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Looking for spooking things to do in Edinburgh? Auld Reekie is a city steeped in history, and with history comes folklore, ghost stories, and hauntings.
One of the best times of the year to immerse yourself in the eerie goings-on is October; spending Halloween in Edinburgh is a must for ghost hunters and thrill-seekers.
It’s not all pumpkins and costumes; we are talking about witches, murderers, and ghostly encounters, all of which you can experience.
Into this dark stuff? Check out our guide to haunting legends and spooky locations, scary tours, historic hotels, and things to do in Edinburgh this autumn.
Spooky Things To Do In Edinburgh This Halloween
We suggest you organise an itinerary before visiting Edinburgh for Halloween.
These tours book up fast!
Halloween Tours Edinburgh
Walking tours are a must in this beautiful city.
To drink in the history and the ancient buildings, your feet need to lead you.
There are so many on offer to suit all budgets.
We suggest the following for entertainment, information and a bit of a scare!
1. Ghost Walk Edinburgh
One of the spookiest cemeteries to visit is The Canongate Kirkyard.
This tour takes you to the cemetery, where you can wander around and visit mausoleums.
The guide will divulge all the terror of Burke and Hare (Edinburgh’s famous bodysnatchers) and discuss the horror of the witch trials and the burnings.
You will step back to the time of Mary Queen of Scots to hear the truth about her lover.
Starting at 6.30 pm
The meeting point varies.
Look for the guides wearing red T-shirts and red umbrellas with the local tour operator’s logo.
Children under 13 are accepted at no cost if accompanied by an adult.
This tour is not suitable for those with limited mobility or pushchairs.
Book online here for £20 per adult. Pre-booking is essential.
2. Harry Potter Magical Guided Walking Tour
This tour, a must for all Harry Potter fans, takes you through the streets and places that inspired the famous series.
Visit the graveyard that gave Tom Riddle his name and see exactly what Rowling pictured when writing her books.
Start times vary according to your booking. Pre-booking is strongly advised as it is one of the most popular tours.
Meet by our Everything Edinburgh mascot, Greyfriars Bobby statue.
Comfortable footwear is advised as it is a 2-hour walking tour.
Do you prefer to do a self-guided tour?
Here are all of the Harry Potter locations in Edinburgh.
Edinburgh Ghost Tours Underground
Did you know that beneath Edinburgh, there lies an old part of the city that was built over?
Edinburgh’s underground city is said to be haunted by poltergeists and others with hearts as black as the midnight sky.
There are many areas to explore here, including some of the best ones below.
Be warned: These tours are not for the faint-hearted. You will encounter some of the most malevolent presences, and screaming is guaranteed!
→ Read next | 10 Spooky Edinburgh Legends and Locations
3 – 4. Old Town and Underground Ghost Tour
Did you know that Edinburgh once had a vibrant yet seedy underground world?
Right under your feet on South Bridge are several vaults, which you can visit with an organized tour.
This South Bridge Underground Vaults tour is our recommended tour.
The caves have been very active since their discovery, including the creation of a rock circle!
Read our full review here.
Check out the Evening Underground Ghost Tour for a scarier and more animated tour.
This tour will take you through 400 years of some of Edinburgh’s most gruesome history, exploring the chambers underneath the city’s roads, walking through the most haunted graveyard all in the darkest of nights.
This 75-minute tour has various start times from 6.10 pm onwards, depending on your booking.
Meet at Old Police Box, 9 Hunter Square, Royal Mile, Edinburgh EH1 1QS
You will wander through the streets and vaults, hearing noises and seeing things your mind won’t want to comprehend.
Book here from £17 per person.
For more walking tours, check out this post
5. Real Mary King’s Close Guided Tour
Mary King’s Close is a must for all Halloween thrill-seekers.
This is part of Edinburgh’s underground city and is said to be one of the most haunted locations in Scotland!
Discover for yourself as you are taken through the stories of its most famous inhabitants, through the plague years, and how it has become so notorious for hauntings.
The one-hour tour is not suitable for under-fives, and as there are many steps, wheelchair access is not available.
Meet at 2 Warriston’s Close, Royal Mile, High Street, Edinburgh EH1 1PG
The tours start at 10 am and cost £25 per person.
Pre-booking online is a must.
An ideal option for a rainy day in Edinburgh.
6. Free Ghost Tour in Edinburgh
If you are looking for a free ghost tour, this one is on every night in Edinburgh and takes you through the city’s dark and gruesome history.
However, there is no such thing as a “free” tour; you will be expected to pay in tips at the end of the tour.
Meeting at 7 pm at 153 High Street, this 1-and-a-half-hour tour will chill you to your bones.
You must book online.
7. Edinburgh Night Ghost Tours
For those who want a more extreme paranormal adventure, then here is where you need to look.
Walk around Edinburgh late at night, visiting the most haunted graveyards, following your guide through the streets where Burke and Hare brought their snatched bodies.
Hear the stories of the witches and murderers, and then you’re brought to the vaults and allowed to explore them at the most ghostly of hours.
This 75-minute terror begins at 9.15pm at the Old Police Box, 9 Hunter Square, Royal Mile, Edinburgh EH1 1QS.
Booking online is a must.
Book here for only £20 per person, and remember – this is only for the bravest of you!
8. Edinburgh Ghost Bus Tour
More into the ‘Beetlejuice’ side of Halloween? Then you won’t be disappointed with these tours.
The comedy-horror show is a ghostly tour bus that is a more theatrical way to have your Halloween experience whilst still enjoying the ghostly side of Edinburgh.
The bus itself used to carry dead bodies, so you’re literally sitting amongst spirits.
