Things to note

  • Wear comfortable, sturdy shoes as the tour involves walking on uneven ground
  • Bring weather-appropriate clothing, including a layer for the cooler underground vaults
  • The vaults are enclosed spaces with low light, so those uneasy in confined areas should be aware
  • Bring a torch or use your phone's light if you want extra visibility underground
  • Graveyard sections of the tour take place outdoors, so check conditions before you go
  • This tour focuses on historical storytelling and folklore rather than special effects

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