I've just finished reading The Town below the Ground by Jan-Andrew Henderson and while I am not intending to review the book (I never enjoyed doing that at school anyway!) it did remind me that I joined one of the ghost tours in Edinburgh a few years back. I can't remember which one of the many operators along the Royal Mile conducted the tour, but it started next to St. Giles Cathedral and made its way to Greyfriars Cemetery... so I am assuming it was the City of the Dead tour set up by the author of the above book!

Whether you believe in ghosts or not I do recommend that you join up with one or more of the tours. The tour I went on started with the guide talking about life in the Royal Mile in the days when witches being tortured and hangings were a regular occurrence. Then he made his way with everyone in tow down to the Cowgate and along to Greyfriars itself... and still hadn't collected a penny at this stage! So, if other tours operate this same policy then entertaining is something they have to be and our guide was that! Anyway, once in the graveyard the guide collects the money then locks the gate...

So, with obvious reference to good old' Bobby, the destination was the Covenanter's Prison and in particular one of the vaults inside! As an aside, if you want to freak a few people out you can always stand and stare at the vault you'll be entering and mention to whoever you're with not too quietly that’s where you're all heading - and as the guide won't have mentioned that yet you can imagine the reaction from some! I did just that (on my only visit there!) and got quite a good reaction from a few around me... but then the clue is there if you care to look!

For those that don't know, the Covenanters were a group of people that were persecuted for their religious beliefs (back in the days of Charles I!) and one of those that persecuted (and executed) many of them was a man known as Bloody McKenzie. He is also claimed as being responsible for certain poltergeist activity in Greyfriars as well as parts of Edinburgh's underground city! Again your opinion of this will be dependant upon what you believe (or otherwise) about such phenomenon... but the whole point of the tour is to be entertained and, even now that the guide has your money, he still tends to do that!

If you don't believe in ghosts go anyway for the entertainment and history value... whether you visit the cemetery or the vaults or even Mary King's Close the stories are at times unbelievable even though they are true (apart from maybe some of the ghost stories, but that’s up to the individual whether they want to believe it or not)!

The only other tour I have been on is to Gilmerton Cove (run by Mercat Tours who do other tours around the Mile). The cove might not be haunted, but the truth there is yet to be decided - whether the cavern and tunnels were carved by one person or whether they were frequented by the Hellfire Club or a coven of witches or there's a connection to the Holy Grail... who knows maybe its all true, but I'll leave it for you all to decide for yourself! However, don't just turn up expecting a tour to take place as they need to be booked in advance with Mercat Tours!

A story from Bruce: Scotland From The Roadside