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The Dark Side of Edinburgh

The Dark Side of Edinburgh

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About This Event

The Dark Side of Edinburgh will take place on 22 August 2026 in the Old Town. The event offers a walking tour that explores aspects of history often omitted from standard tourist narratives. Tickets are priced at £18.00.

If you want a mundane, humdrum history walk, this is not the tour for you. But... if you want to learn what the tourist industry leaves out?

If you want a mundane, humdrum history walk, this is not the tour for you. But... if you want to learn what the tourist industry leaves out? The hidden, gruesome crimes and punishments? The long forgotten twisted, sadistic characters? The thousands of lives painfully lost in the cruel grip of Edinburgh's past? Maybe you are brave enough to learn the truth.

Hear of witches, cannibals, murders, thieves, body snatchers, blood thirsty mobs and the devil in disguise. We will explore haunted graveyards, hide up darkened closes, spit on the Heart of Midlothian and bravely face where Edinburgh believed the world ended. You even get a chance to knock on Bloody Mackenzie's door, if you dare!

Madam McKinnon or William Burke will guide you through our streets under cover of darkness. They've been dead for almost 200 years and do not take kindly to modern nonsense. They will however, crack your sides with laughter over their dry Scottish wit. And their tales will chill you to your core.

Our tours are historically accurate, with a history this dark there's no need to fabricate!

Our stops

The Grassmarket: where you will discover the castles curse and the nasty secrets etched into the cobble stone square.

Greyfriars Kirkyard: one of the most haunted graveyards in the world. It's not just about a loyal dog. As the twilight hits the ghouls come out to play!

The Royal Mile: with such attractions as St Giles Cathedral, the Tron Kirk and the Old Tolbooth Prison. Not just a tourist hot-spot but a street that once ran dark with blood.

Description supplied by the event organiser.

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Frequently asked questions

The Dark Side of Edinburgh takes place on Saturday, 22 August 2026 at 19:00.

The Dark Side of Edinburgh is held at Edinburgh Old Town in Edinburgh (Edinburgh Old Town, Edinburgh).

Tickets for The Dark Side of Edinburgh are priced at £18.

This event has ended

Saturday, 22 August 2026

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