Edinburgh Darkside Walking Tour: Mysteries, Murder and Legends
5
Edinburgh Darkside Walking Tour: Mysteries, Murder and Legends
By SANDEMANs NEW Europe - Edinburgh
What is Travellers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
About
The atmospheric city of Edinburgh is best explored by night, when tales of mystery and murder are at their most frightening. Discover the dark side of Scotland's capital on a historical walking tour that covers Edinburgh’s morbid past. Wind your way through the cobbled streets of Calton Hill, North Bridge, and Canongate cemetery, all of which are inaccessible by coach bus or car, and listen to stories that focus on torture, treason, and death.
Lowest price guaranteeReserve now & pay laterFree cancellation
Ages 0-99, max of 20 per group
Duration: 2h
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Live guide: German, English, Spanish
More
Highlights
- Explore Edinburgh at its most atmospheric on a night tour
- Delve into the dark history of Scotland's capital
- See Edinburgh landmarks illuminated by night
- Visit the Old Calton Burial Ground or Canongate Kirkyard cemetery
- Professional guide
What's not included- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Your evening tour begins at a designated meeting point in Edinburgh Old Town. Greet your guide and receive an introduction to the city’s dark history. Wind your way down the cobbled streets surrounding Calton Hill and North Bridge, beneath which lies the Blair Street Vaults. Discover tales of torture and treason interspersed with stories of pagan festivals and dramatic historical events. Get acquainted with the deceased residents of Canongate cemetery, and discover the truth behind the gruesome exploits of Burke and Hare, the notorious Edinburgh grave robbers. Your tour concludes on the Royal Mile.
- Start:
- 130 High St, Edinburgh EH1 1QS, UKThe tours starts at 130 High Street (The Royal Mile), on the corner with Stevenlaw's Close. Look for the guide with the SANDEMANs red name badge.
End:This activity ends back at the meeting point. - Not wheelchair accessible
- Near public transportation
If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 6785EDGHOST- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Most travellers can participate
- The independent guides who employ us to market their tours have your best interests in mind; while the tour usually includes the sites & stories mentioned and lasts about 2 hours, your tour may vary depending on what your guide thinks is best for your group
- We unfortunately do not advise guests in wheelchairs to join the Dark Side Tour, due to the narrow stairways and steep hills. We apologize for any inconvenience or disappointment caused.
- This experience requires a minimum number of travellers. If it’s cancelled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 20 travellers
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
- If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 6785EDGHOST
From
€24.00
per adult
Select date and travellers
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.
Similar experiences
Itinerary
- 130 High St, Edinburgh EH1 1QS, UKThe tours starts at 130 High Street (The Royal Mile), on the corner with Stevenlaw's Close. Look for the guide with the SANDEMANs red name badge.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5Pass byEdinburgh Old Town
About the operator
Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
- tracylgall0 contributionsExcellentThoroughly enjoyed this tour, our guide Joe was brilliant- humorous and entertaining. He gave lots of fun & interesting facts, told stories of what times were like in the old town and how the new town came about. Also gave recommendations of where to eat, drink & visit in Edinburgh. Highly recommend this tour & Joe!Written 9 December 2024
- miacA8203PD0 contributionsSarah is the best!Sarah was an amazing storyteller, we were so engaged by her enthusiasm. The tour was interesting and informative and despite the weather she made it a real pleasure. Her rendition of a Rabbie Burns song was a real highlight! We loved her!Written 7 December 2024
- Departure671160 contributionsDo not miss thisAlasdair was a wonderful guide taking us along a magical 2 hour tour of the old town Edinburgh. Full of facts and very entertaining never stumped when questions were asked by members of the tour. Two hours flew by and we retraced the walk going into then museums and churches we encountered on our tour. Most of which we would never have visited and known about but for Alasdair. Throughly recommend this tour to anyone looking for a little bit from their visit to this wonderful cityWritten 5 December 2024