★ 5/5 from Everything Edinburgh! ★
The tour has different times to book on to, and the earliest is 6 pm.
The Ghost Bus departs from Lawnmarket, in front of The Heritage of Scotland, next to Deacon Brodie’s Tavern.
This 75-minute tour is a must for those who love a laugh and a fright!
Booking ahead is essential and can be done here.
Tickets are priced at £20 per person.
Gemma, the owner of Everything Edinburgh, did this spooky Edinburgh tour with her mum, and they laughed a lot at the dad jokes!
There’s a ten-minute walk through St John’s Cemetery for those who can hop off the bus.
Gallows on The Royal Mile
Just over the road and across from the statue of Hume, you can see the remains of some gallows.
This is where the last public execution took place in Edinburgh.
It’s not a tour, but it’s worth checking out after the Ghost Bus!
9. Scottish Storytelling Centre
Since you’re on The Royal Mile, you might as well check out the Storytelling Centre programme to see what events they have going on.
Listen to stories about White Ladies that haunt castles, a local ghost train and the city’s witches from the safety of your own home!
Keep up to date with events on the website.
10. The Witchery Tour
Another way to chuckle yourself through this Halloween is to join the Edinburgh Ghosts and Gore Walking Tour.
Your deceased tour guide will take you through the darker side of Edinburgh, bringing you a lot of laughs and a few frights!
The tour price includes a copy of Witchery Tales, giving you plenty to read about when safely tucked up in bed.
Tours depart from outside the front of The Witchery Restaurant, located near Edinburgh Castle at 352 Castlehill (Royal Mile), EH1 2NF.
This 80-minute tour starts at 7 pm and is priced at £15.
Book online to avoid disappointment.
Scary Things To Do In Edinburgh
It’s not just the tours that will get your bones quaking.
There are other family-friendly things to do in Edinburgh that will perfectly start your Halloween off.
Edinburgh is packed full of family-friendly days out.
11. Camera Obscura and World of Illusions
This mind-bending exhibition is hands-on and full of fun and laughs.
Situated at the top of the Royal Mile, just underneath the Castle, this two-hour family fun attraction gives you and children of all ages a great day out.
Read our full review here.
12. Edinburgh Dungeons
No Halloween would be complete without a trip to the Edinburgh Dungeons.
This immersive underground history tour offers rides, scares, screams, fun, and live actor shows.
It is one of Edinburgh’s busiest attractions, so pre-book your ticket here, choose the time you want to visit and skip the queues!
13. Samhuinn Fire Festival
One particular festival that is deeply rooted in the community of Edinburgh is the Samhuinn Fire Festival.
Usually, this occurs on Halloween at the top of Edinburgh’s Calton Hill.
Celebrate the transition from Summer to Winter, watching the costumed artists use fire, music, and dance to tell the narrative.
More information can be found here.
14. The Surgeons’ Hall
The Surgeon’s Hall in Edinburgh is open all year round.
At this unique museum, you will learn about medical history in Scotland.
Do you know the connection between barbers and surgeons?
Find out the Surgeons’ Hall.
A Blood and Guts: The Twists and Turns of Edinburgh’s Medical History walking tour also exists.
This tour, which lasts around 70 minutes and takes you through Edinburgh’s old town, is suitable for ages ten and up.
The price includes free access to the museum on the day of purchase.
The guide tours you around some of Edinburgh’s popular gory locations as well as the lesser-known areas, including:
- Surgeons’ Hall Gardens, where the tour starts and ends
- Greyfriars Kirk to learn about mortsafes and Edinburgh’s grave diggers
- Surgeons’ Square to find out about Daft Jamie, one of Burke and Hare’s victims
The tour guide, Gerry, is a pro with the right balance between detail and theatrics.
After the tour, you can enjoy free access to the Surgeons’ Hall museum, where you will find some of the characters mentioned in the tour.
The museum has windows full of body parts and skeletons, as well as a pocketbook covered in the skin of Burke and Burke’s Death Mask.
It is a really interesting tour and museum for those fascinated by crime, punishment and medical development.
Surgeons’ Hall also has a quiet garden and cafe, Cafe 1505.
Read more about Edinburgh’s secret gardens here.
15. Arthur’s Seat Miniature Coffins
One of the strangest discoveries in Edinburgh happened at Arthur’s seat, where 17 miniature coffins were found.
With a city steeped in witchcraft and the infamous Burke and Hare body snatchers, these coffins have been surrounded by mystery and folklore about their origins.
The Scottish National Museum has dedicated a tour to these miniatures.
This free attraction is a great shelter for the family from the October weather.
No booking is required.
Have a look at the story so far here.
16. Drink in a Haunted Pub
Since Edinburgh is a medieval city, there is no shortage of pubs with stories of things that go bump in the night!
Check out the Banshee Labyrinth (29-35 Niddry Street) and have a drink in an underground cave!
This maze of a venue has three bars, a stage and a cinema!
17. Catch a Scary Movie
Edinburgh has two vintage movie theatres, Cameo and the Dominion, which show an eclectic mix of PG – 18 rated movies, so you might just be able to see Hocus Pocus on the silver screen.
The city also has a luxury cinema tucked away in The Scotsman Hotel; it’s a perfect date night location!
Our Autumn Guides
Final Words
Edinburgh is full of legends and stories enough to chill your blood.
Throw Halloween in the mix, and you will have a great day out.
Gemma, Everything Edinburgh’s favourite time of year is Halloween, and you’ll find her dressed up and dancing the night away at a party.
You might even find her on a spooky tour!
What spooky tours in Edinburgh did we miss? Tell us in the comments.
