Ghosts, Witches, Ghoulies and Things That Go Bump In The Night...In Edinburgh Scotland

When I think about my trip to Edinburgh many thoughts come to my mind..Most famous of all is Edinburgh castle. Believed to be built on a dead volcano, called Castle Rock, it's an imposing structure, looking a bit mysterious and giving a theatrical air to the whole town as it looks out on the city..

I think about the Palace of Holyroodhouse with it's mysterious chambers, the old ruined Abbey, and all the historical mysteries, murders and intrigues that went on there throughout the centuries. Still used today when the Queen of England makes her yearly trips to the Palace.

Though there is much to be written about both those imposing Castles, I've decided to concentrate on what seemed to intrigue me the most, The Royal Mile, with it's legends of ghosts, witches, and other strange, disturbing, and unexplained tales of the mile.

The Royal Mile runs from the Castle to the Palace, passing the Parliament House, which is now a courthouse, with scrumptious interiors, that you are invited to see. You pass the John Knox house, whose history goes back to the 15th century. Even if you're not interested in the reformer who founded the Scottish Presbyterian Church, you might want to visit the house, as it is characteristic of the lands that used to flank the mile, the only one still standing, with its timbered gallery and tempera ceiling..

There are many more historic and interesting places to see along the mile but it was the strange and unusual stories that fascinated me, the alleyways, the neighborhoods or the Close, as they are called, leading off the main street of the mile.

I'll start with Mary Kings Close. More people died there, per square yard, in 1645, due to the Plague, then anywhere else in Edinburgh. As the death toll mounted, the city magistrate ordered the Close to be sealed off so the disease couldn't spread, thereby trapping those poor souls inside and sealing their doom. As time passed and the capitol grew, housing became needed for the poor, tenements were built, and the homeless moved in. Before very long, ghost stories abounded, sightings of people and even dogs who died of the plague were said to appear and frightened them out of their wits. Soon, the Close was abandoned again and fell into decay, then a fire broke out and today all that can be seen of this Close is a barred gate, with massive chambers, leading off in different directions. Nobody is allowed in. Are they keeping us out, or keeping something or somebody in??

Back on the mile, there is a legend called the "Death coach". Sightings of this ghostly wagon are recorded in several old documents. It is said to appear before a disaster strikes, galloping from Holyrood to the castle, drawn by headless horses, spewing forth flashes of fire..

And, if during your journey down the Royal Mile, you hear the strains of pipe music coming from below ground, don't be surprised, for during the early years of the last century, a tunnel is supposed to have been discovered running from a castle dungeon to the Palace. A young piper agreed to explore it, he was told to keep playing so the crowd above could follow him, but halfway through the tunnel, the music stopped and the young man was never seen again!

The castle is naturally the scene of many spooky tales, with squadrons of ghost troops and other strange sightings, so many mysteriously murdered men and women, many of them said to be seen time and time again.

Then there are the towns famous murderers who committed the worst murders in the history of Scotland, Burke and Hare, who, between Christmas, 1827 and October, 1828 strangled at least sixteen people so they could sell the bodies to an anatomist for medical research. Most corpses found their way to the anatomist table by body snatching from graveyards but, these two men thought robbing cemeteries too much work so ,they just murdered innocent people, who wouldn't be missed, then were paid without question.

There was always something strange going on in and around the Mile. Our story wouldn't be complete without a tale of witches. Edinburgh was once thought to be the principal center for witchcraft. Between 1479 and 1722, more than 300 women were burned to death on Castle hill after being found guilty of "working for the devil" Today a plaque in a wall at the foot of the esplanade, opposite Cannonball house, marks the spot. In the 17th and 18th centuries, the Presbyterians of Scotland , under strong Puritan influence, gave the go ahead for the burning, no matter how flimsy the evidence. Most of the women had probably never committed a crime, but we have to remember, those ancestors were extremely superstitious and truly believed that some seemingly ordinary women took the form of old hags at nightfall, to fly through the air on brooms, dispensing evil spells like confetti. They were not allowed any defense and were always proven guilty. Even some men were considered witches and were similarly punished.

One other story and point of interest... on the mile, considered one of the best pubs, Deacon Brodies Tavern, established in 1806, perpetrates the myth of Deacon Brodie. Good citizen by day, robber by night, he is believed to be the inspiration for Robert Louis Stevensons classic tale, "The Strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde"
Brodie did end up on the gallows on October 1 1778. The tavern is a traditional pub setting and very popular with visitors and locals alike.

So, it is no surprise with all this death, nastiness, mysterious disappearances, and the burnings at the stake, I think it would be unusual if there were no ghostly spirits, sounds in the night or general spookiness wherever you peek into any corner of this very extremely interesting but eerie Royal Mile.

I certainly wouldn't want to be caught there alone, late at night. What about you????