Ghosts of Mary Kings Close Make This #1 Haunted Place!

October-November  

It’s Halloween! Ghosts, goblins, witches, and vampires will soon walk our hometown streets in pursuit of filling their trick or treat bags with candy. Scotland has many Halloween traditions that we have adapted and carry-on to this day.

The Scottish holiday is known as the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain and held on November 1^st to celebrate the end of summer, the harvest, and the start of winter. Scottish traditions begin with a large bonfire. Some turnips are carved into lanterns which are lit and carried and the forerunner of our carved pumpkins.

Edinborough Castle

Guising or ‘galoshin’ sounds like familiar fun. Children disguise themselves as evil spirits dressing in old clothes and painting their faces. This way, the kids can walk safely through the streets at night without being detected by wicked ghouls. The children have to perform a trick before they could expect treats in return. While dookin’ for apples, a favorite of any Halloween party, has you attempting to grab apples floating in a big tub of water with your teeth. Sound familiar?

 About fifteen years ago, my husband and I were fortunate enough to take a driving tour through Scotland. We arrived in Edinburgh and one of the first tours that caught our eyes was a ghost walk at night through the streets of the old part of the city.

Edinburgh, noted as being one of the most haunted places in the UK, makes it a prime destination for ghost-hunters. Little did we know at the time that Edinburgh has since been designated as the most haunted city in all of Europe as well.  Believe me when I say, Halloween or not, this tour made chills run up my spine.

We met our guide near St. Giles Cathedral and he began to relate some very scary tales of hauntings, murder, and witchcraft. We walked the dimly lit streets to Mary Kings Close, a street where victims of the Black Death were sealed up to die. They say their voices can still be heard especially at night. Trust me when I say, his comments rung so true, I was too nervous to listen and that’s coming from a paranormal author.

Old Town- Home to Mary's King Close

 

We also visited Greyfriars Krikyard located in Old Town and noted as the most haunted location in Edinburgh. The first burial in this spot occurred in the 16^th century and includes many famous Scotsman. But the most notable grave is for Greyfriars Bobby, a loyal mutt beloved by the city for guarding the grave of his owner for more than ten years after his death. When Bobby passed away, he too was buried in an unconsecrated grave inside the cemetery gates. To the present day, reports of his ghostly bark echo through the graveyard at night. Some visitors have even reported seeing Bobby still standing and guarding the grave of his dead master.What are these people doing there at night?

 

Some other scary places we did not visit at night include Dalry House which is in an area of the city near the Famous Haymarket. This house is believed to be haunted by one of the most famous Edinburgh’s ghost: The Johnny One Arm. Doesn’t sound like someone I’d like to meet up with at night. His real name was John Chiesly who lived during the 17^th century. Legend has it that he was ordered to pay a substantial annual alimony payment to his wife when their divorce became final. Johnny didn’t take this lightly. He did not want to pay the money so one day, guided by anger, he killed the magistrate who ordered the payment. He was soon captured, tortured, and his right arm cut off. He was hanged and his body was left on the gallows to warn others. The body, however, soon disappeared. Some believed it was taken by his friends for burial, but rumors surfaced that a one armed ghost was spotted in the area. A three hundred year old skeleton with only one arm was found beneath the Dalry House in 1965. Sure gives me the shivers!

The Death Coach of the Royal Mile is believed to be a horse driven carriage travelling to Old Town to collect the souls of the departed. Witnesses to this event describe the coach as glowing and pulled by black horses. Sightings of this coach are believed to signal an imminent disaster in the city. Yikes!!!!

The Liberton House ghost is one of a very few that has been photographed. It seems this house is haunted by an unknown girl. What we do know is that she manifests herself by wreaking havoc in the electrical equipment which malfunctions for no good reason.

Let’s not forget Edinburgh castle. Lucky for us we toured the castle during daylight. With nine hundred years of history, the castle is one of Scotland’s most haunted places. Built as a military fortress in the early 12^th century, the castle has survived surprise attacks, executions and a short capture by the English. Now a major tourist stop, tours of the dungeons which housed the infamous Lady Jane Douglas of Glamis who was accused of witchcraft and burned at the stake. Her ghost wandered down the castle’s underground passages and never returned.

 In 2001, Edinburgh Castle became the site of the one of the largest paranormal investigations in history. Nine paranormal researchers and over 200 members of the public explored the castle's forgotten chambers and secret passages for signs of ghostly activity. The public was not informed in advance as to which areas of the castle were rumored to be haunted and which were not. What the researches learned was that 51% of participants in haunted areas reported paranormal activity, while only 35% did so in the non-haunted areas. When visiting the castle, always look behind you. Shadowy figures, sudden drops in temperature, and feeling like someone is tugging on your clothes are all everyday experiences there. Thank goodness our tour ended in the gift shop to taste a wee dram of Scotch. Trust me that dram was needed!

 Ghosts, witches, and stories of torture aside, I loved Scotland filled with wonderful people, beautiful scenery, and amazing history. I hope to go back some day.

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 If you enjoyed this blog I think you might enjoy reading my book Shadows Across Time.  Florida antique dealer, Danielle deForet, is kidnapped and thrust back to 1559. The last thing on her mind was to meet a handsome knight in the past, and fall in love with him. Their love is not free and easy but comes with a price!  Also Available on Kindle and  Nook .