- warners9520 contributionsHarry Potter MagicWhat a great tour! So much history and a lot of Harry Potter magic! Really interactive and the quiz was a lot of fun! Monique was an excellent guide and even gave us tips for places to visit and eat! We took one of her recommendations on board and Howies did not disappoint.Written 1 December 2024
- MonHamp0 contributionsWalking tour of Old EdinburghWhat a wonderful experience. Our guide Niamh was so knowledgeable and she taught us so much at Edinburgh in such a fun way. I would highly recommend this walking rour to anyone visiting!!!!!Written 12 November 2024
- mjherko0 contributionsWonderful Tour With Our Guide - NiamhFrom the moment we met Niamh, our tour guide, we knew we would have a well informed, pleasant tour. Throughout the walk she entertained and enlightened the group with her expertise and knowledge of Edinburgh. Her affection for the city, its history, and its culture was clearly evident. In short, she was an excellent tour guide.Written 9 November 2024
- 22marijat0 contributionsEdinburgh old town walking tourNiamh was a perfect guide.She is a great storyteller and really funny.Would reccomend her from the bottom of my hearth.Written 1 November 2024
- bojanap9480 contributionsAmazing Harry Potter tour, for everyoneSarah our guide was amazing. She's a real Harry Potter fan, and she's letting you feel that. Her knowledge of the books and J. K. Rowling are impressive. She's a talented story teller and she's doing it with whit and a lot of heart. My daughter, who's a real Potter head was very happy. It was entertaining for me as well, as she didn't only stick to Harry Potter but told us about other historical facts, too. Absolutely recommended.Written 17 October 2024
- katewR7671HN0 contributionsGreat tour and guideGreat tour. Our guide was Niamh who was excellent. She was passionate, engaging and knowledgeable. Couldn’t have been better!Written 1 October 2024
- bmcmahon100 contributionsA must see tour of the CastleAlasdair was a *wonderful* host and guide. He is knowledgeable, witty and entertaining, and brought the castle to life with his stories and observations.Written 29 September 2024
- U3406VFjohng0 contributionsGreat walking tour!Alisdair was excellent! Very informative, answered all question and was truly knowledgeable. Had a lot of interesting facts.Written 25 September 2024
- sailscubasurf0 contributionsGreat tour of Edinburgh's sights and historyNiamh was a wonderful guide and was extremely knowledgeable about Edinburgh and Scottish history. She was very personable and showed us not only the sights, but gave us tips on where to best experience Edinburgh's food and whiskey.Written 15 September 2024
- Q2858PGdianec0 contributionsBehind the Scenes- Edinburgh storiesBrian P was an awesome guide- took us into iff the way places and gave us insights to the city we wouldn’t have got on our own- his backstory and info on Braveheart was really cool to hear- Walking pace was great and even a toilet stop- Highly recommend!!Written 13 September 2024
- Ambassador6047060 contributionsGreat Tour!Great tour! Kevin was very knowledgeable and personable. The tour was fascinating— a great way to hit the ground running in a new city! Kevin knows his Scottish history very well and we had a great experience. Highly recommend!Written 11 September 2024
- keeperofsheep0 contributionsJoe, Great chieftain o the tours'-race!I had an exceptionally good experience on the tour with Joe. His enthusiasm and encyclopaedic knowledge of the city and Scotland , combined with extraordinary anecdotes, surprising facts (John Knox buried in a car park, Deacon Brodie’s double life!), and humorous touch (gardyloo?) are simply contagious. Do take this tour with him and you will learn to love the Auld Reekie!Written 6 September 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinions of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
We perform checks on reviews.
Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
Learn more about our review moderation.
5.0
2,494 reviews
Excellent
2,202
Very good
177
Average
50
Poor
32
Terrible
33
Leanne F
Sheffield, UK86 contributions
We have only been on one other night-time walk so far, in London, so I was looking forward to this one. And it didn’t disappoint! Our tour guide, Fiona, was very engaging and enthusiastic. You could tell how much she loved to talk about the city and she was welcoming to all visitors. She was very informative and drew people in with her enthusiasm. We took a couple of walks through spooky graveyards and heard stories of witches, hangings and body snatchers. It also offers some beautiful views of Edinburgh, particularly at night time. We finished early as everyone arrived on time but I was sad for it to end, it was so interesting. Would highly recommend to anyone who wants to know the dark history of Edinburgh. I would recommend taking an umbrella or waterproof coat and sensible walking shoes for the event as Edinburgh has many cobbles and unpredictable weather!
