City of the Dead Tour: Explore Edinburgh's Haunted Graveyard & Encounter the Mackenzie Poltergeist
4.7
151 Ratings
Edinburgh
Embark on a spine-chilling City of the Dead Tour in Edinburgh. Explore haunted graveyards, encounter the infamous Mackenzie Poltergeist, and uncover the city's dark history.
Duration: 1 hour, 20 minutes
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Greyfriars Kirkyard - All tours last approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes and leave from the “Tree of the Dead” located outside St Giles Cathedral on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile. Each guide is a local expert on Edinburgh’s fascinating and horrifying history, with their own unique style and delivery so no two tours are ever the same.

Combining history, humour and horror, this guided walking tour meanders through the labyrinth of Edinburgh’s closes and alleyways before entering Greyfriars Kirkyard, the world’s most haunted site! We finish the tour ends inside the Covenantor’s Prison, a locked section of a 16th Century walled cemetery. Thought to be the world’s first concentration camp, this is the lair of the ’Mackenzie Poltergeist’, the best documented supernatural case of all time.

Since City of the Dead has the only access to the Prison, we have been able to record all of the ‘attacks’ on visitors there. So far there have been over 900 - including 180 people who have been knocked unconscious.

Can cause physical and mental distress. You join us at your own risk.

What's Included
  • Local, expert guide
What's Not Included
  • Transportation to/from attractions
Additional Information

A compelling fusion of historical intrigue, joviality, and terror, this narrated pedestrian journey escorts you through the enchanting history of Edinburgh and into a sealed-off area of the Greyfriars Kirkyard, notorious as the Covenanter’s Prison.

This is the dwelling of the ‘Mackenzie Poltergeist’, considered the most thoroughly recorded paranormal incident in history. Experiencing the poltergeist is purported to be the apex of the Haunted Graveyard Tour, with hundreds of individuals alleging that the being has assaulted them. Only City of the Dead possesses the key!

• An 80-minute trek through Edinburgh’s eeriest sites, guided by a knowledgeable local.

  • Children must be accompanied by an adult
  • Language: English only
  • Age: Minimum 12
Location
St Giles' Cathedral
High Street
All tours leave from the "Tree of the Dead" outside St Giles Cathedral on the pavement facing the Royal Mile. Please arrive at the meeting point 15 minutes prior to departure.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.7
(151 Ratings)
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
Kathryn
Apr 5, 2024
Fab fright night - An excellent graveyard walk. We started around the cathedral and worked our way towards the graveyard. It was actually quite spooky, though nothing occult occurred on our visit (so far as we know...). Our tour guide was excellent and thoroughly engaging. His make up and stream punk attire was fitting and he was definitely a good story teller. His script was super factual, so would recommend this for history lovers. Note - if you go at night, it is Scotland! Wrap up warm. Warmer than you think you need to be as there will be periods of standing still in windy areas!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Rmp1david
Apr 3, 2024
Fun, frights and pure entertainment - Ross was an amazing guide for our night of terror! Full of stories, wit and personality, a truly fabulous informative guide. The tour was the right balance of fun, gore and scare. Our 13 year old loved it especially the ending! ( no spoilers here) . We will defo do again next time we are here .
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Tomgammie
Mar 27, 2024
Thrilling and bone chilling - Ross was an incredible guide, lively, eccentric and a fountain of knowledge. The tour itself took us through a lot of the gruesome tales of Edinburgh’s past as well as right into the most haunted graveyard in Scotland. Absolutely fantastic would highly recommend. Thank you so much Ross, from your Aussie friends Tom and Karla.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Milagrosdc3608gw
Mar 9, 2024
A very fun and scary tour - We did the tour with Ross and he was the absolute best. It is clear that he loves his jobs and transmits his good energy to everyone on the tour. He is an awesome storyteller and performs the bits of the story as he is telling it. The tour was both fun and scary and I would highly recommend it.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
U4623ddsarahk
Mar 6, 2024
A wonderful tour ! - I attended the tour with my mom and we loved it ! We are from France and our guide, Ben, was very kind, he explained us very well the legends and the myths associated to the city of Edinburgh. We visited the cemetery, and Ben explained us many gloomy stories but always with a touch of humour. It was great !
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Laura358767
Feb 17, 2024
Loved it - Great tour ! Loved Sergeant jock ! Perfect combination of history and spooky. A great way to enjoy Édimbourg by night !!!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kyle
Feb 16, 2024
Ross had wonderful energy and was a fantastic story teller. 10/10 would recommend. - Ross was our tour guide for the night. And let me tell you, amazing. A very dramatic performance fit well with the late night graveyard tour. His energy and enthusiasm made me as happy and interested as he was. On top of that this was Ross’s first tour with City of the Dead. Wonderful stories ranging from Edinburgh history to ghosts, zombies and poltergeists. Well worth the money and will be using them again next time we’re here. Unfortunately I did not come away with any scratches or bruises from the black mausoleum, next time maybe!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Rascalscafe
Feb 15, 2024
Well done to Ross, fantastic first tour! - Fantastic tour by Ross tonight! The energy and enthusiasm with every gruesome story really made it all come to life! Highly recommend the tour to anyone wanting to learn more about the darker sides of Edinburgh!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
0sedat
Feb 15, 2024
fun and gruesome tour - The tour was great and a lot of fun, the guide Ross was really entertaining and clearly knew a lot about the topic. it was the best tour i’ve been on during my edinburgh trip. Thoroughly recommend.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
P2946knkimj
Feb 15, 2024
Amazing tour and guide - Artemus Deadman! - This was an amazing tour. Especially the opportunity to enter the locked off prison. If Poltergeists are your thing, you cant go wrong with this tour! The only tour to allow access to the locked off area of Greyfriars Kirkyard. Our tour guide was Artemus Deadman. What a guide! So knowledgeable about the city, the graveyard and the locked off prison! He kept us all enthralled and the tour was so entertaining, we would do this one again.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Select Date and Tickets
up to 4 guests
1
Adult
May 2024
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Today