Edinburgh Halloween: How to Have a Spooktacular Experience

Picture this: the cobbled streets of Edinburgh, shrouded in mist, a chill in the air, and a sense of mystery around every corner. If you’re a solo female traveler over 40 seeking an unforgettable Halloween adventure, look no further than the enchanting and historically rich city of Edinburgh.

This ancient city takes on a whole new persona during the Halloween season, making it the perfect destination for those who appreciate a touch of spine-tingling history. In this guide, on how to experience a spooktacular Edinburgh Halloween, we’ll explore many the eerie and fascinating attractions that Edinburgh has to offer during this haunting season.

Samhuinn Fire Festival

The Samhuinn Fire Festival, organized by the Beltane Fire Society, is one of Edinburgh’s most magical autumn traditions. Each year on October 31st, hundreds of volunteers transform Holyrood Park into the stage for an epic battle between the Summer and Winter Queens. It’s not just a show—it’s a vibrant reenactment rooted in ancient Celtic folklore, where the festival marks Samhuinn, the time when the veil between the physical and spirit worlds is at its thinnest. Fire plays a central role, symbolizing protection as we prepare to embrace winter’s long, dark days. Think of it as a Celtic New Year’s Eve, but with more flames and far fewer questionable countdowns.

What to Expect in 2024

This year’s festival kicks off at 6:45 pm and promises an unforgettable evening of fire performances, drumming, acrobatics, and storytelling. You’ll witness the dramatic clash between the Summer and Winter Queens and an eerie procession of mythical creatures, with fire jugglers and acrobats lighting up the sky. It’s like stepping into an ancient carnival—only with a lot more fire!

The festival culminates in the grand appearance of the Cailleach, the Celtic goddess who symbolizes the arrival of winter, sealing the seasonal shift in a fiery display. There’s no better way to bid farewell to summer and welcome the winter months than watching this powerful showdown unfold against Edinburgh’s enchanting backdrop.

Historic Sights with Grim & Bloody pasts

The first thing to know is that Edinburgh’s history is long and rich with ill-doings. Halloween gives these historic sites the chance to come alive and scare you silly with their ghastly and ghostly tales. The city is home to locations that have witnessed centuries of stories and, for many, endless hauntings. When visiting, don’t miss out on the spine-tingling experiences these sites offer for an Edinburgh Halloween to remember. Read on to find out more.

Be warned! The following activities grow in spookiness as you scroll down the page.

Edinburgh Halloween Ghost Walks

Edinburgh’s streets have witnessed countless tales of apparitions and unexplained phenomena. Halloween is the perfect time to join one of the city’s ghost walks. With routes covering different themes and locations, you can follow in the footsteps of spirits and learn about the hair-raising legends that haunt the city. Here are some you might like to try.

Free Ghost Tours

A good starting point for your Edinburgh Halloween could be a free ghost tour. These ghost tours last 1,5 hours and run every evening at 7pm, meeting on the Royal Mile. they state you will ‘hear ghostly tails and sinister stories that will transport you into the terrifying past of Edinburgh’s Old Town. This tour will guide you through eerie alleyways, also known as “closes” in Edinburgh, while recounting tales of past deeds. Book in advance here.

The Georgian House

Bodysnatchers and Beheadings: A Spooky Journey into Edinburgh’s Dark Past

Haunted tales and chilling stories, Number 7 Charlotte Square is a place teeming with enigmatic accounts and eerie relics. This spooky season allows us a peak into the house’s ties to murderers, thieves, and traitors.

This isn’t a journey for the faint of heart. It’s an expedition into the depths of Edinburgh’s macabre history, a place where the sinister and the supernatural intertwine.

Mark your calendar for Saturday, October 26th, and step back in time to the gruesome Georgian era. Experience the house in its original setting, illuminated only by the flickering glow of candlelight. This is your chance to explore the past and unearth the secrets hidden within the walls of Number 7 Charlotte Square.

Mary King’s Close

If you’re looking for an immersive historical experience with a touch of the supernatural, The Real Mary King’s Close is a must-visit. It’s not too scary, depending on how sensitive you are to ghosts that is! Hidden beneath the bustling Royal Mile, this underground labyrinth preserves the stories of its past residents around the time The Plague hit Edinburgh in the 17th Century.