Written 31 October 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Troco
County Dublin, Ireland18 contributions
Jan 2020 • Couples
We've done the tour with our guide Edgar! Except for the cold 😅 the tour has been amazing. Edgar was very funny and competent and had his way to entertain the crowd with unpolitically correct jokes about different nationalities (jokes related to the stories he was telling us). I've to say i was surprised of his way to involve everyone (approx 20 people) which I don't think it's easy to do. Lovely tour, very educational, it's nice history and stories with a bit of irony. Italy (as he has been calling me for the whole tour😂) highly recommends this tour!
Written 22 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Abdi
9 contributions
Feb 2020
...is a way of describing our tour guide (Greg), that came to mind as we wandered some of the darker and more mysterious parts of Edinburgh on a cold and windy night. Greg kept us going with his engaging and quick-witted presentation style, on a night when the wind cut to the bone and the threat of rain was ever present. But hey, what do you expect in February in Edinburgh?
Anyway, the tour itself was informative and very entertaining, and took us to places in Edinburgh we would not have found on our own, and gave us insights into Scottish history and its influence on the wider world which were quite surprising; for example that a Scot was instrumental in founding the US navy. Who knew? Greg knew.
Along the way we heard tales of fairies, inter-dimensional creatures, grave robbing and body snatching (two different things); the unfinished national monument of Scotland, and an observatory built in the middle of a city.
All of these tales, and others, were told with gusto and not a little self-deprecation (on behalf of his nation) by our guide (or the various personalities that dwell within him).
We had a great time and would highly recommend this tour. But wrap up warm and don't mention Nicola Sturgeon...
Anyway, the tour itself was informative and very entertaining, and took us to places in Edinburgh we would not have found on our own, and gave us insights into Scottish history and its influence on the wider world which were quite surprising; for example that a Scot was instrumental in founding the US navy. Who knew? Greg knew.
Along the way we heard tales of fairies, inter-dimensional creatures, grave robbing and body snatching (two different things); the unfinished national monument of Scotland, and an observatory built in the middle of a city.
All of these tales, and others, were told with gusto and not a little self-deprecation (on behalf of his nation) by our guide (or the various personalities that dwell within him).
We had a great time and would highly recommend this tour. But wrap up warm and don't mention Nicola Sturgeon...
Written 12 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Gemma W
45 contributions
Jan 2020
Did this tour on a very cold, wet and windy evening. Despite that if you dress appropriately for the Scottish weather and have comfortable footwear it is very enjoyable. The guide was entertaining and informative, it's a great way to get a snapshot of some of Edinburgh's darker history and a whistle stop tour of some great parts of the city.
Written 17 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
DajLeb
London, UK9 contributions
Feb 2020 • Family
Edgar was wonderful. Needless to say, February in Edinburgh can be a wee bit nippy. But Edgar was full of entertaining tales, all told with witty panache and dramatic emphasis. He had us in the palm of his hand and we applauded with our mittened hands at the end. Thank you Edgar for bringing the dark stories so brilliantly to life!
Written 20 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
whyareyoumoaning
London, UK19 contributions
Wasnt really sure what to expect for the tour and as it was blowing a gale and freezing cold were thinking of swerving it but we are so glad we did not.
From start to finish our guide ‘Canadian Mel’ brought to life the dark history of Edinburgh and all of its secrets and tales. Her enthusiasm and storytelling ability had everyones attention throughout no mean feat especially when it was so cold, thoroughly recommend the tour and Mel she really made the evening.
From start to finish our guide ‘Canadian Mel’ brought to life the dark history of Edinburgh and all of its secrets and tales. Her enthusiasm and storytelling ability had everyones attention throughout no mean feat especially when it was so cold, thoroughly recommend the tour and Mel she really made the evening.
Written 22 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Travel_BugReading_UK
Reading, UK136 contributions
Aug 2021
Chose this trip because it offered more time for the money than other 'novelty' type walks. Best decision! Angus was just the person for the job: funny, a great storyteller and keen to know a little about his 'guests' so that he could avoid offending anyone with his witty, spontaneous humour [Angus explained that he is also a stand-up comedian]. He need not have worried. His delivery was fluent, knowledgeable and, at times, quite hilarious.
There was a lot to learn and the walk made us realise just how little we know about our cultural history [poets, philosophers] and just how informative a trip to a churchyard can be!
