Free Ghost Tour of Edinburgh
About our free ghost tour of Edinburgh
Every night from the Royal Mile. An hour and a half through spooky closes, haunted graveyards and the crimes that made Edinburgh one of the most haunted cities in Europe. Pay what you think it was worth.
Edinburgh's dark side included body snatching, public executions, gruesome jails and tortures. Come to the FREE Ghost Tour and hear ghostly tales and sinister stories that will transport you back to the terrifying past of old Edinburgh as we walk spooky shadows and haunted alleyways. Looking for an Edinburgh ghost tour without a fixed price? This ghost tour Edinburgh visitors rate 4.9 runs every night of the year, and you decide what it was worth at the end.
Edinburgh is known as one of the most haunted cities in Europe, with a past of murders, witchcraft and plague. Its wynds and closes have witnessed the two sides of the city: beauty and horror.
Edinburgh's dark side also included body snatching, public executions, gruesome jails and tortures.
Come to the FREE 1.5 hour Ghost Tour and hear ghostly tales and sinister stories that will transport you back to the terrifying past of old Edinburgh as we walk spooky shadows and haunted alleyways.
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
Departures every night. Check exact times in the calendar. Book to secure your place.
Language: English
Prefer Spanish? See the Free Tour de Fantasmas.
Meeting point: 154 High Street
In front of The Copper Still on the Royal Mile. Open in Google Maps.
Pay what you like
Booking is free. At the end, you decide how much to give your guide, in cash or by card.
Look for the yellow umbrellas!
Ghost tour route through the Old Town
The Royal Mile
We start on the Old Town’s main street, by the yellow umbrellas.
Edinburgh’s darkest closes
Narrow, gloomy alleys where Europe’s most crowded city once lived.
Deacon Brodie
Respectable citizen by day, burglar by night: the man behind Jekyll and Hyde.
The witch trials
Castlehill, where hundreds accused of witchcraft were executed.
Plague and disease
The epidemics that swept the city and the legends left beneath its streets.
Grassmarket: crime and punishment
Public hangings and the city’s cruellest punishments.
Burke and Hare
The West Port murderers who sold bodies to the medical school.
Greyfriars Kirkyard
Body snatchers, mortsafes and Scotland’s most haunted graveyard.
The route may vary slightly from day to day.
Places and stories from Edinburgh’s dark past
Edinburgh has a reputation as one of Europe’s most haunted cities. Its narrow alleyways, graveyards and underground chambers hold ghost stories and sinister legends that come to life after dark.
- Greyfriars: home to the tomb of George “Bloody” Mackenzie and the former Covenanters’ Prison, places associated with some of Edinburgh’s best-known tales of paranormal activity.
- Old Calton: a historic burial ground whose imposing monuments and weathered headstones offer a glimpse into the lives of those laid to rest within its walls.
- Mary King’s Close: old alleyways preserved beneath the City Chambers, where stories of the plague intertwine with legends of the people who once lived there.
- The South Bridge Vaults: chambers beneath the bridge that evoke the overcrowding, poverty and darker corners of Edinburgh’s past.
- Castlehill: beside the castle entrance, the Witches’ Well commemorates those executed after being accused of witchcraft. This small memorial invites a moment of reflection on one of the most tragic chapters in Scotland’s history.
- Nor Loch: where Princes Street Gardens lie today, there was once a loch polluted by waste from the Old Town—a setting steeped in unsettling stories and dark legends.
- Edinburgh Castle: among its legends is the tale of a piper who vanished while exploring tunnels beneath the Royal Mile. Some say his music can still be heard drifting beneath the streets.
On our Edinburgh Ghost Tour, you’ll discover the history behind these legends and many more, and learn what became of the people at their heart. A journey into the city’s darker side, suitable for all ages.
Free ghost tour Edinburgh: good to know
Booking confirmation
Your confirmation email or a screenshot on your phone is all you need.
Card payments
You can tip your guide in cash or by card. Our guides carry their own card reader.
Groups
Groups of up to 12 people can join our free tours. If you are more, please book a Private Ghost Tour.
School groups
School groups of any size should book a private tour.
Reduced mobility
Let us know in advance and we will adapt the route so it is accessible, without changing the essence of the tour.
Pushchairs
There are a few steps and some uneven paving, but the tour can be done with a pushchair.
Minimum group size
Tours need a minimum of 6 people, children included, to go ahead.
Weather
Tours run come rain, snow or shine. Please dress for the weather.
Children
Children are very welcome as long as they are accompanied by an adult.
Dogs
Well-behaved dogs are welcome on a lead.
What our guests say about the Free Ghost Tour
City Explorers has a 5.0 rating on Google from 27,032 reviews. Here is a selection of real reviews, updated every week. Tap any review to read it in full.
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Did the Ghost Tour with Graham this Saturday 24th of October 2026. Graham really seems to enjoy what he does and is very engaging in his storytelling. Highly recommend the Tour to anyone visiting Edinburgh as you also learn a lot about the history of the town.
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Graham was an amazing tour guide, very informative and knowledgeable! Really enjoyed all the facts and spooky stories. Funny and personable, would highly recommend!