It offers an eerie atmosphere. I’m sure you can imagine the fear and horror of being sealed in for quarantine purposes and left to die. Guided tours, with actors in costume, transport you back in time, allowing you to explore the narrow streets and dark secrets of this fascinating site. It’s an incredible to experience such a well-preserved underground street.

Edinburgh Halloween Underground Vaults Tours

If you feel Mary King’s Close is a bit tame for you, then try one of the underground vaults tours to get your spine tingling on your Edinburgh Halloween. You will descend into the underground depths of Edinburgh’s Vaults for a journey into its dark and mysterious history. These ancient chambers have seen their share of grave robbing, death, plague, and various guided tours let you explore their eerie past. Choose a tour that suits your level of spookiness. Hear tales of witch burning, grave robbing, body snatching, and mysterious murders. There is a wide variety of tours, you can choose tours that range from daytime historical recounts to late night paranormal investigations.

I have taken these tours twice, and on both occasions, they have succeeded in thoroughly terrifying me. The atmosphere is chilling, and it’s not just because of the Scottish weather. You will hear stories about malevolent ghostly presences that still remain trapped underground. These tours are definitely not for the fain hearted.

Practical tip: wear sensible shoes, the ground is rough, it’s not been paved so expect gravel, rocks and stones.

Grave Robbers

Burke & Hare are the famous body snatchers in Edinburgh history. They are famous not only for digging up bodies to sell for medical experimentation at the Surgeon’s Hall on Nicholson Street, but for at least 16 murders they committed in order to capitalise on the need for bodies for the study of anatomy in the early 1800’s. The vaults underneath Edinburgh’s Royal Mile stored some of the bodies.

Greyfriar’s Kirkyard

Step into the ethereal realm of Greyfriars Graveyard, where you can take a leisurely stroll among the resting spirits. People visit Greyfriars for one of 2 reasons. The 1st is during daylight to spy out all the gravestones that inspired some of the characters in her Harry Potter series. You can find graves here for Tom Riddle, Cruikshanks, McGonagal and more. If this is something you would find fun, this blog post is an excellent guide to finding the gravestones.

The 2nd reason tourists visit is because of how haunted the kirkyard is reputed to be. The first grave you come to as you enter the Kirkyard is that of famous resident, Greyfriars Bobby, the most loyal dog that ever lived. There are reports of Bobby’s disembodied bark echoing throughout the graveyard, and some passersby have even reported seeing the dog, still standing guard over the grave of his now long deceased master.

However, Bobby is not the worst of the hauntings in the Kirkyard. The spirit of a Mr …. has gained renown for his poltergeist activities, especially when he pushes and shoves tourists walking past his mausoleum.

Any tour in Greyfriars will recount these and other ghostly tales that generations have passed down.

The Canongate Kirkyard

A woman in black haunts the graveyard, well-known for her ethereal wanderings. You may also experience the sound of a woman crying.

It is also reputed to be the place where Charles Dickens found his inspiration for the character of Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol. There is a grave in the kirkyard belonging to an Ebenezer Sroggie. Next to his name it said ‘meal man’. In the dimly lit cemetery, it is thought that possibly Dickens misread the inscription as ‘mean man,’ giving birth to the character of the Scrooge we know and love.

Mercat Tours offer Halloween tours to both the vaults and Canongate Kirkyard; they are a well established tour company with excellent reviews. You can view their Edinburgh Halloween offerings here.

Edinburgh Halloween Horror Festival

31st October – 3rd November 2024 Banshee Labyrinth

The events listed for Edinburgh Halloween Horror Festival are way too scary for me. On the 31st October one of the many events is ‘Dark Dreams. The promo for this event describes it as: ‘Strange images flicker on the screen. A voice whispers nightmarish  imaginings in the corner. Here in the dark, let the dreams of a fevered  mind wash over you. On Halloween night, visions from the depths of the psyche come to life. Ready your mind for what terrors await.’ Like What??!!!! I’m terrified just reading this!