Plenty of opportunities to stop and rest and/or take photos. My only criticism would be that some of these groups are far too large to comfortably hear the commentary consistently, which is a real shame since the walk is packed with really insightful and informative material.
Would definitely do this again - but only if guaranteed either a smaller group size or an audio device.
There was a lot to learn and the walk made us realise just how little we know about our cultural history [poets, philosophers] and just how informative a trip to a churchyard can be!
Plenty of opportunities to stop and rest and/or take photos. My only criticism would be that some of these groups are far too large to comfortably hear the commentary consistently, which is a real shame since the walk is packed with really insightful and informative material.
Would definitely do this again - but only if guaranteed either a smaller group size or an audio device.
Written 2 September 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Felicity B
Dartmouth, UK176 contributions
So I arrived 15 mins early and waited patiently for 30 minutes ( 18:45) for the tour guide to turn up which they didnt. I tried calling the number on my ticket and it hung up twice. Another group also booked on the tour phoned a different number and got through to find out the tour company could not get hold of the tour guide and informed the other group to write a complaint.
There is a free tour at 19:00 why bother paying £12 for a tour which the tour guide doesnt turn up?
There is a free tour at 19:00 why bother paying £12 for a tour which the tour guide doesnt turn up?
Written 5 August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Susan H
Tetbury, UK9 contributions
Aug 2020
What an informative, interesting, interactive tour. Our guide, Fiona, is passionate about the history of Edinburgh and that passion comes through in the tour.
This tour brought the whole city alive and gave us a view into the past that we would not have imagined, it brought all the stories alive.
I can absolutely recommend this tour, but can advise that good walking shoes and a rain jacket are needed.
This tour brought the whole city alive and gave us a view into the past that we would not have imagined, it brought all the stories alive.
I can absolutely recommend this tour, but can advise that good walking shoes and a rain jacket are needed.
Written 25 August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
AMT N
London, UK127 contributions
Thanks Angus for a brilliant tour!
Walking around majestic Edinburgh at sunset, visiting old sites such as cemeteries full of famous people, amazing viewpoints of the city and streets where famous TV series were filmed (among many other things) was a great experience in itself.
Add to this Angus’ knowledge and humorous storytelling skills and you’ve got yourself a great evening out.
Get those tickets - you won’t regret it.
Walking around majestic Edinburgh at sunset, visiting old sites such as cemeteries full of famous people, amazing viewpoints of the city and streets where famous TV series were filmed (among many other things) was a great experience in itself.
Add to this Angus’ knowledge and humorous storytelling skills and you’ve got yourself a great evening out.
Get those tickets - you won’t regret it.
Written 1 October 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Alguno de estos dos horarios es en español?
Written 30 October 2024
Hi, is the walk dog friendly?
Written 22 May 2023
I’m not sure if dogs are allowed but it’s a lot of walking and stairs. So be ready and wear comfy shoes!
Written 31 October 2024
Hallo zusammen, wir haben für heute 26.08.2022 eine Tour gebucht aber bisher noch keine Bestätigung erhalten, bezahlt ist sie schon ;). Noch jemand hier mit dem gleichen Problem ?
Written 26 August 2022
Hi,
I thought I reserved 5 tickets for August 10th at 6:30 pm. I cannot find my confirmation email. Is there a way for me to confirm?
Thanks
Written 31 July 2022
I received an email when I booked, but some people just showed up and paid then, or checked their names off a list the guides had. They had multiple guides so when the group was too large, they just split into multiple groups. Hope that helps!
Written 1 August 2022
Hi I have made a ‘book now pay later’ booking in April for today’s tour at 6:30 pm. I am unable to locate my booking nor make the payment. Could you pls advise.
Written 27 June 2022
It says free for children under 13, but if I add one ticket for my child the website asks 8 euro
Written 3 June 2022
So it’s dark and you walk through cemetery’s and hear tells stories of witches, vampires, murders and tortures as part of history. It might not be good for 12 and under, but it depends on what their gaming, movie or old world history is.
Written 10 March 2022
Is this your scary at all or just informative? Love the idea of an informative walking tour but will be bringing a very nervous person with me (so would hate anything jumpy)
Written 18 February 2022
…
Showing results 1-10 of 75
Buy it with
Top rated
*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.