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Haunted Underground Vaults: Sinister 1700s History Tour
4.8
1,959 Ratings
Edinburgh
Uncover the sinister history of Edinburgh’s 1700s underground network on a haunted vaults walking tour. Explore former slum dwellings and feel the pulse of the past come to life!
Duration:
1 hour
Cancellation:
1 day
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Highlights
- Royal Mile - The guide will meet the group and then after a brief introduction guide everyone down the Royal Mile to the entrance to our vaults occasionally stopping to tell some of Edinburgh’s history along the way.
- Edinburgh Vaults - The guide will show the group our torture exhibition and explain the whys and hows of how some items were used in Edinburgh’s dark history. The guide will then take the group to our vaults to hear their history and about the paranormal happenings said to have occurred here.
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What's Included
- Admission ticket included
Additional Information
As black as the core of evil, our spooky subterranean system of crypts dating back to the 18th century will rouse and thrills your senses as you begin to imagine the cruel history of these bygone shanty abodes, formerly the homes of the destitute and luckless as well as lawbreakers and ladies of the night. Your heart rate quickens and your mouth becomes parched as you become increasingly conscious of your surroundings! An encounter that once lived, stays with you forever.
- Vaults entrance/exit is via a 2ft stair followed by a spiral staircase and further average size mezzanine staircases inside the vaults Between the levels.
- Not recommended for children under 12 years of age.
- Children under 16 years of age must be accompanied by a Parent or Guardian
- Anyone under the influence of alcohol or drugs will be turned away.
- Alcohol and Drugs strictly forbidden on the tour.
- Filming or live streaming of the tour is strictly forbidden. You may be ejected from the tour.
- Office hours are 10am-5pm for all calls & emails
- • Some historical content may be of a distressing nature with regards but not exclusively to Torture, Hangings, Death
- • Children under 2 years of age not allowed on tour.
- The walking pace and terrain may not be suitable for those with any difficulty walking.
- We do not provide luggage storage so please make alternate arrangements.
Location
300 Lawnmarket
Lawnmarket
Tours starts from the Tourist Information Police Box outside of 300 Lawnmarket. It is on the opposite side of the road to Deacon Brodies Tavern. (55.949326, -3.192912)
Please be there at least 5-10 minutes early as we depart promptly at the tour time and we will not wait for latecomers.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.8
(1959 Ratings)
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A6616ogoliviam
Aug 7, 2024
One of the best tours I’ve been on - Rachel our guide was so fun! She had a very stage performer vibe and had lots of facts and little details that I certainly couldn’t memorize! Very fun over all, and wear good shoes!!
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Poliver4
Aug 4, 2024
Great tour by James - James was brilliant. His enthusiasm definitely made the tour. Great knowledge and would highly recommend. Didn’t see any ghosts this time although one of the tour group said they felt a presence!
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U3563nnloganb
Aug 2, 2024
Spooky fun - Amazing experience in the vaults, James our guide was filled with information and enthusiasm, and as someone who enjoys haunted activities, this place was terrifying.
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Nicolata3576wb
Aug 2, 2024
This tour is ideal for all - This was a fantastic tour, and our guide Rachel, was funny, entertaining and told a good story. I was impressed with her vast knowledge and dates and locations she had to tell back to all of us.
I had my family with me and my youngest is 13, and this tour was perfect for all ages. My oldest was looking to be a bit more scared but she had an amazing time and thought the vaults were extremely spooky.
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Traveler59027543804
Aug 1, 2024
Haunted vaults - We had a great tour guide Fraser, he very interesting to listen to and knowledgeable with the history and stories, and also had a good sense of humour
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Sherpa643777
Jul 31, 2024
History of the underground vaults - Our tour guide Rachel was awesome! She has a natural knack for storytelling! She was very informative on the history of the vaults and kept everyone engaged.
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Fayed456
Jul 31, 2024
Great walking tour - Dom was great, very informative and spooky. The history of the vaults was fascinating! Would recommend to anyone interested in darker history
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Sunilt753
Jul 30, 2024
Fab Haunted Vaults Tour. Spine Chllin' - Fabulous Haunted Vaults Tour. Rachel was Brill. If you get her for your guide you will not be disapointed. Was creepy in the Vaults!
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Kdove64
Jul 30, 2024
Interesting, creepy, historic - Really excellent tour with a small group and a fantastic guide. Be ready for walking in dim lit rooms. Was given the history from our guide while walking through the vaults. Incredible to imagine people lived there, though not for long. Interesting for those interested in haunted places or historical places.
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Sunseeker1121
Jul 29, 2024
Just MEH (save your money) - I'm surprised at the ratings for this but I probably should have looked more carefully as many are one time reviewers. This was a walking tour of old town and the vaults that lasted around an hour. We had 34 (!!!!) people on our tour so it was a bit much being stuffed into the small vault rooms. Would be better to have a tour with a smaller group.
James was a lovely tour guide full of energy and information. Interesting to see the different vault rooms and hear some of the stories of life back in the vaults. However it got a bit too monotonous with the vaults after a while - once you see one, the rest seem redundant.
If you're looking for some history, it's a useful tour (though probably could be 1/2 the time and worth 1/4 of the cost). However I do think that the tour organizers can do a better job at making the groups smaller.
And for the cost, if you're looking for entertainment with history I would suggest that we had a better time at the dungeons exhibit and it was definitely value for money.
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