But if this kind of horror sends your pulse racing in a good way, check out the programme of events at Edinburgh Horror Festival 2024. There is a whole host of live theatre, comedy, workshops and cinema to choose from, including events with spooktacular names like: ‘The Fright House,’ ‘Survivors of the Zombie Apocalypse,’ and ‘The Dream Extortionist: A Collection of Nightmares.’ Definitely the spookiest place to be this Edinburgh Halloween.

Midnight Lunar Market Samhain/Halloween Séance

If you prefer your horror contained more within a spiritual experience then the Midnight Lunar Market and Halloween Seance might be just what you’re looking for. Hosted in the Voodoo Rooms on the 28th and 29th October, this event promises alternative traders and a welcoming, inclusive atmosphere. The market opens at 5pm each night and is free to enter.

At Midnight Lunar Market, your mystical journey awaits. Here, you can have your fortune told with a tarot reading, expand your crystal collection, bring home unique artworks, discover a fresh tarot deck, or explore a wide selection of herbal tea blends. Past markets, have had the pleasure of hosting multiple local businesses ready to meet all your herbal tea, spell kit, and oil needs. They’re also here to provide guidance on the fascinating world of witchcraft for those who seek it. It’s a haven for seekers and collectors of all things magical and esoteric.

The candle-lit seance begins at 11pm, just as the witching hour begins. The psychic medium will connect with spirit and offer guidance, in a one-in-a-lifetime experience. Buy tickets for the seance, at a cost of £10 here.

This sounds like the event for me!

Spooky Places to Eat & Drink for an Edinburgh Halloween

After a day of exploring the city’s spookiest corners, you’ll want to refuel. Edinburgh offers a delightful array of culinary delights, including traditional Scottish dishes, served in a variety of haunted pubs and restaurants. Here are 3 of the most haunted to get you started.

The Witchery

In particular try to get a table at the renowned Witchery, on the Royal Mile. This hotel is all Gothic grandeur. In the evening, candlelight illuminates The Secret Garden restaurant, enhancing the atmosphere with an even spookier touch.

Or if you’re feeling super brave, book a night’s stay. The Witchery derives its name from the hundreds of women who were burned at the stake on the Edinburgh Castle Esplanade, located just a few steps away from the restaurant. This could account for some of the ghostly apparitions experienced within its walls, but not so much the Irish Wolfhound dog that appears occasionally.

The White Hart Inn

This pub is one of the oldest in Edinburgh, dating back to 1516. It has been described as having more ghosts than customers! In a similar fashion to The Witchery, the White Hart Inn is also situated close to a site of many deaths. Just a few steps up the road stood the hanging post in The Grassmarket. Here saw many 100’s of public executions over the past 400 years, including the last hanging in Edinburgh in 1954! Hauntings in this pub include reports of hearing someone whisper ‘help me, customers getting their hair pulled and flying bottles!’ and staff have report hearing footsteps after hours. It seems that this is one pub that still regularly scares the staff and patrons!

The Banshee Labyrinth

The Banshee Labyrinth partly utilizes the underground vaults that lay sealed beneath Edinburgh’s Royal Mile for many years. It harbors a poltergeist notorious for hurling objects around!

They are also hosting this years Edinburgh Horror Festival (see above for info)

Edinburgh Halloween: A Memorable Halloween Adventure

As your Halloween adventure in Edinburgh draws to a close, you’ll carry back with you the memories of spine-tingling stories, ghostly encounters, and the undeniable charm of this historic city.

Edinburgh offers a unique and safe haven for solo female travelers over 40 to experience a Halloween they’ll never forget. So, embrace the chill in the air, don your favorite cozy hat & scarf, and set off on your own Edinburgh Halloween adventure in this city of enchantment. Edinburgh is waiting to cast its spell on you.

There is so much going on there is no way I can include it all here. Check out this link to Edinburgh What’s On Halloween to see more

Which event appeals to you the most? Let me know in the comments below.

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Interested in other posts about Edinburgh?

Check out Edinburgh’s Christmas Markets, A Perfect Edinburgh 3 Day Itinerary or 3 Great day trips from Edinburgh