City of the Dead Tour: Explore Edinburgh's Haunted Graveyard & Encounter the Mackenzie Poltergeist

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
(172 Ratings)
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O3122eomelissag
Aug 6, 2024
Excellent Guide and Interesting History - This was a great tour. The history and facts were all very interesting. Our guide Ross was absolutely fantastic and a character. He was a true performer and who really made the tour worth every penny.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
547samanthar
Aug 4, 2024
Brilliant! - This was really fun and interesting. We had such a good time listening to Ross and found that he made the tour a good mix of spooky, hilarious and informative. He was certainly made for this kind of thing and had us captivated! Would definitely recommend!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Robbid642
Jul 28, 2024
Fantastic Tour - Ross is the best tour guide in Scotland !! - Treated my partner who has been desperate to go on the Mackenzie Poltergeist haunted tours for a while now. Booked up for Saturday 27th July. Met our group and guide Ross at the meeting point. From the get go Ross was hilarious and engaged with every member of our group. He joked and included everyone with his antics. He was knowledgeable and theatrical making the tour informative, interesting and enthrallingly full of gore and detail. The haunted crypt was spooky and so full of activity. I picked up on an apparition of a Covenanter standing in the graveyard and a few people felt the temperature suddenly drop. Having been on many tours around Edinburgh and other cities I can highly recommend not only this tour - but that you specifically as if Ross will be your guide. If Ross is on duty book without a doubt - you will laugh, jump out your skin be thoroughly entertained. The chap is fantastic at his job - totally loved it and by goodness it shows. Book the tour with Ross and enjoy the stories, tales and the incredibly sensational of the Mackenzie poltergeist - you won’t be disappointed - you can thank me later.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Elinag423
Jul 28, 2024
Unique experience - Ross, our guide tour for the night, was an exceptionnal comedian for bringing us into the spooky universe of ghosts, throughout our walk in Edinburgh. He both succeeded in being humorous and frightening with his typical scottish humour. We can only suggest people to go on a tour with him. (🇨🇵)
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Nicole_k
Jul 10, 2024
Excellent job Ross! - Even though our tour was on a cold, wet, rainy, windy ‘Scottish’ July night, Ross made our tour excellent! He did a great job of getting to know each person and introducing the groups so we made friends along the way. Although I didn’t get any paranormal experiences, the history was great and the stories were brought alive by Ross. Bravo!! I hope to come back one day with more ‘paranormal enthusiasts’ from the US 👻
Review provided by Viator
X6327kjelliew
Jul 4, 2024
Bloody Mckenzie who!!? - Just finished our Haunted Graveyard tour with Ross and we had an absolute blast. He was an excellent, funny and dynamic guide and was a naturally engaging storyteller. The tour doesn’t feel long at all because of how engrossed you become in the weird and wonderful stories! Highly recommend this tour for anyone who loves horror and the paranormal!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mintyalice
Jul 2, 2024
A bruise, a cut and a very forgetful memory - I see ghosts everywhere, so naturally, while traveling in Edinburgh, I decided to take a ghost tour. I really enjoyed the tour led by Katie. She was very informative, funny, and passionate. However, I experienced some strange, unexplainable occurrences. Inside the Black Mausoleum, I felt a strong presence in a specific area to my left. I felt pokes on my right leg, and when I got home, I discovered a new and unexplained bruise on said leg. I also noticed a deep scratch on my side that I didn't have before, and a spot on my face started bleeding randomly without any apparent cause. The most unsettling part was how I listened very diligently to every word Katie said. After asking her a question, she mentioned she had already answered it earlier in the graveyard. I had no recollection of this, which was very peculiar. Maybe I blacked out because everything was blurry when I exited the mausoleum. I'm not sure what happened, but I know it was something unusual. I have a great memory and remember exactly what was said on that tour, so I’m not sure what caused me to forget.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Elidunkel_27
Jun 13, 2024
Unforgettable tour with Ross, an amazing and chilling experience - This guided tour was among the most memorable highlights of our trip to Edinburgh. We were lucky enough to be in a group of only 6 people (my friend and I from Italy, and 4 American girls). Our guide was Ross - a true force of nature! He told us many interesting tales, and showed us things that we could have easily missed in the centre of Edinburgh; his storytelling skills were absolutely superb. We had a lot of fun hearing curious stories, but we were also chilled by tragic, eerie and macabre tales about the Greyfriars cemetery and its former (and current!) residents. Entering the Covenanters Prison was the cherry on top of a fabulous tour. Thank you, Ross, for the unforgettable memories you gave us!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Quest45291113631
Jun 9, 2024
Loved the tour with Artemus! - We loved the tour! Artemus kept us engaged to the point that I didn't notice the Taylor Swift concert blaring in the background. Artemus is also hilarious on top of being an expert storyteller. It was a major highlight on our trip from the U.S!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
I9365oomichellev
May 25, 2024
Spooky! - Ross is an amazing tour guide and I highly recommend this tour! He was really animated, friendly, had some great jokes and had all the audience participating and laughing...or crying with fear. You decide!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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