Few cities do graveyards quite like Edinburgh. The Old Town’s kirkyards are crowded, ancient and tightly hemmed in by tenements, and centuries of plague, poverty and public execution have left them with a reputation to match.
Greyfriars is the headline act, but it is far from the only burial ground here with a story to tell.
Greyfriars Kirkyard
Opened in the 1560s on former monastery gardens, Greyfriars is one of Edinburgh’s oldest surviving burial grounds and, by repute, one of the most haunted places in Europe. Its table tombs, iron mortsafes and weathered carvings sit right in the heart of the Old Town.
Fans of Harry Potter come looking for surnames on the stones – Riddell, McGonagall, and a Thomas Riddell in particular – said to have caught the eye of a young author who lived nearby.
The Covenanters’ Prison and the Mackenzie Poltergeist
At the back of the kirkyard lies the Covenanters’ Prison, where hundreds of Presbyterian prisoners were held in brutal conditions in 1679. Overlooking it is the Black Mausoleum of Sir George Mackenzie, the man who persecuted them.
Since a rough sleeper reportedly disturbed the tomb in the late 1990s, visitors have blamed the so-called Mackenzie Poltergeist for scratches, bruises and faintings. The prison is now kept locked and can only be entered on a guided tour.
Other Old Town Graveyards
Greyfriars has company. Old Calton Burial Ground broods beneath its obelisk on Calton Hill; the Canongate Kirkyard holds economist Adam Smith and poet Robert Fergusson; and St John’s, tucked at the west end of Princes Street, frames a classic view up to the Castle.
Visiting and Ghost Tours
Greyfriars is open during daylight and free to wander, and its most famous resident is the loyal dog Greyfriars Bobby at the gate. For the Covenanters’ Prison and the darker stories, book one of the nightly ghost tours that run from the Royal Mile.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Greyfriars Kirkyard said to be haunted?
Its Covenanters’ Prison held hundreds of prisoners in terrible conditions, and reports of the “Mackenzie Poltergeist” – scratches and faintings near a nearby tomb – have circulated since the late 1990s.
Can you visit the Covenanters’ Prison?
The prison is kept locked to the public; the only way in is on a guided ghost tour that carries the key.
Is Greyfriars Kirkyard free to visit?
Yes, the main kirkyard is open during daylight hours and free to wander. Only the locked Covenanters’ Prison requires a tour.
Which other Edinburgh cemeteries are worth seeing?
Old Calton Burial Ground, the Canongate Kirkyard and St John’s near Princes Street all have history and atmosphere of their own.
