Edinburgh has a long and dark history that includes acts like grave robbing, body snatching, serial killers and witch burning. On this 2-hour Dark Side walking tour you will see Edinburgh's shady and wild side as you hear real-life tales of witches, body-snatchers and cannibals. Explore the spots where murders, monsters and mayhem have become things of legend, and visit Old Calton Burial Ground or Canongate Kirkyard, two of Edinburgh’s most chilling cemeteries.
Your Edinburgh Dark History Tour meets on 130 High Street and finishes on the Royal Mile near the start point or at Canongate Kirkyard. We never cancel; tours run rain, hail or shine.
Chilling murders
Living in Edinburgh over the past centuries meant looking out for death on every corner. You might be accused of being a witch and being burnt at the stake, or someone might kill you so that they get paid for donating your body to the medical school. There was even the threat of cannibals and vampires to look out for. From the serial killers Burke and Hare, to Calton Hill where the witch burnings took place (today offering some of the best views over Edinburgh), on this 2-hour walking tour, your expert local guide will tell you the grim, scary but most importantly, true stories of life after dark in old Edinburgh.
Even your body wasn’t safe
Your problems didn’t stop once you were dead though, because even your body wasn’t safe. Some Edinburghers took to having cages put over their final resting place, so that their graves weren’t robbed or their bodies weren’t snatched. For those who couldn’t afford this luxury, they would have to hope a family member loved them enough to stand watch over their grave, until their corpse was no longer useful to science. During this walking tour, you’ll visit the Calton Cemetery and the Canongate Kirkyard, and see the mausoleums and caged-in graves that still exist today.
Gratuity-based Free Tour concept
The gratuity-based model of the Free Tour allows guests to support and reward only the highest quality tours, and to ensure that the tour fits within their expectations, and within their budget.
The Edinburgh Dark Side Tour starts on 130 High Street (The Royal Mile), on the corner with Stevenlaw's Close
Hear about Burke and Hare – the infamous West Port murderers
Visit the site of the witch burnings, today offering great views over Edinburgh
Learn about Edinburgh’s real-life cannibals and vampires
Hear about the murder of Mary Queen of Scot’s husband
See the efforts to stave off bodysnatchers at Canongate Kirkyard and Calton Cemetery
Discover the mystery of the 17 doll coffins at Arthur’s Seat
TOUR SCHEDULES
Today
This tour doesn‘t run today
PHOTOS
Inclusions & exclusions
What’s included
Local English-speaking guide
What’s not included
Gratuities for the guide (optional)
Additional Information
Unfortunately, we do not advise guests in wheelchairs to join the Dark Side Tour due to the narrow stairways and steep hills. We apologise for any inconvenience caused
All minors must be accompanied by an adult in order to join the tour
Our business is connecting great guides and smart travelers, and we're proud that so many local guides employ us to welcome travelers like you on their journey through some of the world's best cities. No two tours are alike, and the sites, stories, and length of the tour will vary depending on what your freelance guide decides is best. That's why the tours we promote never get stale or feel scripted, and why both independent guides and savvy travelers prefer SANDEMANs
MAP
The Edinburgh Dark Side Tour starts on 130 High Street (The Royal Mile), on the corner with Stevenlaw's CloseOpen in Google Maps
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Customer reviews
Dark Side Tour
The dark side your was a fun way to learn some pretty interesting facts about Edinburgh. Australian David was an awesome guide. He told the stories in funny and engaging ways. You can tell he is very knowledgeable about the area because when someone would ask a question he would answer it and have another fun story to go along with it. We went on three tours through this company on this trip and Australian Dave was our favorite guide by far. His email with recommendations for other things to do on the trip was also incredibly useful. We went to a restaurant he suggested for dinner after the tour and it was the best meal we ate the whole time we were in Scotland.
I did the Dark Side tour with Sarah as my tour guide and she was absolutely wonderful! She got so into the stories using different voices for characters and acting them out with her hands. She made an attempt to get to know everyone she was with and gave me some great suggestions of where to go next. She was so enthusiastic and fun!
The Dark Side tour was well worth the money, and we were able to cover a large area in a short amount of time. Adam was our tour guide, and he was without a doubt, the best tour guide I’ve ever had. He’s amazing at engaging the group with captivating storytelling, and was very animated throughout the tour.
This walking tour was really great and made even better by our guide, Greg! He was the most entertaining guide I've even had, and I've done my share of walking and bike tour in several cities. My friend and I only had one day in Edinburgh and decided to do pretty much all of Sandemans walking tour, the Dark Side one being the last of the day. Needless to say we were exhausted by the time it started. And yet, we had the best time thanks to Greg! Highly recommend!
We booked our tickets for the Dark Side tour in advance and didn't realize how windy and rainy it would be that evening. Our tour guide, Australian David, did a fantastic job leading us through Edinburgh's spooky history. He was a great storyteller and was very engaging. I know that I personally ended up forgetting about the unfortunate weather conditions because the tour was so entertaining. This was a great experience to kick off my first few months in Edinburgh as an exchange student.
The gratuity-based Free Tour is the best introduction to Edinburgh! A general overview tour including many of the highlights of the city, the Free Tour usually lasts around 2.5 hours and is provided by a local freelance guide in partnership with SANDEMANs NEW Europe, so tour content can vary depending on your guide’s particular area of interest and expertise.
The gratuity-based Free Tour is a walking tour with no need for public transport and is designed for independent travellers, not groups. You can book your spot in advance online or simply show up at the start point on the day. There is no payment necessary at the start of the tour but you are welcome to tip your guide at the end!
We believe in supporting local communities and are committed to giving a voice to some of Edinburgh's best local freelance tour guides, who passionately share the city's history and culture with their own unique and always-entertaining style. They'll never pressure you to tip; we believe that, if money is given, it should be voluntary and in direct proportion to the quality of the tour and the budget of the traveller.
Why join the SANDEMANs FREE Tour?
Expert local guides
Theme specific tours
The Free Tour is guaranteed to fit within your budget
The guides performing tips-based Free Tours are incentivized to perform every time
Enjoy a great night out in Edinburgh with the SANDEMANs Pub Crawl!
Info & Booking
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Customise Your Private Tour!
Tell us the landmarks, stories or parts of the city you want to see, how long you have to see them and when you want to go, and we’ll build an itinerary that suits you.
Enjoy a comprehensive overview of Edinburgh's fascinating history and must-see sites with your priva ...
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Participation in tours promoted by SANDEMANs NEW Europe is strictly on a voluntary basis. Neither SANDEMANs NEW Europe, nor the self-employed freelance guides who are the providers of the tours promoted by SANDEMANs NEW Europe, will be held responsible in any way for injuries to body or property incurred during tours. The tour guides reserve the right to deny participation in any tour, to any person, for any reason. Thank you for your understanding.
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