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We very much enjoyed Rory’s gory stories! An excellent tour guide - very knowledgeable and proper funny jokes! Highly recommend this ghost tour.
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Rory our ghost tours guide did such an amazing job at sharing folklores about the gory history of Scottish power and evil. He really made the ghosts come out alive with his brilliant storytelling skills.
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We did a ghost tour with Kenny and the Harry Potter tour with Rory. Both were hilarious, informative and very educational. We had a wonderful time!
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We attended a Ghost tour with Rory on our weekend in Edinburgh. He made the tour exceptionally educating and was a natural born story teller. I would highly recommend booking on if you have the time!
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Rory was an amazing your guide! Very proud of Scotland as he should be, he knew the city well and shared some incredible ghost stories and spooky history. He told his stories with pazzaz and charm and humour. Very great touri recommend🍁🌬️
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Loved loved loved the ghost tour with Dan. He is an exceptional Story Teller, funny, Informative and kind. Would love to do it again!
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Dan was our guide during this Ghost Tour. We had an amazing time, he is an excellent storyteller with a pinch of humour, time flew by! Highly recommend!
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We went with Dan on the ghost tour and he told us some brilliant stories in an engaging and fun manner!
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We had a fantastic time on the Free Ghost Walking Tour in Edinburgh! 👻 The tour was really interesting, entertaining and full of spooky stories. Cobin was a great guide. Friendly, funny and very engaging. Definitely recommend it if you want to experience Edinburgh from a different side! 😊
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Our Ghost Tour was great tonight! Cobin told the history of Edinburgh with such enthusiasm and he definitely got the crowd going when he needed to. His storytelling kept me engaged throughout all the different stops and he even managed to keep his cool when huge trucks kept driving up towards the castle and he had to stop talking until we could actually hear him! Thankfully, the weather stayed dry too, which definitely makes a difference with an outdoor tour. A really enjoyable evening and a great way to hear some of Edinburgh’s ghoulish history!
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The ghost tour with Cobin was very truly fascinating. His stories and humor were greatly appreciated. I highly recommend this activity to discover another side of Edinburgh.
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We enjoyed our tour with Kenny! It was so much fun and spooky at the same time, thanks a lot!
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We had a great tour. It was very interesting and fun to hear about the ghost stories of Edinburgh. Cobin was an amazing guide and it was an overall great experience.
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Had a great time on the Ghost tour with my wife! Rory is a wonderful story teller and was very personable. I really enjoyed learning about the history of Edinburgh. Ghost tours are very fun and my wife and I have done a few before in various parts of the world. Rory’s tie to the real history and his own connections made the tour stand out so much. I will remember this tour forever. Definitely will recommend this to people. Hope they get lucky to get Rory!
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Booked a private tour with a group of 20+ people and absolutely loved it! Cobin was very knowledgeable and extremely funny. Had a great time learning about the history and ghost stories of Edinburgh.
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Rory made our ghost tour very enjoyable and thought provoking! We loved every minute of it Thank you Rory!
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Rory took us on a ghost tour thru the city and he was witty, humorous and engaging. Definitely recommend.
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Cobin was funny, informative, and very knowledgeable about the local history & ghost stories in the city. I highly recommend this tour & him as a tour guide!
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The ghost tour was great. Rory specially has been the best tour guide, with great knowledge of the place and his storytelling is just awesome!!
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My husband and I really enjoyed the nighttime Ghost Tour. We had Emma as our tour guide and she was awesome. We really liked that she based her stories on historical facts. She was also very personable while we walked to the different spots chatting with people on the tour.
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Theis gave us a great ghost tour, really enjoyed the stories she told and the pace. Highly recommend
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We took yesterday’s ghost tour with cobin , our guide was actually the best , he shared very interesting stories and facts in a really good way !!!
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My partner and I attended the ghost tour in Edinburgh with Cobin. He was an excellent guide, very friendly, funny and knowledgeable. We learnt a lot from Cobin and if our stay was longer we would’ve joined his day time tour too. I would highly recommend! ☺️
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Sarah was an amazing spooky tour guide! It was so interesting to discover Edinburgh through her lens and all the stories that fill the city We definitely recommend
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The ghost tour with Rory was awesome! He just got the right level between lightness and serious topics and told the ghost stories based on historic background. Thanks again!
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Our tour guide was Graeme. He was fantastic. A fabulous story teller, entertainer and reet canny fella. A scotsman with many storys to tell. I wasnt sure what to expect, as I am not really a one for ghost stories anymore, but it was really interesting to hear stories and tales of the people and streets of Edinburgh back in the day. Really recommend this for anyone who's interested in some gory history of the Scottish capital.
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Cobin has excellent knowledge of Edinburgh and its ghost stories, he made the tour informative, fun and spooky. Would recommend if you want to learn more about Edinburghs darker past
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SJ was an incredible tour guide. I felt and visualised all the stories due to her amazing way of storytelling. Truly recommend the ghost tour.
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Selected real reviews from Google · Updated October 2026